Technically known as Rhytidectomy, a facelift is a surgical procedure to improve visible signs of aging in the face and neck, such as:
Deep creases below the lower eyelids
Loss of youthful fullness of cheeks
Deep creases running from the nose to the corners of the mouth
Heavy jowls
Loose, hanging neck skin
While a properly performed facelift will restore a more youthful facial appearance, it will not change your fundamental appearance, nor can it stop the aging process.
After carefully assessing your skin, subcutaneous tissues, and deep structural support, an individualized surgical plan will be created to safely meet your goals.
The surgery typically is performed under general anaesthesia (asleep), but may sometimes be performed under local anaesthesia (awake) with medicines to make you relaxed.
The incision(s) used depends on the procedure performed, but typically begin in the hair of the temple, pass down just in front of the ear, then curve back around the ear. The skin is lifted off of the cheek and neck to allow the underlying fat and supportive structures to be repositioned.
Asmall incision beneath the chin may be used to aid in the removal of fatty tissue and smooth the cord-like structures of the underlying muscle in the neck.
Your own fat may be injected to help restore fullness to your cheeks or lips.
The skin isrewrapped, excessskin removed, and incisionscarefully closed. A drain may be placed to prevent fluidaccumulation. If a drain is placed, it wouldtypically be removed within 1-2 days.
After surgery, your face will be wrapped in a bulky, soft dressing. It is important that you avoid any exertion following surgery to minimize bruising and swelling.
Like any surgical procedure, there are risks associated with facelift. Although the incisions are designed to heal inconspicuously, you will have scars after surgery. There will be areas of numbness, but these typically resolve. Infection, bleeding (hematoma), and nerve injury resulting in facial weakness are rare complications.
Unlike a standard facelift which focuses on sagging in the lower face and neck, the mid-facelift is beneficial for those who have early signs of facial aging in the cheek below the eyes. A mid-facelift can be performed as part of a conventional facelift.
Small incisions are made in the lower eyelid and the underlying tissue of the mid-face is gently raised, about 90% vertically and 10% back and any resulting excess skin is then removed. Another method of performing a mid-facelift involves making a small incision in the temple area.
The mid-face is then repositioned in the subperiosteal pane and the sagging cheek fat pad is lifted together with underlying muscles. The results of this procedure focus on the correction of hollowing below the eyes, sagging around the mouth as well as improvement of the naso-labial folds.
Like a standard facelift, you should expect to wait at least several weeks until swelling has subsided for an accurate picture of how you will look.
A facelift can only be performed surgically; non-surgical rejuvenation treatments cannot achieve the same results, but may help delay the time at which a facelift becomes appropriate and complement the results of surgery.
Facelift surgery is a good option for you if:
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