The characteristics shape of our faces change as we get older and these changes usually start as after we get 30 years old. As we get older the skin start to be loosen on the face and neck. The wrinkles known as Crow’s feet on the around of our eyes begin to appear. Your jaw lines may soften, and vertical folds appear under our chin. The aging process and the resultant changes in our facial appearances by genetic critics, sun and smoking.
What is a facelift?
A facelift process is about the tightening of facial and neck skin, may be re-orientation of muscles, and repositioning of fat, with re-draping of the skin. A facelift procedure is sometimes performed in solidarity with other facial aesthetic procedures, just like as a brow lift, forehead lift, or eyelid surgery. Facelift process is a basis for non-surgical treatments such as dermal fillers. The purpose of facelift is to recreate the beauty and harmony of young facial shapes.
With a discreet facelift incisions, your plastic surgeon is able to free your skin from underlying tissues, if the extent necessary for the particular surgical process. After the skin has been pulled up and back, the excess skin will be removed. In many cases, the deeper tissues may also be necessary to repositioned, in order to restore a more youthful contour of your face. Sometimes, a small incision under your chin permits the removal of fatty tissue in that area and smoothing of the cord-like structures of the underlying muscle in the neck.
Is facelift something for you?
A facelift is not a anti aging, or do not turn back the clock. What it can help you with is give your face look its best and give you a more youthful look. One of the benefit is that many patients experience increased self-confidence. A facelift process is usually, an option for people who are 40 – 60 years old, but the facelift procedure also be performed successfully by people in their 70s and 80s. Plastic surgery on the face, it gives an opportunity to correct many facial flaws and signs of premature aging that can undermine self-confidence. By changing how you look, cosmetic surgery can help change your self confidence.
To understand the limits of a facelift is crucial and psychological stability is vital. There is no ideal in a facelift. But it improves the overall facial look. Skin type and thickness, degree of skin elasticity, individual healing, basic bone structure, ethnic background, as well as a realistic attitude are factors that should be evaluated by patient with surgeon prior to surgery. If you’re considering a facelift, it is necessary to discuss your medical history with our Surgeon Consultant.
To get a successful plastic surgery is a result of good conversation between patient and surgeon. Trust, based on realistic expectations and expertise, develops in the consulting stages before surgery is performed. The plastic surgeon can have answer for your questions.
What happens before the Plastic Surgery?
During the first inspection, your plastic surgeon will evaluate your health and medical background, discussing your expectations about the procedure. Your surgeon will also inspect the structure of your face, skin texture, skin elasticity, soft tissue structure and underlying bone skeletal framework. Specific individual risks will also be considered, such as high blood pressure, a tendency to scar, smoking, medications and any deficiency in blood clotting. As well as consider your general health situation and facial shape, the surgeon will must consider your mental condition and emotional attitudes for the surgery. A realistic attitude is important to get a successful surgery, the surgical procedure and realistic expectations will be explained.
If several correction is needed, it can be necessary with more than one procedure to get best overall result. The other procedures, who includes several surgery to get best result is; eyelids, forehead, neck and chin as well as non-surgical treatments such as wrinkle treatments, dermal fillers and laser treatments.
Your surgeon will take photographs before and after photographs for your surgery, to monitor the procedure and to help you to see differences.
If you decide to complete the operation, you are required to confirm your understanding of all aspects of the surgery and agreement to proceed with the operation by signing a Consent Form.
What are the Surgical Technique Options?
The surgeon starts the surgery with incision in the area of the temple hair, just above and in front of the ear, and then continues around the lobe, circling the ear before returning to the point of origin in the scalp. The skin is raised outward before the surgeon repositions and tightens the underlying muscle and tighten the tissue. The excess fat and skin may be removed. After the surgery, incisions can be easily hidden by your hair or with makeup. There may also be a small incision hidden underneath your chin.
Some other kind of facelifts process can be used, especially for younger patients with less skin laxity but with sagging soft tissues such as cheek jowls and fat pad descent on the cheeks. Different terms are used for these kind of facelift procedures including “MACS” (Minimal Access Cranial Suspension), “Quick Lift”, S-lift and “mini lifts. With these “small access” facelift procedures, with smaller incisions can be considering, with incisions behind the ear and lower scalp.
For men, the incision will be done on the natural beard lines. In this kind of cases, the incision is placed where it looks natural to make the scar not remarkable. After removing of the excess skin, the surgeon closes the incisions with fine stitches and/or surgical metal clips, that allows to incision with out removing the hair.
What happens during the Operation Process?
Medications are administered by the hospital for your best comfort for the surgical procedure. For your safety under the operation, different monitors are used to check your heart, blood pressure, pulse and the amount of oxygen circulating in your blood.
Your plastic surgeon decides about to use a general or local anaesthetic on the surgery process: basically the patient will feel little discomfort. Depends on the difficulty of the surgery, the process can take from two to four hours. Following the surgery, the surgeon will apply a dressing to protect the entire area where the incisions have been done.
What happens after the Operation Process?
Although most patients feel little pain after surgery, but the surgeon will still prescribe medication. Some degree of swelling and bruising is inevitable, and your surgeon will instruct you about to use cold compresses to get swelling to a minimum level. When a dressing has been applied, it will be removed within one to two days. The surgeon will also instruct you about how to keep your head elevated when lying down, you must avoid as much activity as possible, and to report any undue discomfort. Though there are few risks in facelift surgery and thousands are performed every year, there is some risk exists in any surgery.
After the facelift surgery is completed, surgeon will close the incision and apply bandages for a day or two to the site of the surgery. The patient need to stay in hospital overnight.
In some different cases, a drainage tube must been inserted during surgery. This will not be removed one to days after the surgery. All stitches and staples will usually be removed between 4 to 14 days the surgery, depending of the stitches and staples. Surgeons usually recommend that patients not perform vigorous activity. Patients should organise support from family and friends, to home transport.
How will the restution period be like?
Few days after a facelift process, it is normal to feel some pain, discomfort, swelling, and bruising. The surgeon will prescribe pain relief medicine to get over this process easily. You can wash your hair few days after and all dressings will be removed. Most burishings will be gone by within two weeks, but to it takes longer time for swellings sinking. Numbness is also normal to feel. If you notice infection or any bleeding or sudden increase in paini, contact your doctor immediately.
Recovery process takes couple weeks, patients can go back to work in couple of weeks. The scars are not noticeable after enough time. In case, you can hide your scar easily in natural skin creases, by the hair or in longer healing process, you can hide by makeup until total healing has occurred. Please note the aging process will continue after the surgery.
Your surgeon will remove sutures and stitches in 4 to 14 days after surgery. After this process, most people can resume to their normal daily activities (working, food shopping, going out to dinner, limited exercise) without any difficulty.
What should you do after a Facelift Surgery?
After a facelift surgery, it is important to follow your surgeon’s instructions carefully. Instructions for facelift is the following recommendations:
• You need to have som one who take you home and stay with you for at least 24 hours after the facelift.
• Keep your head propped up to minimize swelling; sitting up against pillows are the most comfortable position.
• Arrange your medicine prescription in advance, and use as directed.
• Try to avoid irritating your stitches; your surgeon will suggest that you use a gentle baby shampoo or antiseptic shampoo and that you avoid styling products that may cause irritation.
• You need to have a follow-up visit to remove your stitches.
• Avoid strenuous exercise for at least two weeks following surgery.
• Don’t have facials and other skin treatments for six weeks.
• Use a high-factor sunscreen (minimum 30+ SPF).