Face Lift

A face lift is a great way to improve your appearance and take years away. Face Lift techniques have evolved with time making it a fast, easy and safe procedure.

Face Lift is a surgical procedure performed on a person's face to provide patients with a younger-looking appearance. As we age, our skin begins to sag and develop deep creases in the lower face and under the eyelids. Face Lift surgery can turn back time, and you can have the fresh, healthy look of your youth.

A face lift is a common and safe procedure. A face lift surgeon places the face lift incisions around the patients ear and sometimes into the hairline. These incisions are placed in inconspicuous areas so that the face lift patient has a natural appearance. Face Lift surgeons are skilled in masking the fact that patients have had a face lift, and after the incisions have healed, other people generally cannot tell that the patient has had a face lift.

About The Face Lift Procedure

A face lift can be performed on an outpatient basis in a hospital, ambulatory surgical facility or office-based surgical setting. However, in some cases, your face lift surgeon may recommend an overnight stay in a special care facility or hospital may.

Usually, face lifts are performed under general anesthesia, though local anesthesia with sedation may be used in some cases. Face Lifts are performed by board-certified plastic surgeons and facial plastic surgeons.

There are many face lift techniques available today that address different problems. A face lift surgery is a procedure that is tailored to each patient's specific needs and may include a browlift, eyelid surgery, as well as laser skin resurfacing. In some cases the face lift procedure may also include the neck area in order to give the patient better results. In addition, fat may be added to certain areas of the face to restore loss volume and refine results.

A face lift begins with carefully placed incisions. These incisions are made in most cases just inside the hairline at the temple, extending down along the natural curve of the ear, back behind the ear and horizontally into the hairline. These scars are position behind the hairline in order to help hide them although they are not very noticeable.

The incisions made during your face lift surgery take into account your natural hairline and any sideburn pattern. A shorter or limited incision is possible in cases where a full face lift is not necessary and excess skin in the jowls or neck is minimal. In a limited incision face lift, your face lift surgeon will analyze the rates of aging over the different areas of your face and place the incisions where you need them.

Face Lift incisions allow the face lift surgeon to visualize the underlying facial structure and fat as well as to reposition muscle and redistribute fat during face lift surgery.

After the incisions are made, the face lift surgeon will then proceed to reshape and sculpt the face. The face lift surgeon will then return muscles to their original position and restore fat to where it has diminished.

In some cases the neck may be addressed during a face lift. Through an often very small incision concealed underneath the chin, your face lift surgeon will manipulated vertical bands in the neck, just beneath the chin, for a smoothing and complete effect. If necessary, fat pockets are also corrected during this step in the face lift surgery.

The final step in the face lift surgery is to drape the skin over the new foundation, to reduce the excess skin and close the incisions. The face lift incisions are closed with stitches or staples and in some cases with skin adhesives.

It is very important that your face lift surgeon only removes the right amount of excess skin. Even with the best underlying face lift technique, if too much skin is reduced the results can be an unnatural and tight look.

Face Lift Consultation

The first step in any face lift is a consultation with a surgeon. Here, the doctor will be able to evaluate the unique needs of your face and determine if you are a good candidate for a face lift. The doctor will take pictures of your face for reference and some newer technologies allow the surgeon to show you photos that predict the look of your face after a face lift. This isn't universal though and will vary by surgeon. During consultation, a face lift surgeon will also be able to give you details on face lift cost and what to expect during recovery.

Overall, a consultation is the ideal way to find out if you're a good candidate for a face lift. Use the directory on this site to find a face lift surgeon near you and set up an appointment.

Preparing For Face Lift Surgery

Get your skin in good shape. This may mean a course of a topical retinoid like Renova or Avage to thin the skin, facial treatments such as microdermabrasion or limited chemical peels and definitely no sun prior to face lift surgery.

If you are generally in good health and want to look as happy and young on the outside as you feel on the inside, you may be a good candidate for a face lift. But first, you need to understand that for all the money you invest in it, you need to devote just as much time to preparing and recovering from surgery. For optimal results, your lifestyle will have to include maintenance of your health in addition to a sense of well-being.

