Face Lift Surgery

If you are bothered by signs of aging in your face, facelift surgery may be right for you. Technically known as Rhytidectomy, a facelift is a surgical procedure to improve visible signs of aging in the face and neck.

Areas of Improvement

• Sagging in the midface
• Deep creases below the lower eyelids
• Deep creases along the nose extending to the corner of the mouth
• Fat that has fallen or is displaced
• Loss of muscle tone in the lower face may create jowls
• Loose skin and excess fatty deposits under the chin and jaw can make even a person of normal weight appear to have a double chin

Procedure for Face Lift Surgery

Traditional face lift: Surgeon makes a surgical incision along the hairline, down past the front of the ears and into the hairline behind the ears. Then the skin is separated from the underlying tissue and excess fat is removed and  facial muscles are tightened before repositioning. The skin will then be lifted and stitched into place along the original incision.

Minimal-access cranial suspension (MACS): The main difference between this type of face lift surgery and the traditional method is that the incisions made are smaller and the tightening of facial muscles and removal of excess fat is done through these small surgical incisions.

Keyhole surgery: Surgeon makes several very small incisions into the skin on the face. Then, a telescopic camera, called an endoscope, is fed beneath the skin so that the live image can be displayed on a monitor – it is from this that the surgeon can see exactly which muscles to tighten and how much excess fat to remove, if any. It is the most commonly used surgery and offers a short recovery time and also results in less scaring. The only key factor is that it is not suitable for everyone.

Complications

• Bleeding, hematoma, bruising
• Infection
• Neurological dysfunction (loss of muscle function or sensation), which is usually temporary
• Widened or thickened scar
• Loss of Hair (around the incision site)

Face Lift At A Glance

• Facelift surgery helps to make the face appear younger.
• Results last approximately ten years.
• Recovery time is usually one week but activities can begin the day after surgery.
• Pain and discomfort are usually minimal.
• Additional procedures to supplement the facelift may be necessary for the best results.