Facelift (Rhytidectomy)

Brief Description

Facial rejuvenation to restore youth to your appearance can be obtained with a facelift procedure. This procedure specifically tightens skin around the face and neck to combat wrinkles and sagging skin that are the result of aging and weight loss. Facelift surgery provides far more outstanding results than simply having wrinkle relaxing injections, for example.

A facelift (technically known as ‘rhytidectomy’), is unable to stop this aging process, but what it can do is “set back the clock”. A facelift will improve the most visible signs of aging by removing excess fat, tightening under-lying muscles, and re-draping the skin of your face and neck. A facelift can be done alone, or in conjunction with other procedures such as a forehead lift, eyelid surgery, or nose reshaping.

Procedure

Who is the best candidate for a Facelift procedure?

An ideal candidate for a facelift is a man or woman whose face and neck have begun to sag, but whose skin still has some elasticity and whose bone structure is strong and well defined. Most patients are in their forties to sixties, but facelifts can be done successfully on people in their seventies or eighties as well. A facelift can make you look younger and fresher, and it may enhance your self-confidence in the process.

The aim of a facelift is to tailor the operation for each specific case. The incisions are hidden in the natural creases around the ears; muscle are tightened, skin excess trimmed away and if appropriate fat excess is aspirated, or when necessary repositioned. A Facelift will tighten your skin to achieve a more youthful appearance.

Length of the Operation – 1.5 to 4 hours.

Anesthesia – Facelift surgery is usually performed under general aesthetic, however some limited procedures can be performed under local anesthetic with sedation.

Same day surgery: There is no overnight stay and patients can go home if they are local or we recommend they stay in a hotel if they are traveling from out of town.  

Recovery

Depending on what kind of facelift procedure you choose, your recovery time may vary.

Typically, when undergoing a ‘Full Facelift’, we would expect the recovery process to be as follows:

Initial recovery – Patients can expect to be back to work within 7 to 14 days.

Physical exercise – Patients can part-take in physical exercise of the lower-body within 2 to 3 weeks; you should wait 3 to 4 weeks before exercising your upper-body

Bruising – Bruising will fade within 1 to 2 weeks.

Fading of scars – Patients can be expect this to be anywhere from weeks to months.

Side effects/Risks

Some patients will experience temporary bruising, swelling, numbness and tenderness of skin; some patients report a tight feeling and dry skin. For men, you may occasionally need to shave behind the ears, (where beard-growing skin is repositioned).

As with every cosmetic surgery procedure, Facelift surgery carries some uncertainty and risks. Very occasionally the following may occur: injury to the nerves that control facial muscles or feeling (usually temporary, very rarely permanent); in some cases infection and bleeding; poor healing (mainly in heavy smokers); excessive scarring; asymmetry or change in hairline.