Ms Margaret O'Donnell:

Yes. It is a major procedure, with a high risk of complications, including serious permanent complications. It is not to be done lightly and it takes a number of weeks to recover. Done well, a facelift can have lovely and very natural looking results. It is frustrating that some of these kinds of procedures are sometimes touted as being all bad. If carried out properly, one can look natural and good.

The non-surgical facelift is becoming more common. It is not an operation. A wide variety of practitioners are offering this, using the name "facelift". What they are doing is giving injections and laser treatments. Botox gets rid of some of the wrinkle lines, and fillers are used to get rid of others. Lasers are used to get rid of fine lines or discolouration. All sorts of names are used to describe the combination of these treatments. There is a facelift called the "Dracula facelift" whereby some blood from the system is aspirated and spun around in a centrifuge, after which one re-injects the serum from it. There is no proof that it works but it is being offered for vast amounts of money. With a catchy name, it captures the public imagination.