Facelift

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.  But what it can do is “set back the clock”  to improve the most visible signs of aging by removing excess fat, tightening underlying muscles, and redraping the skin of your face and neck.   A facelift can be done alone, or in conjunction with other procedures such as a forehead lift, eyelid surgery, or nose reshaping.

The best candidate for a facelift is a man or woman whose face and neck have begun to sag, but whose skin still has some elasticity, and whose bone structure is strong and well-defined.  Most patients are in their forties to sixties, but facelifts can be done successfully on people in their seventies or eighties as well.  A facelift can make you look younger and fresher, and it may enhance your self-confidence in the process.

Facelifts are very individualized procedures.  In your initial consultation, I will evaluate your face, including the skin and underlying bone, and discuss your goals for the surgery.

As your surgeon, I will give you specific instructions on how to prepare for surgery, including guidelines on eating and drinking, smoking, and taking or avoiding certain vitamins and medications.   Carefully following these instructions will help your surgery go more smoothly.  If you smoke, it’s especially important to stop at least two weeks before and after surgery as smoking inhibits blood flow to the skin, and can interfere with the healing of your incisions.

A facelift may be performed in an outpatient surgery center, or in a hospital and is done on an outpatient basis.  Most facelifts are performed under local anesthesia, combined with a sedative to make you drowsy.  You’ll be awake but relaxed, and your face will be insensitive to pain.  A facelift usually takes 3-4 hours – or somewhat longer if you’re having more than one procedure done.

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 skin is seperated from the fat and muscle below.  Fat may be trimmed or suctioned from around the neck and chin to improve the contour.  The underlying muscle and membrane is then tightened, the skin is pulled back, and the excess is removed.  Stitches secure the layers of tissue and close the incisions.  Following surgery, a small, thin tube may be temporariy placed under the skin behind your ear to drain any fluid that might collect there. Your head may also be loosely wrapped in bandages to minimize bruising and swelling.

You may be advised to keep your head elevated for a couple of days after surgery, to help 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.  At that time, more specific guidelines will be given for gradually resuming your normal activities.  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 needed, special makeup can help camouflage most of the bruising that remains.

Chances are excellent that you’ll be delighted with your facelift.  The effects of having a facelift are long lasting, however, having a facelift doesn’t stop the clock. Your face will continue to age with time, and you may want to repeat the procedure one or more times – perhaps five or ten years down the line.  Once you have had a facelift, years later you’ll continue to look better than if you’d never had a facelift at all.