Face-lift surgery (facialplasty, rhytidectomy, cervicofacial rhytidectomy) is the cornerstone in the surgical management of the aging face. A number of factors have contributed to the popularity of surgical rejuvenation, including improved technology and anesthesia, successful results, minimal access (smaller incisions), and increased public awareness.

Also, the debanking of myths such as, “If I do it now will I have to repeat it?”–(no); “Will I be able to repeat it more than once if I want to?”–(yes); “Shouldn't I wait until I'm older or my mother's age?”–(only if indicated); “How long will it last?” (You will always look better than you would have without surgery). Similarly, as the “baby-boomer” generation ages, 10,000 Americans will turn 50 everyday, or one every 8 seconds for the next decade. By the millennium, 115 million Americans will be over the age of 50, and as long as our perception of youth and beauty continues to be admired, this too will fuel the demand for aesthetic surgery.

Rather than an actual structural alteration, such as is provided by rhinoplasty or skeletal augmentation, face-lift surgery for the most part resets the clock. Indeed, the results of face-lift surgery coincide with patient's goals: a more refreshed, youthful version of themselves, without changing their intrinsic appearance. Patients often state that they want to reconcile their facial appearance with how they feel; in essence: “look as good as I feel.” Despite this, patients have varying psychosocial motivations and perceptions regarding their surgery. For some, secrecy provides a badge that can be worn as genetic superiority, whereas for others, surgery is merely a rite of passage that is readily acknowledged.