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| Facelift: About the Procedure |
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The surgeon usually begins by making incisions above the hairline at the temples. From there, the incisions continue in a natural line in front of the ear (part of the incision may be just inside the ear) and behind the earlobe to the lower scalp. If the neck needs lifting, a small incision may be made under the chin. Using a narrow scalpel or scissors, the surgeon separates the skin from the underlying fat and muscle. Fat may be trimmed or suctioned from around the neck and chin to improve the contour of the face. After tightening the underlying muscle and supporting structures, the surgeon pulls the skin back and removes the excess. Finally, he/she secures the layers of tissue and closes the incision with stitches. Metal clips may be used on the scalp.
Most scars from standard facelift incisions are hidden within your hair and in the normal creases of your skin. Skin scars will usually fade over time so that they are barely noticeable. All scars, however, are permanent.
The results of a facelift are different for every individual. Many people have one facelift in a lifetime, while others have a second surgery 7 - 15 years later. Remember that a facelift does not stop the aging process, after the procedure your face will continue to age.
Depending on the condition of your face and skin, a facelift may improve but not eliminate laugh lines between your nose and the corners of your mouth, small vertical wrinkles around your lips or fine wrinkles over your entire face. Your doctor may recommend a chemical peel at the same time as a facelift to help smooth these lines and wrinkles. A facelift cannot remove deep horizontal creases in your forehead or vertical frown lines between your eyebrows. Your surgeon may recommend injections of collagen or Botox to fill in these lines and creases. Facelifts cannot remove signs of aging around the eyes, such as excess folds of eyelid skin, pockets of fat below the eyes and fine wrinkling of the eyelid skin. Conditions such as these can be improved with blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) which is often performed at the same time as a facelift.
Facelifts may be performed in a surgeon's office, a surgery center or in a hospital. They may be performed under local anesthesia with light sedation, local anesthesia and deep sedation, or general anesthesia, depending on surgeon and/or patient preference. The longer the procedure is expected to take, the more likely that general anesthesia will be recommended. Regardless of the anesthesia used, the procedure can be performed on an outpatient basis with the patient returning home or to a nearby hotel or recovery center that evening, or the patient may remain in the hospital for one or more days.
Did you know?
Facelifts are the 5th most commonly performed cosmetic procedure in the United States. In 1998, 70,947 procedures were performed, a 33% increase since 1996 and a 77% increase since 1992.
Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons |
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