Any facelift has a chance of skin numbness in the cheeks and ear lobes. Almost every patient has some level of numbness in these areas after surgery. However, the body quickly recovers and the sensory nerves usually recover after a few weeks to months for normal sensation to return. Only in rare cases may the numbness be permanent at the ear lobe. Another type of possible nerve injury is related to the nerve that moves the face (facial nerve), which could impact your ability to smile (corner of mouth asymmetry). This is a risk in any facelift surgery, but the risk is quite low, and almost always temporary if it were to occur. The risk is higher in revision surgery than in patients who never underwent a prior facelift or neck lift. A thorough understanding of facial anatomy is critical to minimize the chance for such occurrence, and Dr. Walker, as a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon, possesses the necessary knowledge and skill to safely perform your surgery minimizing the chance for an untoward outcome.