Do I need a facelift?
Facelift is meant for people with sagging facial skin. It is most commonly performed on men and women over 40. However due to excess weight loss or congenitally lax conditions, some people may need a lift even earlier. The common deformities corrected by facelift include, naso-labial folds, jowls, marionette lines, and neckbands.
Who will decide that I need a facelift?
It is entirely your own decision. Plastic surgeon can only guide you in what can or cannot be expected from a facelift procedure.
Are there different types of facelift?
Yes. Facelift is becoming an increasingly popular procedure and many new ways are being devised to achieve a better cosmetic result. The emphasis nowadays is on a procedure with minimal downtime, longer lasting effect and fewer side effects. There is also more interest in procedures that gives a more vertical than horizontal lift.
What will the facelift scar look like?
Facelift is done with a scar just in front of the ears on both sides. It can vary in size according to the surgeons preference and patients requirements. The smallest one will usually end just under the ear lobe. The traditional facelift may be much bigger.
The scar usually heals well and is invisible in most cases. All scars are however noticeable on close inspection.
Will it require anesthesia?
Every operation requires some kind of anesthesia. In some instances the facelift can be done by giving sedatives to keep the patient drowsy and numbing the area (local anesthesia). However, most often it is quicker and safer to do the procedure under general anesthesia.
Does facelift procedure require hospital admission?
The patient can be sent home about 4 hours after the procedure. However it is safer, especially after general anesthesia to keep the patient in hospital overnight. The duration of hospital stay also depends on other medical conditions of the patient.
What is the downtime after facelift?
The swelling increase a bit every day for the first 4 days and then starts to decrease. Patients are usually able to go out with a bit of makeup after a weeks time. For the swelling and bruising to become unnoticeable it takes about 2 weeks. Patients are advised to avoid heavy excersie for 3 weeks.
What can go wrong after a facelift?
During the procedure there is a risk of damaging a branch of the facial nerve, which may cause asymmetry of the face while smiling frowning or closing the eyes.
Immediately after surgery, blood may collect under the skin (hematoma) that may result in poor wound healing, infection of skin necrosis (dead skin).
In the long term there is a risk of poor scaring, facial asymmetry, and residual deformity.
How long will the facelift last?
The facelift does not stop aging. It just reverses the clock. It should be seen as a correction of specific deformity with an understanding that the deformity will come back after a certain time. How much younger you will look and how long will it last varies from person to person. It is also a subjective feeling. So it is very difficult to talk numbers on this.
How will the facelift scar look like?
The facelift is done with a scar just in front of the ears on both sides. It can vary in size according to the surgeons preference and patients requirements. The smallest one will usually end just under the ear lobe. The traditional facelift may be much bigger.
The scar usually heals well and is invisible in most cases. All scars are however noticeable on close inspection.
Does smoking affect facelift surgery?
Yes. Smoking is related with poor healing and skin loss. Most surgeons will insist that you stop smoking atleast 2 weeks before surgery. Some surgeons may refuse this surgery all togather because of your smoking history.
What other procedures can be done with facelift?
People often
combine forehead lift and eyebrow lift with facelift surgery. They
work well together. Some surgeons perform laser sikn resurfacing
with facelift surgery. This is still experimental and generally
considered unsafe. Laser skin treatments to the face should be
avoided atleast for 2 weeks after facelift
surgery