By Bess Strachan, Sex and Relationships writer
It is mid-morning in Sydney, and Liz’s phone lights up with a FaceTime call from her longtime friend, Maggie. They have known each other since university, but until today, Liz has never seen Maggie sporting anything more dramatic than a bold shade of lipstick. She answers the call with a cheerful, “Hey, Maggie!” – only to falter in surprise.
Maggie’s face floats onscreen beneath a bandaged jaw and a startling absence of familiar wrinkles. Her eyes, swollen, sparkle with mischievous pride. “Well? What do you think?” Maggie asks, voice slightly muffled by dressing tape.
Liz gapes. “Maggie, what happened? Did you fall? Are you… okay?”
Maggie laughs, the sound a little stiff. “No accident. I finally did it. I had a facelift yesterday.”
There’s a stunned silence as Liz searches for the right words. At 58, Liz has considered such procedures herself, especially after seeing friends swap stories of fillers and laser treatments over wine. But Maggie? Maggie – who always dismissed the beauty industry’s obsession with youth – has gone for the big one.
Liz recovers: “I seriously thought you’d tripped and landed face-first on a rugby pitch. Why? What happened?”
Maggie leans closer, careful not to stretch her skin. “Honestly? I was tired of looking in the mirror and seeing someone I didn’t feel like. Last Christmas, my granddaughter asked if I was ‘sad’ because my mouth turned down. That stuck. I thought: why shouldn’t I feel like myself again?”
Liz glances at Maggie’s face, then gently asks, “So… how does it actually work? You don’t look like you’ve had a good sleep, if that’s what you were hoping for!”
Maggie grins. “Well, it was a bit more involved than a night cream, let me tell you. I saw Dr Simmons (not her real name) in Bondi Junction – she’s a popular surgeon for older women. The consultation was all about what I disliked and what I wanted to avoid. I was clear: no ‘pulled’ look, no frozen face, and absolutely no overdone cheeks. Dr. Simmons said her clientele nowadays includes mostly women over 55, and the aim is ‘natural refreshment,’ not transformation.”
Liz interjects, “I’ve read about that – my neighbour had one last year. Took weeks to heal.”
Maggie nods. “That’s right. They make tiny incisions around the hairline and ears, then lift and reposition the underlying muscles before trimming excess skin. It’s under general anaesthetic, and then you stay in the clinic overnight. Recovery’s the worst part. Swelling, bruises, stitches. You look like a badly wrapped Christmas present for a few weeks.”
Liz raises her eyebrows. “So how much did this ‘gift’ set you back?”
Maggie sighs. “That’s the catch. Prices in Australia vary, but I paid $18,000, and that’s fairly standard. Some go higher, especially with extra procedures like eyelid lifts or neck work. Medicare doesn’t cover cosmetic work, so it’s all out of pocket unless there’s a medical reason. There are payment plans, but I saved up. It’s hard not to think about using that money for travel or home upgrades, but this felt important to me.”
She pauses, checking Liz’s reaction. “Do you think it’s silly? A waste?”
Liz shakes her head, slowly. “I get it, honestly. If I could erase the frown lines without looking like someone else, I’d be tempted. But it’s just … I never imagined you’d do it before me.”
Maggie shrugs carefully. “Neither did I. But you know, facelifts are much more common for women our age than people realise. The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons says most of their facelift patients are in their late 50s to early 70s. It’s women who want to look good for themselves, not because they’re chasing lost youth. We’re working longer, dating, travelling. Why shouldn’t we feel good in our own skin?”
Liz grins. “So, will you parade the new face at the book club next month?”
“Assuming I don’t frighten them,” Maggie jokes. “It’ll be weeks before I’m fully healed. Right now I have to sleep upright and keep my stitches clean. I look in the mirror every day, trying to imagine what I’ll see when the swelling goes down.”
She hesitates, growing thoughtful. “Honestly, Liz, I wonder if I’ll recognise myself – or if you will. Strange to think a few stitches can change so much. But I hope when you see me next, you’ll just see me: the version I feel inside.”
Liz shakes her head, marvelling at her friend’s courage and candour. “Maggie, whether you look 48 or 68, I’ll always know it’s you. Just try not to shock me on FaceTime again. I wouldn’t want my own wrinkles getting any deeper!”
They laugh, the camaraderie undimmed. Outside, the morning light brightens the room – hopeful, forgiving and, just maybe, a little younger.
The price of a facelift in Australia can vary widely, based on location, surgeon experience and the complexity of the procedure. Here’s what the latest figures show:
Facelift surgery is considered a cosmetic procedure and is not covered by Medicare or private health insurance, unless there’s a medical reason for the procedure.