Face Lift

FACELIFT (Rhytidectomy)

Operation Duration

Anaesthetic

Number of Treatments

Results

Up to 2 hours

Local/General depending on surgery

One

Long-lasting

The face is one of the most important attributes of female beauty – a symbol of attractiveness and desire. Many women are not completely happy with their their face and today women who are unhappy with their face have many options which include a Facelift.
You do not have to live with an aging face. Although a facelift won’t stop the aging process an increasing number of people are having facelift surgery in order to rejuvenate their appearance. and if you are bothered by the signs of ageing in your face, a facelift may be right for you. A facelift can restore a more youthful appearance by removing major wrinkles and sagging skin and reduce the effects of ageing.
Over time the skin sags and folds in the skin, jawline and neck become prominent. Not only does a facelift improve facial appearance but also has a dramatic effect on the neck enhancing its contour and profile making you look up to 10 years younger. Patients are usually between their 40s and 60s but facelifts have been performed on people in their 80s.
A person in their 40s has a different degree of aging than someone in the 50s and may only need tightening of the underneath tissue with minimal incisions. At 50 suntanning is showing up in the texture of our skin, so we not only need tightening of the subcutaneous tissue, but also improvement in the skin texture. That could be treatment of uneven pigmentation, removal of wrinkles and fine lines, and adjustment of the amount of fat in the face and neck areas.
İf you are over 60, you have even more skin damage, and may also have some bone degeneration and shrinkage of the middle face, which changes the overall shape of the face. Therefore, the surgical focus is rather different. Fat may be added in one area and removed from another. Volume and support will be added to the cheekbone and jaw areas to give more definition to the facial shape. This yields more natural looking results than simply tightening skin and muscle.
Our facial appearance is of course shaped by our lifestyles, personalities, hairstyle, nutritional habits etc. as well as by our age. A good cosmetic surgeon will plan your facelift to match your age and individual appearance, and this will give you a natural fresher look.
A facelift is not going to give you an entirely different appearance but will minimise the signs of aging by tightening the skin.

Reasons for having Facelift surgery include

• To increase self confidence and enhance self image
• Desire to look younger
• To produce a more youthful appearance in a natural way

The best candidates are those who are in good physical health. are mentally and psychologically stable, preferably do not smoke. those who want to improve their appearance and those who have realistic expectations about the procedure and the results. Extra reasons may include:
• have begun to notice the effects of aging through the appearance of sagging in their face and neck,
• have strong, well defined bone structure
• their skin should be fairly elastic.
A facelift can provide you with a younger fresher looking face however it cannot give you the health and vitality that you had at a younger age, unfortunately.
While a facelift makes you look younger it will not lift sagging eyebrows, lift your upper and lower eyelid, remove frown lines on your forehead or wrinkles around your mouth. These procedures can be performed at the same time, if required, to compliment a facelift. Over the last years facelift surgery has changed dramatically and the focus has changed from the tightening of the skin, which may droop again to the restructuring of the tissue mass by tightening muscles and removing excess fat thus producing a longer lasting and more natural appearance.

Planning

Pre-visit and during consultations the surgeon will try to evaluate your physical-mental health and any medical conditions. In order to obtain the best results it is important that you are honest with the surgeon. that you advise any previous surgeries.if you are taking any medications. herbal supplements. vitamins or other drugs and if you smoke. Be sure to discuss your expectations and goals. The surgeon is here to guide. advise and explain to you how the surgery will be performed. possible alternatives that may offer better results. the risks and limitations oe each as well as details of follow up and after care.

The Procedure

The structure of your face will be considered, the texture, thickness and elasticity of the skin will be assessed and the severity of wrinkles and folds, the hairline will be examined to determine where the incisions can be made. The incisions will be made in areas which are most easily concealed by the hair or make up, it follows the contour of your ear, extending around the earlobe and back into the hairline and occasionally another incision will be made and hidden under the chin. Once the incisions are made, the skin will be separated from the fat and muscle below. Sometimes in order to provide a sleeker and tighter face fat below the skin is trimmed and suctioned away. The surgeon will then tighten the muscle and outer tissue beneath the skin, redrape the skin and remove excess skin from the face.

After Surgery and Recovery

Tubes are usually left in place for a few days following the procedure to ensure proper drainage. İn most cases bandages and drainage tubes can be removed a few days after surgery. Stitches will also have to be removed, usually four to seven days after the procedure. İt is important for patients to rest as much as possible. Make up may be worn after 1 week.

The results are permanent and you will always look better for having a facelift however the aging process continues and nothing can stop aging. In five to ten years time you may need another as the jawline starts to sag again. Lifts do nothing for lines and skin texture so possibly a peel or microdermabrasion can improve the quality of the skin.
İf you are looking for a procedure to give you a smooth, healthy, more youthful and fuller appearance then a facelift is the answer. Most patients are more than happy with the end results and often repeat the process.

to learn more about any risks and complication .

>>>Read More

Risks and Complications of Facelifts

Surgery is a serious business and not a decision to be taken lightly. There is always the possibility that something may go wrong. No absolute guarantees can be given. The surgeon will explain to you procedure, the risks; alternatives and potential complications in detail so that you understand what could go wrong. It is very important that you follow the surgeons aftercare advice as this is given to your for your benefit and will give you every chance of a speedy and problem free recovery.

