As you age, your facial skin and tissues become less elastic, making your face develop wrinkles or sag. A sagging face can lower your self-esteem, affecting how you interact with people. Additionally, you may develop anxiety since you may feel like everyone notices your imperfections.
Luckily, you can solve this issue through facelift surgery. This article highlights everything you need to know about facelift surgery.
Let’s dive right in!
What Is a Facelift?
A facelift, also known as a rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure that tightens the skin on your face, reducing the appearance of wrinkles. It involves removing excess skin from your face and pulling it upward and backward, giving you a fresher, more youthful look.
Types of Facelifts
There are various types of facelift surgeries that you may undergo, as discussed below.
Traditional Facelift
A traditional facelift is the best option for people with significant aging signs on their face and neck.
During this procedure, your surgeon makes incisions around the hairline, the region in front of your ears, and below your chin. Next, they separate the facial skin from the underlying muscles to make the tightening easier. After that, they divide and stitch together the muscle bands in front of the neck to create a smooth shape. Finally, your surgeon removes the excess fats and skin from your face for a more natural look.
Deep Plane Facelift
A deep plane facelift surgery is similar to a traditional facelift. The only thing that separates the two is that a deep plane facelift involves lifting the skin and fat as a single unit. This allows your surgeon to simultaneously work on most parts of your face, including the neck, midface, and marionette lines.
The main advantage of deep plane facelifts is that the results last longer. Also, the procedure gives you a more natural look.
Mid-Facelift
Mid-facelift surgery is effective when it comes to correcting sagging cheeks. Your surgeon starts by creating tiny incisions within the mouth above the hairline and ears. These incisions enable the surgeon to tighten the skin and rearrange the fat pads in the cheeks over the cheekbones.
Mini Facelift
A mini facelift surgery involves making tiny incisions under the hairline to enable your surgeon to remove excess tissue from your face and tighten the skin. This procedure uses tiny incisions compared to a traditional facelift, making it the least invasive facelift surgery.
Generally, a mini-facelift takes a short time, and you can recover quickly. It’s common among young patients whose faces show premature aging signs, enabling them to regain or keep their confidence.
What Are the Steps of a Facelift Procedure?
A facelift procedure involves the following steps.
Step 1: Anesthesia
Before a facelift surgery, your surgeon administers general anesthesia to prevent you from feeling pain or discomfort during the procedure.
Step 2: Making Incisions
After injecting you with anesthesia, your surgeon makes incisions in your face, enabling access to the tissues beneath. The extent of the incisions depends on the type of facelift surgery you want. For instance, a traditional facelift surgery requires deeper incisions compared to a mini facelift surgery.
Step 3: The Lift
In this step, your surgeon gently lifts and tightens the muscles and layers of your skin for a more youthful look. The surgeon also removes excess fats from your face to give it a more toned, youthful look.
Step 4: Trimming Excess Skin
Once the surgeon finishes lifting and tightening the muscles, they remove the excess skin. Surgeons exercise extra caution during this step to avoid altering the facial features, resulting in an undesirable appearance like the “wind-blown” appearance.
Step 5: Closing Incisions
Your facelift surgeon closes the incisions using staples, tiny sutures, and tissue glue to speed up the healing process.
How to Prepare for a Facelift Procedure
Preparing for facelift surgery is essential. It helps you prevent complications during and after the surgery.
- Stop smoking
- Avoid taking anti-inflammatory drugs
- Stay hydrated
- Wear the right clothing
- Avoid alcohol
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will facelift results last?
Facelift results are not permanent since the skin on your face loses elasticity as you age. On average, the results from a facelift surgery last for about 10 years, depending on your lifestyle choices and genetics.
How long does it take to recover from facelift surgery?
For most people, it takes anywhere between two to four weeks before they recover completely from a facelift procedure. Take some time off work until you recover completely to avoid complications and speed up the recovery process.
Can you experience side effects after facelift surgery?
Yes, like all other types of surgeries, there are several side effects related to facelift surgery. The common side effect is bruised cheeks. Your face may also feel puffy and numb. However, they’ll go away after a few weeks. If the side effects continue for over a month, seek medical assistance.
Does a facelift always work?
Facelift surgeries work most of the time. Nevertheless, there is a chance that you may not be pleased with the results. Facelift surgery results depend on your genes, bone structure, and skin elasticity.
Does a facelift hurt?
You won’t feel pain during a facelift surgery since you’ll be under general anesthesia. Once it wears off, you may feel some discomfort, but it shouldn’t be too painful.
Final Words
A facelift procedure is the best option if you have low self-esteem due to sagging or wrinkled facial skin. Before the procedure, prepare adequately and choose your surgeon carefully. This way, you’ll avoid complications and ensure you get the desired results.