Facelift Description & Benefits

A face lift (rhytidectomy) is a surgical procedure designed to make the face appear more youthful by lifting up the facial skin and tissues and/or the underlying muscle, to make the face tauter and smoother. With age or excessive sun exposure, wrinkled creased skin can develop on the face, neck or forehead along with fat deposits and folds around the jaws and jowls. Face lift surgery cannot stop the aging process, but can improve the appearance, making patients look younger. The aim of a face lift is to provide you with a natural, more youthful appearance and should not produce a tight “windblown” looking face. The results of a facelift procedure will be good if you have good skin tone, your skin has not lost its elasticity and moves and stretches easily. The majority of patients that undergo face lift surgery do so in their early 50's and over, though patients in their 70’s and 80’s have had successful surgeries. A face lift procedure will normally not be necessary for people under 40 years of age, though occasionally patients with premature facial aging or who have had significant weight loss may undergo an earlier surgical face lift.

Facelift Procedure Steps

Face lift operations are most commonly performed under a general anesthetic and take between two to five hours to perform. You are likely to stay in hospital for one night. The facelift procedure usually involves incisions in front of and behind the ear. The incisions may extend into the scalp. Once the incisions are made, various degrees of undermining of the skin are performed, and the deeper layers of the face are ‘lifted’. Muscle tightening as well as liposuction of the neck and jowls may be performed, and excess skin is either removed or repositioned. The results are a reversal of the effects of gravity and tightening of soft tissues of the face to restore a more youthful contour to the face.

Facelift Recovery

Face lift recovery times vary from patient to patient, and smokers take longer to heal. You may need pain relief to help with any discomfort as the anesthetic wears off. If you need them, you can take over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. The swelling will be at its worst two to three days after face lift surgery, and sleeping upright in bed supported by pillows and applying ice packs will help to reduce the swelling. Patients of face lift surgery are recommended to rest as much as possible the first week, keep your incision sites as dry as possible, and avoid closed-neck clothing to prevent contact on your head and face. Some numbness, swelling, and even some discoloration of the skin is likely to last for up to two weeks after the surgery.

After five to ten days your stitches will be removed, and a few days later you should start to see the results of the face lift. Five to fourteen days after the face lift procedure you will start to look and feel better and will be able to take gentle walks and do light housework. Visible swelling and bruising should go down after four to six weeks, avoid any strenuous activity during this time. You will probably feel numbness in your face for a few weeks, which is caused by the stress put on the nerves during and after the face lift operation. It may take several months for swelling to fully dissipate and up to six months for incision lines to mature. Maintaining or adopting a healthy lifestyle and wearing a high SPF sun cream whenever you go out will help to extend the results of your face lift. You will see the end result of your face lift approximately six to nine months after your face lift operation.

Shop for Facelift Recovery Products

You can find a way variety of products designed to help you have the best preparation and recovery from your procedure at the:

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Facelift Side Effects & Risks

Some potential complications that may occur include hematoma (an accumulation of blood under the skin), infection, unfavorable scarring, poor wound healing, numbness, skin discoloration and reactions to anesthesia. Other complications may also include fluid accumulation, deep vein thrombosis, skin loss, and facial nerve injury. While plastic surgeons are trained in techniques for safely manipulating facial skin and tissues, injury to underlying structures is possible, though usually temporary. Facelift incisions are usually quite inconspicuous; however, this is not entirely predictable due to individual variations in healing. You can help minimize certain risks by following the advice and instructions given to you by your plastic surgeon both before and after surgery.

Facelift Costs

The average cost of a Facelift is anywhere from $6,500-10,900, depending on the physician and areas treated.

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