Facial procedures (General Information)

Facelift

Technical name: Rhytidectomy
Body Parts: Face and neck
Recommended Age: 45 years of age and up
Anesthesia: Depends on your case and doctor
Surgery time: On average, 1-5 hours
Clinic stay: On average, from 8-24 hours
Scar: Discrete, partially hidden under hair line
Pre-operative: Lab exams and photographs
Post-operative: Bandage protecting the scar for 24hrs
Recuperation period: 8-14 days. Avoid sun-tanning for the first couple of months

Who is best for a Facelift?

As we age, the effects of gravity, the exposure to the sun, and the stresses of daily life can be seen in our faces. Deep creases form between the nose and mouth; the jaw line tends to sag and fat deposits appear around the neck. Also, the tissues in our face including skin, fat, and muscles tend to thin out, as the natural course of aging.
The best patient 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.

Expected results after Facelift

The Facelift can give you a more youthful appearance in a variable degree, improving the most visible signs of aging by removing excess fat, tightening underlying muscles, and redraping the skin of your face and neck.
There are constant advances in Facelift techniques that help, to a large extent, improve the results that may be obtained. A Facelift can be done alone, or along with other procedures such as Forehead Lift, Eyelid Surgery or Nose Reshaping.
A Facelift can make you look younger and fresher, and it may enhance appearance. If you feel young, this procedure can help make you look as good as you feel.

Anesthesia for Facelift Surgery

For a Facelift, it can be chosen between intravenous sedation and general anesthesia. In case of general anesthesia, you will sleep through the entire operation. If the option is intravenous sedation, sedatives will be injected to help you relax. The best anesthesia method depends on your individual case and what your doctor is recommending. You will decide with him what is better for you.

Facelift Surgery

The size and placement of the incision depend on the type of facelift. There are three of them: traditional facelift, limited incision, MACS Lift and neck lift.
In a traditional facelift, the incision goes from the hairline at the temples and passes through the ear, ending in the lower scalp. Fat is redistributed or sculpted and the contours are uplifted. The skin is redraped over the area and the excess is removed. Sometimes is also necessary to have another incision under the chin, in order to improve an aging neck. Afterwards, sutures or skin adhesives are used to close the incisions.
In a limited incision facelift, shorter incisions are made at the temples, going around the ear and possibly reaching the lower eyelids or under the upper lip.
MACS (Minimal access cranial approach) Lift, is one of the most remarkable procedures created in the plastic surgery. It was created in 2001 by two Belgian plastic surgeons, Patrick L. Tonnard and Alexis M. Verpaele. This method basically consists on a simple ambulatory intervention, which leads to a much faster recovery.
The MACS Lift usually takes about an hour and there is no need for hospitalization. About three days later, the patient can already go back to his routine. The effect is the same as the one achieved in a regular facelift, however, the healing process is much faster.
The MACS Lift can be associated with other procedures too. It can be done together with eyebrows elevation, eyelids surgery or increasing the nose tip or chin.  
 The necklift procedure is recommended for sagging jowls, loose neck skin and fat accumulation under the chin. The incision begins in the ear and ends in the lower scalp.

Recovery from Facelift Surgery

A bandage is used in your face, in order to minimize swelling and bruising. Sometimes a thin tube is temporarily used to drain the excess of blood of fluid under the skin.
After swelling and bruising improves, the facelift results start to appear. The incisions are discrete, hidden between the hairline and the natural lines of the face.

The complete healing process may take several months. The incision lines may take up to six months to fade.

Your new Appearance after Facelift

In the days following surgery, when your face is bruised and swollen, it's easy to forget that you will be looking better. Rest assured that this stage will pass. Day by day, your face will begin to look better and your confidence will improve.

What else you should know about Facelift

Just like any surgery procedure, there are some risks. It is important to ask your plastic surgeon everything you would like to know and share with him all your feelings and fears.

It is also extremely important to follow your physician’s instructions, ensuring best results. The incisions should not be subjected to excessive force, abrasion or motion during the healing process. You should also avoid wearing clothes that go over your head.
For long-lasting results, it is strongly recommended to use life-long sun protection. The protection is important to minimize photo-aging and sun damage, helping to maintain facelift results. A healthy lifestyle also helps in a youthful appearance.  
However, this procedure doesn’t stop the clock. As the years goes by, your face will suffer the age effects again, and you may want to repeat the procedure. The effects of a facelift are lasting, and advanced facelift techniques make it longer lasting.   

Fibrin sealants, also known as “tissue glue”, are used to hold tissue layers together at surgery and to reduce bruising in the post-operative period. This product is made from heat-treated human blood components and is carefully produced, in order to avoid hepatitis, syphilis or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) contamination by the donor. Fibrin sealants have been used for many years in cardiovascular and general surgery.