1 to 3 months before your face lift:

Get your skin in good shape. This may mean a course of a topical retinoid like Renova or Avage to improve skin texture before surgery. Your face lift surgeon may also recommend facial treatments such as microdermabrasion or limited chemical peels and definitely no sun. You must stop smoking a minimum of three weeks before and after face lift surgery. There is no point in undergoing surgery if you have been smoking and risk poor healing and bad scars.

2 to 4 weeks before your face lift:

You will need medical clearance from your primary physician and blood work to assess your health and uncover any possible underlying conditions that could compromise recovery.

1 to 2 weeks before your face lift:

Avoid taking anti-inflammatories, aspirin and certain herbs and vitamins. Taking certain medications, vitamin E or herbal supplements can significantly increase bleeding and put you at risk. In addition, your doctor may prescribe some medications or supplements that you should take. You will visit your face lift surgeon for preoperative photographs and to sign informed consent documents within two weeks prior to your face lift surgery. These documents spell out the exact procedure you will have, what to expect, instructions you need to follow and all the possible risks you face. If you color your hair, do it now—you will have to wait another four weeks otherwise. Purchase any camouflage cosmetics prior to surgery, so that you have them ready to use.

The day before your face lift surgery:

Eat well, but only mild food. Avoid anything spicy, rich or greasy. Pack a bag, and be sure to include comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that you don't need to pull over your head, and a hat or scarf to wear on the way home. Wash your hair well and don't apply any styling products.

Face Lift Surgery

Most face lift surgeries require general anesthetic while some more minor face lift surgeries require only local anesthesia with a mild sedative. After the patient is anesthetized, the face lift surgeon places the incisions around the ear and into the hairline, if necessary. The face lift is completed by tightening the facial muscles and pulling the skin into its new position. The skin in sutured in place, and a dressing is placed over the incisions.

Face Lift patients generally go home two – 24 hours after face lift surgery and return to work and light activities in
one – two weeks. Swelling resides in four – six weeks, but full healing can take up to three months, so be sure to schedule any major social activities around your face lift surgery.

Face Lift Candidate

The face lifts procedures are more directly for woman and men that are in their 30's and higher, the patient is in good overall health.

A good face lift candidate shares common characteristics. If you are a man or woman above 30 years of age with three or more of these features, you might be a good candidate for a face lift surgery:

good, defined facial bone structure, including jawline
loose or sagging skin on the midface
jowls or double chin
lower eyelid creases
deep creases from the nose to lip corners
facial fat that has shifted

Who is a Good Candidate for a Face Lift?

Anyone looking for a way to reduce wrinkles and give the face a more youthful look is a good candidate for a face lift. However, surgeons are looking for the following three qualities:

Good facial structure - The face lift surgeon needs certain facial features to better reposition the facial skin on the underlying tissue. These "bony landmarks" help the surgeon re-drape the skin properly during a face lift.
Good skin - Skin which retains its elasticity is ideal for a face lift. During a face lift consultation, a doctor will be able to evaluate the quality of your skin and whether it will complement a face lift.
Low fat - A lack of fat in the facial tissue is ideal for a face lift.

Overall, a consultation is the ideal way to find out if you're a good candidate for a face lift.

What To Expect From A Face Lift

A face lift is a one-time surgery that gives long-lasting results. Patients experience discomfort, swelling and bruising in the first 24 – 48 hours after a face lift procedure. A face lift patient wears special bandages after surgery to protect the face lift incisions. About a week after the face lift surgery, patients should return to their face lift surgeon for a follow-up consultation. In this consultation the surgeon evaluates the face lift patient and may remove the face lift stitches.

A face lift can erase 10 years of sagging skin and lines from your face and neck. Because of the safety of the face lift procedure and the postive outcomes, face lift surgery is now one of the most popular cosmetic procedures in the United States and around the world.

How Much Does A Face Lift Cost?

The cost of a face lift varies depending on the experience level of face lift surgeon, the type of face lift, your geographic location, and the type of facility in which the face lift is performed. Surgery costs increase if the patient has a face lift in conjunction with other procedures. Many face lift surgeons offer payment and financing plans that make the face lift surgery affordable to everyone. See the Face Lift Cost page on this website for more information on the costs of face lift surgery.

