Face Lift Surgery (Facelift) / Rhytidectomy

Face lift surgery is helpful to men and women who have sagging of the face due to the ageing process. Surgical face lift is normally performed on patients aged from around 40 - 80 years. Face lift surgery is performed under general anaesthesia and takes between 2 and 4 hours depending on the type and extent of the procedure undertaken.

 

It will be necessary to stay overnight at the clinic, stay in the city is usually 4-5 days.
 
Types of Facelifts

Standard Facelift – classical full Face lift with SMAS technique. 

Mini Facelift – usually advised for younger patients who need only a little correction along the jaw line or cheek or had a standard facelift but now their skin needs to be tightened again due to the sagginess. The incisions and also the recovery are shorter.

 

Indication of face lift-As people age, the effects of gravity, exposure to the sun and the stresses of daily life can be seen in their faces. Deep wrinkles form between the nose and mouth; the jaw line grows slack; folds and fat deposits appear around the neck.

 

                                      A facelift (rhytidectomy) can't stop this ageing process. It improves the visible signs of ageing by removing excess fat, tightening underlying muscles, and redraping the skin of your face and neck. A facelift can be done with other procedures such as a neck lift, forehead lift, brow lift, eyelid surgery. The best candidate for a facelift surgery is a person whose face and neck have begun to sag, Most patients are in their forties to sixties eighties.

                                      Facelift can make you look younger and fresher, and it may enhance your self- confidence in the process.

 

Facelift Surgery

                                       Incision is made above the ear and then around the front of the ear, around the earlobe into the crease behind the ear. In this way, any scarring will be hidden within the hair and behind the ears.

                                       Facelift scars take 6months to 1year to fully mature, gradually they became smoother and the color will change. After making the incisions the plastic surgeon lifts and separates the fat and skin from the underlying muscles. The surgeon has to lift enough to ensure that when the skin is tightened all creases and folds are minimised. The surgeon also tightens the next deeper layer in a procedure known as submusculoapo­neurotic system (SMAS). The SMAS makes the facelifts last longer than facelifts that lift only the skin and keeps the smooth neck from disappearing as quickly. Next, the excess skin is trimmed and the incisions closed with absorbable sutures.

 

Post-operational Course – Face lift surgery

During the first few days after the face lift operation, it is necessary to sleep on your back so as to prevent swelling on one side. Swellings and bruises improve over 2 weeks. After the face lift surgery places with decreased sensitivity can occur on the skin of the face, and even the ears, which should come back within a few weeks. 
You should avoid prolonged exposure to the sun for at least 3 months after treatment.

You will probably feel discomfort, swelling and numbness in the areas where face lift surgery was performed; very rarely deviation of angle of mouth which should recover with time.