You can become a face lift surgeon by following the steps to become a general cosmetic, or plastic, surgeon. This is because the main difference between face lift surgeons and general plastic surgeons is that the former mostly only perform face lifts, though they usually are still qualified to complete other treatments. You can start your journey to become a face lift surgeon by first getting a bachelor's degree, after which you will need to attend medical school. During this time, you will learn about all aspects of medicine; once you graduate and start your residency, you can specialize in plastic surgery. You likely can become a face lift surgeon after you complete your residency, either by joining a practice or opening your own and letting patients know that your focus is on face lifts.
The best way to begin this career is to get the proper schooling, which usually starts with a bachelor's degree. If the college you attend has a pre-medicine program, then you likely should take advantage of it to ensure that you enroll in the right classes for this subject. If your school does not have such a program, then a focus on science usually is helpful if you want to become a face lift surgeon. In most cases, you can get into medical school with any major, so you can focus on a different subject during your undergraduate years if you prefer. No matter what your major is, you are advised to get good grades and apply to several medical schools to improve your odds of getting in.
Once you are attending medical school, you likely will take mostly general classes to prepare you for this career. Typical courses might include pharmacology, ethics and anatomy. During your third year, you likely will start rotations, during which you will get a little bit of experience with various specialties. This way, you can decide if you really wish to become a face lift surgeon or prefer a different focus in medicine. When you are done with rotations, in your fourth year of school, you likely will graduate and pass a licensing exam before you can be considered a doctor.
Your next step is to complete your residency in your chosen field of plastic surgery, which means you will work in a hospital or clinic that performs plastic surgery procedures. During this time, you likely will get firsthand experience performing face lifts and other procedures that most plastic surgeons complete. Once you finish the program, you are advised to become certified as a facial cosmetic surgeon, which usually requires that you pass a test. If you want to become a face lift surgeon who is known only for this specific surgery, then you can emphasize to patients that this is your specialty. This may allow you to eventually be considered an expert in this field, though your degree also will qualify you to perform other procedures, if desired.