Are You a Candidate for a Face lift?
What is a facelift?
A face lift also known as a rhytidectomy or rhytidoplasty is a surgical procedure done to improve aging signs in the face and neck. This procedure is usually performed in on women in their 4th, 5th, or 5th decade of life.
Why is a facelift done?
If you are worried by facial wrinkles, drooping eyes or loose skin and additional fatty deposits under your face or neck, a face lift may be right for you. Face lifts are useful to get rid of your wobbly skin folds in the neck and laxity of tissues in the cheek. Face lift can reduce the effects of gravity on lower face and neck.
A typical face lift surgery involves a lower or mid lift, forehead lift and sometimes an eye lid surgery.
Who is a good candidate for face ift surgery?
A good candidate for a facelift surgery is considered as:
• Somebody who is emotionally stable.
• A physical healthy person.
• Non-smoker
• A person with a slightly thin face with good bone structure tends to get better results.
• Good hair density so that during the healing period they can camouflage the incisions.
Preparing for a facelift
Your doctor might ask you to do some medical tests and certain medications prior to surgery. Avoid aspirin or any NSAID’s to prevent the risk of bleeding during surgery. Your surgeon and the staff will provide you specific instructions regarding what needs to be done the night before and on the day of surgery, the type of anesthesia is used, and post-operative care and follow up.
What does the procedure entail?
A facelift surgery is usually done under general anesthesia. Usually in a facelift, an incision is made in front of the ear lengthening up to the hairline. The incision bends around the bottom of the ear and then behind it, usually ending near the hairline on the back of the head. After the incision is made, the skin is detached from the deeper tissues over the cheek and neck, the skin is then re draped. The extra skin is then removed and the skin incision is closed with sutures and staples.
The time taken for a facelift surgery varies from surgeon to surgeon but typically takes about 1 hour to 8 hours.
Recovery
A facelift surgery requires no more than 2 weeks for healing. After surgery your face will be covered with bandages to minimize the swelling and bruising. It may take up to 5 days to remove bandages and dressings. It may take up to a few months for the results of the surgery to appear. Patients may be advised to keep the head elevated for a few days after surgery. This is to help keep the amount of swelling down.
Complications
The most common complication can be bleeding which usually requires a come back to the operating room. Skin of the face may feel numb and it is quite usual after the procedure. The numbness is usually completely gone after several months. Other complications may include damage to the facial nerve, poor wound healing and necrosis of the skin flaps or infection.
