Recovery: 1 – 3 weeks

Possible complications: Bleeding and bruising are common, rare risk of:
hematoma (collection of blood under the skin thats removed by the surgeon),
infection, temporary or permanent injury to nerves, raised scarring, loss
of hair.

A facelift (technically known as rhytidectomy) can improve the visible signs of
aging of the face. Most people looking for a facelift have wrinkles and sagging
skin in their face and neck.

It is important to understand facelifts carefully because there are many types
of facelifts being performed. Facelifts can range from one hour of surgery to 4
hours of surgery depending on the technique and extent of work being performed.

Simple skin lifts involve lifting the skin of the face and pulling it upwards and
backwards to eliminate the facial wrinkles and sagging, then removing the
excess skin. The major advantage of this procedure is that it is short and has
minimal healing time. Two problems noticed with this lift have been an “artificial
pulled look” and recurrence as the skin has stretched back out after a number
of years.

Newer approaches in face lifting have involved lifting the underlying muscle
and fat pads of the face instead of just skin. This surgery is a little more
extensive and requires longer healing time of up to 3 weeks but has the
advantage of providing a less pulled more natural look with longer lasting effects.

During the surgery incisions are usually made above the hairline at the
temples, go around the front of the ear, then curve behind the earlobe to behind
the ear and into the scalp. Tissue and muscle is separated, fat may be
suctioned and underlying muscle tightened. The skin is pulled back and any
excess trimmed and then sutured or stapled into place. The incisions are well
hidden in your hairline so you do not have to worry about the scars being visable.

Recently, mid-face lifting has emerged as a new technique to lift only the
face without lifting the skin of the neck. This technique is especially suited
to younger patents with little or no aging in the neck area.

The surgery is usually done on an outpatient basis or some patients are
asked to stay overnight. Your surgeon will probably put dressings on you and
wrap you with a bandage that compresses the area slightly. After your surgery you will be asked to keep your head elevated to avoid increased swelling.
If you had a drain put in to drain blood that will be removed in a day or two.
You will feel discomfort and your face might feel tight, but pain can be
controlled with medication. You can expect your face and neck to be swollen and bruised – this can last for a few weeks. Stitches may come out in 5 days,
if staples were used in your scalp they might stay in longer.

Your surgeon will give you specific recovery instructions but usually you
will be asked to rest for the first week. You will probably be instructed not
to participate in strenuous activities for 2-3 weeks.

In general, the goal of any facelift should be to provide a natural, more rested
youthful appearance which is not artificial in any way. Its effects typically last
5 to 10 years depending on the type of facelift performed.

A facelift is often performed with a forehead lift or eyelid lift.