What is a face lift?
A face lift, or formally known as a rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure that improves the visible signs of aging in the neck and face. It does that by lifting and firming sagging facial tissues to restore a more naturally youthful facial appearance. In a way it can remove the effects of time on the face to make the person look younger again. By getting rid of excess, sagging skin, smoothing deep folds lines, and lifting and tightening the deep facial tissues, a face lift surgery can help a patient look not just younger, but simply better.
Who is this for?
As we age, skin begins to lose elasticity, and facial tissues lose volume. This procedure can help to remove the effects of excessive sagging skin, deep fold lines between the nose and corner of the mouth, and tightening the skin after massive weightless. But a face lift is also useful to remove problems where people are concise about double chins and jowls.
For that reason a face lift is not just to look more youthful and rested in appearance, but it is also can be a good self-confidence boost. Just since they look more healthy and youthful.
However this procedure is not going to change your fundamental appearance, nor can it stop the aging process. That said, a face life can give you better results than nonsurgical rejuvenation treatments.
Plus, elasticity skin, have a good bone structure, have realistic expectations and are in overall good health, will make good candidates for a face lift.
What is the procedure?
There are different types of face lifts. These can include a mini-face lift, standard face lift, the thread face lift, the lower face lift, or even the mid face lift. The first two are however the most common.
The mini-face lift is more for people that have a mild degree of sagging skin and jowling. It is a much less invasive procedure than the standard face lift. There are shorter cuts made in the hairline above the ears. The skin is then lifted and tighten to the correct jowling, and fresher appearance. Here the option can even be that the procedure is done under local anesthesia.
The standard face lift, however is more for moderate to advanced aging issues of the neck and face. The incisions are done from the temples all the way around the hairline to hide the scars. The extra skin is then removed and the skin tightened.
This procedure however only targets the main face and neck areas, not the eyes or brows. It can be that some people will need an eyelid lift, brow lift or neck contouring at the same time as a face lift. But this would depend on their individual case.
The surgeon should also clearly discuss any possible risks that might occur, and explain the different techniques that can be used and why they are more suitable for that particularly patient and their area they what to correct.
What are the risks?
Firstly the main risk is that the results can’t be guaranteed. Some will need more than one operation to obtain the results they are looking for, then again even that might not be certain.
After surgery there will be swelling and bruising, which will peak at day 2 after the operation. Bandages might be placed around the face to minimize these. Small tubes might also be inserted to drain away excess blood or fluid from the area.
- Anesthesia risks can be if the patients has an underlying health conditions, there may be some risk for heart attack, stroke and other serious complications
- Bleeding underneath the skin, and this can cause much discomfort, besides swelling and skin discoloration. Surgery is the only way to repair this problem
- Infection
- Poor wound healing and skin loss
- Facial nerve injury with weakness, a nerve may be cut, nicked, or cauterized, causing numbness or facial paralysis
- Temporary or permanent hair loss at the incisions
- Fluid accumulation
- Numbness or other changes in skin sensation
- Persistent pain
- Unfavorable scarring. These can include some faint marks that can’t be concealed behind the ear or in the hair
- Prolonged swelling
- Sutures may spontaneously surface through the skin, become visible or produce irritation that require removal
Unsatisfactory results may include: asymmetry, unsatisfactory surgical scar location and unacceptable visible deformities at the ends of the incisions. (It may be necessary to perform an additional surgery to improve your results) - Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications.
What are the possible problems?
The recovery time can be extensive, from around 2 – 3 months. But a post op patient will be able to go into public within 2 weeks.
There are also instructions that a post-patient will need to adhere too to minimize the effects of the actual operations. These can include, sleeping with the head raised for 2 weeks. Not to do any heavy activity after the operation. Not using hot tubs, pools, or saunas post operation, or use blood thinners and not to wear make up until the healing has completed.
After the procedure, the use of sunscreen, maintaining a stable weight and a healthy lifestyle is recommended to extend the results of the face lift. You should also adopt a consistent, quality skin care regimen to keep your skin healthy and protected from unnecessary aging.