Complications of Facelift surgery, when performed by a qualified surgeon, are infrequent and normally minor although there is a possibility of infection or a reaction to the anesthetic. To reduce any risk the surgeons instructions should be closely followed both before and after surgery.

New techniues and years of experience have made facelifts far safer and more successful than they were 10 years ago and most patients are very pleased with the outcome.

However there are seven main potential complications as follows:

Hematoma

This is a pooling of blood under the skin, where it will clot, as blood does when it isn’t moving. A minor hematoma, if its going to happen at all, will usually show up within the first two weeks post-op as a localized swelling. İt can be drained with a needle and usually a pressure dressing will be applied. İt will usually resolve nicely, though sometimes a slight irregularity in the tissue remains. İf neglected, it can lead to infection and even necrosis (death) of the skin.

A major hematoma is a medical emergency and must be surgically drained as soon as possible. İt its going to occur, it will be within the first 12 hours post-op. İts acompanied by pain, hypertension, swelling and general agitation. Sometimes they can be caused during the recovery time by excessive coughing or vomiting. İf detected early, scarring and necrosis of the tissue can be avoided.

Nerve Injury

This is probably the most dreaded complication after a facelift but its very rare. There are two types of nerves that could be affected: nerves that affect movement and nerves that affect feeling. Damage to the first type will cause asymmetrical facial movement or paralysis: and damage to the second causes numbness.

Usually, any paralysis or numbness is temporary and is the result of a nerves conduction of impulses being interfered with but not the result of any structural damage to the nerve. İt could also be a result of the anesthetic. Sometiimes its caused by a hematoma being formed in that place and post-op monitoring should catch this and deal with it.

İts not uncommon for people to feel a weakness in the lips during the first couple of days post-op.

Infection

İf this occurs, the symptoms will be noticeable: fever, chills, pain, facial swelling and drainage from the face. Again, it can be the result of a hematoma forming and can also be caused by wound contamination. Anyone with diabetes will be pre-disposed towards it but the plastic surgeon will either not perform the procedure on a diabetic or will discuss it with the patient beforehand and will watch closely for any signs of infection.

Usually the infection will be from staphylococcus and if it occurs, will be minor. An oral antibiotic will be prescribed. Major infections are rare and will require intravenous antibiotics. İf treatment is delayed, there might be some residual irregularity n the tssue.

Skin flap necrosis

A skin flap is a piece of skin, taken from another part of the body, that the surgeon stitches in place where tissue has been removed. İt has its own subcutaneous tissue with small blood vessels and usually it merges with the surrounding tissue leaving slight scarring only. But sometimes not enough blood circulates through it in the early stage so that it becomes cyanotic (bluish colored from lack of oxygen) and then necrotic (dead) When cyanotic it can be treated and enabled to fuse with the surrouding skin.

Necrosis is more likely to happen in larger skin flaps and in people who’ve smoked for a long period ( and therefore have impaired circulation). İt can also be caused by an underlying hematoma or an infection. Sometimes it heals with a large, thick scar known as a hypertrophic scar.

Hypertrophic scarring

When the incision is behind the ear, it can heal into a large scar because of the tension in the area, from the skin having been pulled back and stitched into its new position. Sometimes extra tension is the result of less-than-perfect skin re-draping or inacurate placement of the incision.

İt can be repaired to some extent by either corticosteroid injections at the site, or silicone gel treatment. Full scar revision is not done until the wound is fully healed, several months later.

Alopecia (hair loss)

Again because of excess tension at the suture line, hair can be lost but it will be temporary. Sometimes too the hair follicles are traumatized by the incision but will recover, usually within three months.

Any permanent hair loss can be corrected with micrografts, minigrafts or skin flaps.

Parotid gland pseudocyst

This is a name for an infection and swelling in the main salivary gland, which is just in front of, and below, the ear. İt its going to happen, it will be between the third and tenth day post-op. The fluid can be aspirated with a needle, in several sessions, or maybe will need a suction drain inserted into the site. İt will usually get resolved with 3 weeks.

Minor post-op conditions

There’s always a certain amount of swelling, which sometimes becomes prolonged and takes several weeks to subside.

Because the skin is stretched during the surgery, there can be changes in the skin, such as persistent bruises and increased pigmentation. Small veins visible before surgery may become more visible afterwards. İn older people, or anyone with thinner skin, damage may show up where the skin was punctured.

Depression can often occur following cosmetic surgery. There are several factors that contribute to post operative depression, including:

The anticipation and stress of preparing for surgery can have a rebound effect
The medications, anaesthesia and trauma of the surgery have physical effects that will affect your emotional well-being
Stress and fear regarding complications and disfigurement
Refraining from exercise can make you feel tired, blue, and out of sorts
Adjusting to your new look
Dealing with family and friends reactions to your surgery
Financial stress
Feeling guilty

Expecting to feel a bit down and accepting it as normal will help you get back to normal sooner. Take time to relax, meditate and care for yourself. It is also important to have support from others. Be sure to ask for help from others. You can also find support online with other people who have had the same procedure and may have similar experiences..

<<<Hide.