Types of Face Lift

There are many different types of face lifts. Each type of face lift targets different problems in a person's face; the type of face lift used on a patient is based on the patient's individual needs. Face Lifts benefits both men and women and help them look several years younger. Some of the most common face lift techniques are:

lower (standard) face lift
mini face lift
endoscopic face lift
thread face lift
mid face lift
laser face lift
microcurrent face lift

Some face lift methods target the forehead area, while others target the cheeks and neck. Mini-face lifts produce fewer scars than more extensive face lifts and might be appropriate for those individuals that show signs of aging only in specific areas. See the menu items to the left for specific information on these face lift procedures.

A Good Face Lift

The best way to judge a successful face lift is to observe the patient after he or she is completely healed. For a few weeks following the face lift surgery, the patient might experience temporary facial tightening, giving a stretched appearance. Because facial skin has elasticity, after the patient heals from the face lift surgery, the tightening dissipates, and the patient's skin looks younger and more natural.

Face Lift Scars

There is no question most patients are concerned about scars resulting from a face lift. It is important to keep incisions as short as possible but still allow for skin to be reduced and re-draped in the proper direction. Your face lift surgeon should design your incision pattern and control skin tension with the goal of producing predictable scars that don't alter hairstyle or lifestyle.

Advancements in closing incisions-like surgical tapes, topical gels and silicone-can further improve the results of the most meticulous stitches. But, if you have the tendency to form raised, red or deeply discolored scars, make certain to discuss this before incisions are made, not after they have begun to heal. Scar formation from face lift surgery cannot be completely eliminated but the formation of poor scars can be controlled. Your face lift surgeon may suggest the topical application of a gel like Mederma which can improve the appearance of scars as they refine.

Face Lift Risks And Recovery

Following face lift surgery, your face may be swollen, pale and numb. You may have some discomfort that will be treated with medications prescribed by your surgeon. Most patients only experience mild pain and discomfort that can additionally be treated with cold packs and later on with hot compresses.

What is Recovery from a Face Lift Like?

Following face lift surgery, the doctor will wrap your face in dressing as even pressure is needed for the facial skin to re-adhere to the face tissue beneath. Over the next several days, you will see your doctor to ensure proper healing and that you are recovering smoothly from your face lift. Sometimes tiny tubes are added to provide fluid drainage after face lift surgery. These will be removed within 24 to 48 hours.

You will initially be bruised and swollen after a face lift, but this will reduce greatly after several days and continue to recede over the first two weeks. Three to four weeks after your face lift, you will be able to begin to return to more physically straining activities. Final face lift results will begin to show in the first month, but may take six months to a year to fully set. If you'd like to learn more about the face lift healing process, visit our page titled After Face Lift Surgery.

Face Lift Side Effects

Although face lift is relatively safe it does have some mild side effects. The most common side effects are temporary bruising, numbness, swelling, and a tingling sensation. Patients should ask their doctors about the side effects that may affect their particular situation.

Face Lift Risks

All medical procedures brings risk including face lift. A good candidate for a face lift is in good overall health and has the psychological stability to deal with the recovery period. There is often some post-op pain or discomfort, temporary bruising and swelling, some restriction on activity, and some work-time lost.

Your surgeon will give you written instructions for how to care for yourself after a face lift and avoid risks.

Face Lift Consultation

Make sure that you go over all details about the face lift procedure with your surgeon. He or she can answer all of your questions about the face lift procedures, what to expect, how long the face lift recovery will last, what medications to take both before and after your face lift, and many other details. The face lift consultation is a very important part of the face lift procedure, and you should make the most of it in order to have a successful face lift surgery.

What is Face Lift Guide.com?

FaceLiftGuide.com is a reference guide for face lifts as well as a handy directory of face lift surgeons. Here, you will find information about contemporary face lift techniques, details about the face lift surgery, face lift cost and considerations for the face lift surgery. You'll also find a directory of face lift surgeons who you can contact for a consultation. Feel free to use this site to explore face lifts and learn more before your consultation.