As your face ages, your skin loosens, your skin forms lines and gravity pulls your skin downward, according to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, or AAFPRS. If you feel prematurely aged by jowls, a double chin and deep folds, you may consider investing in cosmetic procedures to rejuvenate your appearance. One procedure that offers dramatic results is a rhytidectomy, or a face lift treatment.
Candidates
You might be a candidate for a face lift if you have any loose skin and excess fat at your neck, if your jawline is undefined and it has the "jowls" appearance or if you have a fold or deep crease that runs from the edge of your nose down to the corner of your mouth, says the Mayo Clinic. The majority of people who get this face lifting treatment are 40 to 70 years old, says the Mayo Clinic, but people in their 30s and 80s have also had face lift surgeries, according to the AAFPRS.
The Procedure
Although the face lift procedure is typically performed under general anesthesia, it may also be performed on patients with a combination of intravenous sedation and local anesthesia, according to the Mayo Clinic. The surgery involves the plastic surgeon making an incision on the scalp above and in front of the ears, then curving the incision behind the ears and partly into the scalp, says the Mayo Clinic. The surgeon then raises the skin, repositions it and moves and tightens the muscle and connective tissue. The surgeon may also use liposuction to remove some fat from the chin or jawline. At the end, he trims the excess skin and closes any incisions with staples and sutures, says the AAFPRS. The whole procedure should take two to four hours.
Healing
Because some swelling and bruising are expected after a face lift surgery, the plastic surgeon will likely recommend using cold compresses, says the AAFPRS. If you had any bandaging or drainage tubes, they will be removed within a couple of days, and your staples and sutures will be removed within 10 days after the surgery, according to the AAFPRS. You will be told to take time off work, keep your head upright when you lie flat and abstain from vigorous activity during the two to three weeks of recovery time.
Risks
Face lift surgery, like any surgery, comes with risks. Some of them include: anesthesia problems, infection, numbness or paralysis in the face, hair line changes, hair loss, skin discoloration, blood or fluid under the skin and blood clots, says the Mayo Clinic. Reduce your risks by maintaining a healthy blood pressure, staying away from nicotine products for six weeks prior to and after surgery and avoiding vitamin E, aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory or anti-coagulant medications around surgery for three weeks prior to and after the surgery, says the Mayo Clinic.
Alternatives
Non-surgical alternative face lifting treatments are also available, but their results are generally subtler. One, the laser face lift, resurfaces and tightens the outermost skin layers to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, according to DocShop.com. Other alternative face lifting treatments are: a radiofrequency treatment, which heats the skin to stimulate the growth of collagen; the microcurrent face lift, which uses electric currents to improve the skin's ability to produce collagen and elastin, and creams and powders which some claim will help to tighten the skin.
Member Comments