Facelift

A facelift restores smoother, more pleasing contours to your face and neck. It can help you look as good as you feel, and perhaps feel younger than you are.

Am I a good candidate for a facelift?

Any one or combination of the following conditions may indicate that you are a good candidate for a forehead lift:

• a deep line, or fold, running from the corner of your nose to the corner of your mouth.
• jowls, or loss of a well-defined jawline associated with youthfulness.
• deep wrinkles in the cheeks and sagging of the "highlight" areas of the cheekbones.
• loose skin, wrinkles, vertical "cords" or excess fatty tissue in the neck.

A facelift can improve all of these problems. It cannot, however, correct conditions such as sagging eyebrows, excess skin and fatty deposits in the upper and lower eyelids, or wrinkles around the mouth. Your plastic surgeon can provide further information if you have an interest in other procedures to treat these areas.

How will my plastic surgeon evaluate me for facelift surgery?

In evaluating you for facelift surgery, your plastic surgeon will assess the thickness, texture and elasticity of your skin, and the severity of wrinkles and folds. Your hairline will be examined to determine where incisions can be discreetly placed. All of these factors, as well as your bone structure and underlying tissues, will be considered in developing an individual surgical plan.

Your plastic surgeon may discuss with you additional procedures that can be performed along with a facelift in order to address all the concerns you have identified. For example, a facelift is frequently combined with a forehead lift, eyelid surgery, nose reshaping or skin treatments such as a chemical peel, dermabrasion or laser resurfacing

Where are the facelift incisions placed?

Although there are many variations to the facelift procedure, generally an incision is hidden in the natural contour of your ear, then extends around the earlobe and back into the hairline. Following surgery, incisions can be easily concealed by your hair or with makeup. There may also be a small incision hidden underneath your chin.

How is my plastic surgeon able to restore a firmer, fresher look to my face?

Through the discreet facelift incisions, your plastic surgeon is able to free the skin from the underlying tissues to the extent necessary for the particular surgical technique selected. After the skin has been pulled up and back, the excess is removed. In some instances, the deeper tissues may also need to be repositioned in order to restore a more youthful contour to your face. If necessary, a small incision beneath the chin permits the removal of fatty tissue in that area and smoothing of the cord-like structures of the underlying muscle in the neck.

How should I prepare for surgery?

If you are a smoker, you will be asked to stop smoking well in advance of surgery. Aspirin and certain anti-inflammatory drugs can cause increased bleeding, so you should avoid taking these medications for a period of time before surgery. your surgeon will advise you and provide additional preoperative instructions. If your hair if very short, you may want to let it grow enough to cover your incisions while they heal. If you are overweight and you have a realistic desire to lose more than 15 pounds, you should discuss this with your surgeon.

If your facelift will be performed on an outpatient basis, be sure to arrange for someone to drive you home and to stay with you at least the first night following surgery.

When can I resume my normal activities?

Straining, bending and lifting should be avoided during the early postoperative period. In many instances, you will be able to resume most of your normal activities within two weeks and begin to exercise three to four weeks after surgery. You will be instructed to temporarily avoid exposure to direct sunlight and, for the long-term, to be conscientious about the use of a sunblock to protect your skin.