A facelift is an operation to reshape the facial contours of the face by removing fat or muscle in specific or all areas of excess tissue, reducing wrinkles, and increasing the firmness of facial skin. The procedure includes suturing, tightening, and removing the excess tissue from various parts of the face, lipoatrophy, jowls, and neck.
Like any cosmetic surgery, the goal of a facelift is to improve your facial appearance by restoring symmetry, enhancing facial contours, and reshaping facial features.
What is a facelift?
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A facelift consists of multiple surgical steps involving the following:
Sculpture of facial features
Sculpting the face involves removing excess tissue in some areas of the face, such as the neck, cheeks, and upper eyelids. They can also tighten sagging or lax skin, reducing wrinkles around the eyes, mouth, and forehead. Facial contours can be reshaped by removing a different amount of tissue in different areas of the face. The amount of tissue removed depends on the specific needs of each patient.
Facial Contour Enhancement
It can be done to lift a sagging face or rejuvenate a face with aging effects. Facelifts can reduce loose or sagging facial skin and underlying tissue. This type of facelift uses an incision on the area of the hairline, starting behind each ear, and ending in front of each ear. The skin is then pulled down over the face, decreasing wrinkles and excess tissues on the face.
Who can benefit from a facelift procedure?
A facelift procedure is best suited for women of all ages who are experiencing unwanted facial wrinkles and sagging cheeks. Stomach sagging also results from excess skin, so a tummy tuck procedure can be added if needed.
A severe case of cheek or jowl deformity will only be corrected with a facelift procedure. The surgery results will be lasting and permanent, but can you expect to look better after a facelift? The answer may be Yes. If a woman feels that her face is deformed due to aging or gravity pulling on her tissue underneath the skin, she can expect improved facial contour and firmness. A facelift procedure can also be performed on men concerned about their cheekbones looking too narrow or jutting up at the corners of their mouths and under the skin.
How can a facelift procedure be customized to fit the needs of different patients?
Depending on the degree of facial tissue loss, a facelift procedure can be tailored to fit the needs of each patient. If a patient has a moderate amount of sagging skin on her neck and jawline, she can choose to undergo a mini-facelift surgery. The mini-lift focuses on reducing fine facial wrinkles and excess skin on the lower face with the least invasiveness possible.
A complete facelift will include removing the excess tissue from the neck, jowls, cheeks, and under the chin. It can also include tightening the neck, cheeks, lower eyelids, and forehead skin.
Any facelift procedure can last for 2 to 4 hours with a follow-up of 1 to 2 hours. The doctor will numb the face before removing the excess tissue from the patient face so that she does not feel any pain during surgery. After a facelift procedure, there will be some swelling at first, but it is only temporary and should be followed by dramatic results in just a few days following your surgery.
What are the risks associated with undergoing a facelift procedure?
The risks associated with a facelift procedure include bleeding, minor facial bruising, swelling, redness, and pain. Wounds heal faster than with traditional surgery. Bruising and swelling are temporary and go away quickly once the sutures are removed from the face.
Most invasive procedures, such as liposuction, can leave scars near the incision sites, which may fade over time.
If a facelift procedure is done improperly by a novice surgeon, the results can be worse than before. It’s better to consult a board-certified facial plastic surgeon with years of experience performing facelifts and facial surgery procedures. Knowing what type of anesthesia is needed for a facelift procedure is essential. A mini-facelift can be performed under local anesthesia, while general anesthesia is needed for a complete face-lift procedure.
What you need to do after your surgery for the best results
When you go home from the clinic or hospital following any cosmetic surgery, you must follow your doctor’s instructions and advice to facilitate recovery from your facelift procedure.
When recovering from facial plastic surgery, the most important thing is to relax, rest, and sleep as much as possible. It would help if you refrained from exercising for about two weeks. Also, avoid activities that strain your face, such as blow-drying your hair, bending over, or putting on make-up. You must also wholly avoid smoking or drinking alcohol during the recovery period.
Results of a facelift procedure are best appreciated six months after surgery, but significant improvement can be seen right after your procedure. Your skin will feel tighter and firmer, and the removed excess tissue will eventually leave you with an elegant new look. If you are considering a facelift procedure, you should consult your doctor for care and treatment before proceeding.
You may have to have other areas of your face checked separately and under anesthesia to ensure no facial tissue was damaged during surgery.
When your doctor performs a deep plane facelift procedure, they will pay special attention to the most delicate areas of your face, such as the eyes, mouth, neck, and chin.
It is important to remember that facelift surgery will not eliminate sagging skin or excess fat from the face. A facelift procedure will tighten and lift areas of the face affected by sagging and aging, leaving you with a younger-looking and more attractive face.