The average age of a facelift patient has dropped sharply. Where the procedure once belonged almost exclusively to patients in their sixties, Manhattan facial plastic surgeon Dr. Andrew Jacono now sees the majority of his facelift cases in the mid-40s age range. The shift is not cosmetic trend-chasing. It reflects a calculated decision by professionals who plan to work well into their seventies and want to maintain their appearance throughout that span.
Professional Pressure Reshapes Patient Profiles
Career concerns drive much of the demand. Remote work has placed faces on high-definition screens for hours each day, and people are confronting their own reflections in ways that bathroom mirrors never prompted. Patients notice early jowling or midface descent during video calls and move to address those changes before they become pronounced.
Dr. Andrew Jacono’s extended deep-plane facelift technique operates beneath the superficial musculoaponeurotic system, repositioning descended fat pads and releasing ligaments rather than simply pulling surface skin. Town & Country noted that he keeps skin, muscle, and fat together as a single unit. That approach produces results that read as refreshed rather than surgically altered, which matters to professionals who want subtle enhancement rather than obvious intervention.
Why Timing Changes the Surgery
Patients in their mid-40s present with early structural changes rather than severe tissue descent. Surgery at that stage requires less manipulation and carries a shorter recovery. Social bruising typically clears within two weeks, and most patients return to professional activities within that window, making the procedure practical for people managing active careers.
Results from the extended deep-plane technique last 12 to 15 years when aligned with good technique, skin quality, lifestyle, and consistent care. A patient who undergoes surgery at 45 maintains that improvement through their peak earning years without requiring revision procedures before retirement.
Newsweek ranked Dr. Andrew Jacono as the third-best facelift surgeon in America for 2025. He performs approximately 250 deep-plane facelifts annually at his Manhattan practice and has published more than 70 peer-reviewed articles documenting surgical outcomes. His 2021 textbook, The Art and Science of Extended Deep Plane Facelifting, draws on findings from over 2,000 procedures, making it a foundational reference for surgeons pursuing natural, lasting results.