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Face Lift

A Face Lift Surgery improves the most visible signs of aging by removing excess fat, tightening underlying muscles, and redraping the skin of your face and neck.

Surgeons can lift various parts of the face, including the brow (see brow lift, the area horizontal from the eyes, the upper jaw region, the lower jaw region, and the neck. These lifts can be combined in a variety of ways to best suit the patient. Your surgeon will help you determine which kind of lift is right for you. Below is an example of a complete face lift, which includes a lifting of all of the aforementioned areas. Prices vary according to the number of areas to be lifted. Ask us about other types of face lifts.

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Enhance your results by combining this procedure with:

• Quick Facts about Face Lift

  * Anaesthesia: local anaesthesia, combined with a sedative

  * Duration of the procedure: around 2 ½ hs

  * Hospital stay: not required - outpatient

  * Recovery time / time back to work: 12 days

  * Incisions: hidden behind the hairline

• What Can a Complete Face Lift Do for You?

  As people age, the effects of gravity, exposure to the sun, and the stresses of daily life can be seen in their faces. Deep creases form between the nose and mouth; the jawline grows slack and jowly; folds and fat deposits appear around the neck. A facelift (rhytidectomy) can't stop this aging process. What it can do is "set back the clock," improving the most visible signs of aging by removing excess fat, tightening underlying muscles, and redraping the skin of your face and neck. In short, the main results of this proceure are: tightening of the skin and some (hypotonic) muscles of the face. It helps to improve and rejuvenate the youthful appearance of mature people and those who wish to delay the aging process.

• Types of Face Lift Procedures

  Brow Lift
  Treats the upper region of the face, including frown lines and the brow area, giving more illumination to the face in general and particularly to the eyes. The overall result is a more refreshed and youthful appearance.

  Lifting of Upper Jaw Region - (Mid lift) is used to correct excess tissue of the cheeks and upper jaw area.

  Lower Jaw and Neck Lift Tightens the skin and muscles of the lower jaw and neck that have become loose and sagging due to aging or hereditary family traits. It also removes excess fat from the neck and/or the double chin.

  Complete Face Lift
  Combines a mini face lift, a medium face lift and a neck lift, so the result is a completely rejuvenated face and neck.

  Your doctor will help you determine which areas of the face should be treated. Click here for more information.

• The Surgical Procedure

  The exact placement of incisions and the sequence of events depends on your facial structure and your surgeon's technique. Incisions usually begin above the hairline at the temples, extend in a natural line in front of the ear (or just inside the cartilage at the front of the ear), and continue behind the earlobe to the lower scalp. If the neck needs work, a small incision may also be made under the chin. In general, the surgeon separates the skin from the fat and muscle below. Fat may be trimmed or suctioned from around the neck and chin to improve the contour. The surgeon then tightens the underlying muscle and membrane, pulls the skin back, and removes the excess. Stitches secure the layers of tissue and close the incisions; metal clips may be used on the scalp. Following surgery, a small, thin tube may be temporarily placed under the skin behind your ear to drain any blood that might collect there. The surgeon may also wrap your head loosely in bandages to minimize bruising and swelling.

  Anesthesia:

  Local anesthesia, combined with a sedative.

• Post-Op Recovery & Time Back to Work

  Post-Op

  There isn't usually significant discomfort after surgery. Any discomfort experienced can be managed with the pain medication prescribed by your surgeon. Some numbness of the skin is normal; it will disappear in a few weeks or months. Your doctor may tell you to keep your head elevated and as still as possible for a couple of days after surgery, to keep the swelling down. If you've had a drainage tube inserted, it will be removed one or two days after surgery. Bandages, when used, are usually removed after one to five days. Don't be surprised at the pale, bruised, and puffy face you see. Just keep in mind that in a few weeks you will look normal. Most of your stitches will be removed after about five days. Your scalp may take longer to heal, and the stitches or metal clips in your hairline could be left in a few days longer.

  Time Back to Work

  You should be up and about in a day or two, but plan on taking it easy for the first week after surgery. Be especially gentle with your face and hair, since your skin will be both tender and numb, and may not respond normally at first. Your surgeon will give you specific guidelines for gradually resuming your normal activities, typically including the following: Avoid strenuous activity, including sex and heavy housework, for at least two weeks (walking and mild stretching are fine); avoid alcohol, steam baths, and saunas for several months. Above all, get plenty of rest and allow your body to spend its energy on healing.

  At the beginning, your face may look and feel rather strange. Your features may be distorted from the swelling, your facial movements may be slightly stiff and you'll probably be self-conscious about your scars.
  
  Some bruising may persist for two or three weeks, and you may tire easily. It's not surprising that some patients are disappointed and depressed at first.
  
  By the third week, you'll look and feel much better. Most patients are back at work about ten days to two weeks after surgery. If you need it, special camouflage makeup can mask most bruising that remains.

• Uncertainty and Risk

  When a facelift is performed by a qualified plastic surgeon, complications are infrequent and usually minor. Still, individuals vary greatly in their anatomy, their physical reactions, and their healing abilities. Complications that can occur include hematoma (a collection of blood under the skin that must be removed by the surgeon), injury to the nerves that control facial muscles (usually temporary), infection, and reactions to the anesthesia. Poor healing of the skin is most likely to affect smokers. You can reduce your risks by closely following your surgeon's advice both before and after surgery.

The information provided on surgeryBA.com is designed to support, not replace, the relationship between a patient and his/her physician. Individual results may vary according to each patient's individual objectives, health, and circumstances. The information provided here stems from our professional experience with patients and from our doctor's advise.

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