Face Lift

As we age, the effects of gravity, sun exposure as well as the stresses of lift can be seen on our faces. A facelift is a very effective aesthetic procedure for women and men, who want to improve sagging facial skin, jowls and lose neck skin, by removing excess fat, tightening the muscles and re-draping the skin. The procedure tightens the underlying tissue of the skin (the Superficial Muscular Aponeurotic System or SMAS). The face, jowls and neck are lifted in one procedure.

Candidates for Facelifts

Consultation

The surgeon will evaluate your face, including the skin and underlying bone as well as discuss your areas of concern and your goals for the surgery. The most effective procedure will be determined and any alternatives will be discussed. The surgeon will spend as much time as necessary with you to make you feel comfortable and answer all of your questions
about the procedure.

Incision Placement

An incision is made commencing in the hairline at the temple, in line with a natural skin crease down in front of the ear, around the ear lobe and extending behind the ear finishing in the hairline of the scalp. The skin is then lifted and the SMAS is tightened. After the SMAS is elevated and tightened, the platysma muscle in the neck is pulled laterally, tightened and secured. The excess skin is removed and put down in place around the ears.

Risks

The subject of risks and potential complications of surgery will be discussed on a personal basis between you and the surgeon at the time of your consultation. Some of the potential complications that may be discussed with you include bleeding, infection, the possibility of injury to the facial nerve (usually temporary) and reactions to anaesthesia.

Your Surgical Experience

A facelift is performed on an inpatient basis with an overnight stay in the hospital. A general aesthetic is administered by a board certified anaesthesiologists, so that you will be asleep throughout the procedure. When surgery is completed, you will be taken into a recovery area where you will continue to be closely monitored.

If you are a smoker, you will be asked to stop smoking well in advance of surgery, as cigarette smoking before or after surgery can significantly hinder the wound healing process. Aspirin and certain anti-inflammatory drugs can cause increased bleeding, so you should avoid taking these medications for a period of time before surgery. Your surgeon will provide you with additional preoperative instructions. Carefully following these instructions will help your surgery go more smoothly.

Expected Postoperative Course

You will see the surgeon for a follow up appointment 1-2 days after the surgery. The dressings will be removed at that time and further instructions will be given. If you have had a drain tube inserted, it will be removed 1-2 days after surgery. Your surgeon may also tell you to keep your head elevated for a couple of days after surgery to keep the swelling down. You will be permitted to carefully wash your hair about 3 days after your surgery.

Some discoloration and swelling will occur initially, but this will subside over the following days to weeks. There will be a tight feeling of the face/jaw muscles which will be present for several days to weeks. There may be numbness in some of the treated areas, and sensation may take several weeks to return. Rarely, there may remain areas of permanent decreased sensation. Most residual swelling
will resolve within 2-3 weeks.

Post-op Activity Restrictions

You should be up and about in a day or two, but plan to take it easy for the first week after surgery. The general recommendation is to take two weeks off from work to recover. There is great variability in the recovery period between patients, but a period of 10-14 days is typical to return to normal activities and work, although some patients return sooner. Above all, get plenty of rest and allow your body to spend its energy on healing. Strenuous activity must be avoided for several weeks following surgery and the surgeon will inform you when it is safe to resume certain activities and exercise. Normally makeup can be applied after 7-10 days.

Sun exposure should be limited for several months to avoid hyper-pigmentation of the skin, which can occur as a result of ultraviolet light exposure during the first 6-12 months after the procedure has been performed. The use of sun blocks with a Sun Protection Factor of 30, which has zinc oxide as its main blocking agent is very helpful and strongly recommended.

Results

A full SMAS facelift produces a fresh, more toned and natural look with no stretching or tightness. You will have some scars from your facelift surgery, but they are usually hidden by your hair or in the natural creases of your face and ears. In any case, they will fade in time and should be
barely perceivable.

Long Term

A facelift performed to correct sagging skin before lines and wrinkles have developed will often prevent the formation of these for many years. Your face will, however continue to age with time, and you may want to repeat the procedure perhaps 5-10 years down the line. But the effects of a facelift are lasting; years later, you will continue to look better than if you had never had a facelift at all.