Face-lift
Face-lift surgery is a procedure with a long tradition around the world. This technique creates a younger, more vital appearance of the face and neck by removing excess skin, then tightening the remaining skin and smoothing the wrinkles.
This surgery can be combined with laser resurfacing, which contributes to the tightening of the skin and also removes small wrinkles and undesirable pigmentation. Some patients wish to have eyelid surgery after they have recovered from the face lift procedure.
During the consultation, the surgeon will assess the age and general health of the patient, their skin elasticity and the extent of the correction desired. The psychological aspect of this surgery is also a factor – the surgeon needs to know the client’s expectations.
The surgery is performed under general anesthetic; rarely is a local anesthetic or sedation/analgesia (intravenous administration of analgesics and sedatives) used. The patient’s hair is washed (but not cut) and the operation area is sterilized. The surgeon makes an incision which starts at the temple (hidden in the hair line) and continues down following the curve of the ear, then around the earlobe and up behind the ear before curving gently back into the hair at the beginning of the occipital area. Using these incisions on both sides of the face, the skin of the face and neck, together with the deep tissues, is lifted from the base and remodeled and tightened. This smoothes wrinkles on the face and neck. A deep face lift, where an even deeper layer of tissue is lifted, can be performed for longer lasting effects. This layer, called SMAS, consists of fascia and facial muscles and its remodeling is very important for successful results and for the longevity of the procedure.
Bandages are removed 4 to 5 days after the surgery and are no longer needed. Clients may then wash their hair. In the next 10 to 14 days all the stitches are removed. The healing process is highly individual. Swelling around the face and neck may occur and sometimes tiny, subcutaneous hematomas form. Slight pain in the operated area can be handled by common analgesics. Results of the surgery are visible in 2 to 3 weeks.