What is a Facelift?

As a person ages, the facial tissues tend to sag and unfortunately, there are limited things that can be done to address the problem. A well-performed facelift can take at least 10 years off the age of your face.

A facelift is also known as a rhytidectomy. Contrary to what people may think, this is a fast, easy and safe procedure that can add firmness, youth and volume to your skin, while improving facial contour and reducing wrinkles. Traditional facelifts produce the longest-lasting effects. Facelift techniques have evolved over time, allowing surgeons to mask incisions, lower risks, minimize downtimes and improve outcomes. Moreover, once you have healed after the surgery, people won’t even know the procedure has been performed!

Thanks to the vast improvements in facelift procedures and the positive outcomes, this surgery is now one of the most popular cosmetic procedures in the United States and across the globe. In fact, figures from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons revealed that about 120,000 facelift surgeries were performed in 2011 alone.

What a Facelift Can Do

While most people think of facelifts as a way to lift the skin and eliminate wrinkles, but they can actually do much more. This is particularly true today as many innovations and newer facelift techniques have been developed to address different problems. Men and women can both benefit equally from this surgery. Some procedures target the forehead, brows and upper eye area, while others target the cheeks, jowls and neck. Mini-facelifts produce fewer scars and can be ideal for individuals who only show signs of aging in specific regions of the face.

Each facelift technique is tailored to a patient's specific needs and can be combined with eyelid surgery, laser skin resurfacing, or other facial rejuvenation procedures. In addition, a patient’s own fat from another area of the body or dermal filler material can be injected into certain areas of the face to restore lost volume and refine the results.

Here are some of the problems that can be effectively resolved with facelift surgery:

• Deep forehead creases
• Drooping eyebrows
• Lower eyelid creases
• Deep folds or creases between the nose and lip corners
• Hollow cheeks or areas where facial fat has shifted
• Saggy skin along chin or jaw line
• Double chin
• Jowls and “turkey gobble” neck

It is also worth noting that more and more people have procedures at a younger age to prevent sagging, while others don’t wait for sagging skin to appear before having a facelift. Undergoing this surgery at a younger age, in conjunction with occasional maintenance, can help avoid the development of dramatic facial changes with age.

Who is a Good Candidate for a Facelift Surgery?

There are many reasons people consider facelift procedures, such as: to look younger, to maintain their appearance, to improve self-confidence or to compete in the job market. Each patient has individual, psychological reasons for having plastic surgery. Likewise, each patient case is physically unique. Patients may seek facelift surgery to improve features and look younger, while others may need a surgery to help correct profile and symmetry issues. In general, facelift candidates must be in good physical health and also must have realistic expectations to be considered for this procedure. Most surgeons will spend time to screen patients to ensure their physical and mental stability before a major cosmetic procedure.

The best candidates for facelift surgery are those who show signs of facial aging but still have some skin elasticity. Most rhytidectomy patients are 30 years of age and older. However, most cosmetic surgeons are generally looking for the following qualities:

• Good Facial Structure - The facelift surgeon needs certain facial features to better reposition the skin on the underlying tissue. These "bony landmarks" help in properly re-draping the skin during the procedure.
• Good Skin Condition- Facial skin which has retained its elasticity is ideal for a facelift. During the consultation, the surgeon will be able to evaluate the quality of your skin and inform you whether it will be suitable for a facelift.
• Low Fat - In general, low fat content in the facial tissue is ideal for a facelift.

Surgical vs. Non-Surgical Facelift

Over the past years, there has been a lot of hype about non-surgical facelift due to claims that there are no scars, it requires no recovery period and can be performed over the weekend or even during a lunch break! You may have heard about the newer, various non-surgical facelift techniques mentioned in advertisements, using terminologies like: “liquid facelift,” “lunch-time facelift,” “mini-facelift,” “thread-lift,” “feather-lift” and others that describe minimally invasive procedures that do not require surgery or anesthesia. As the saying goes, when something sounds too good to be true, it very well may be the case.

When it comes to the different options, the traditional facelift is the most viable solution during and after middle-age, when collagen production slows and the aging process becomes more rapid and irreversible. The truth is, there is quite a difference between surgical and non-surgical facelifts. The latter is more of a temporary treatment which addresses moderate issues associated with the aging process and can last from a couple of months to a few years. On the other hand, a surgical facelift tackles more serious problems and the result can last up to 10 years or more.

As people continue to age, the temporary remedies afforded by fillers and toxins may no longer offer the same satisfactory results. This is the time when a surgical facelift enters the picture. The type of surgery and its extent can always be tailor-made for each patient and depends largely on the severity of the problem to be corrected as well as the desired effect. Surgeons now have advanced techniques and equipment at their disposal and these lead to smaller incisions and shorter recovery time.. The hairline can be effectively preserved and scars carefully concealed.

On the other end of the spectrum are prospective patients who are hesitant and not sure if they are ready to “go under the knife.” The good news is that there are several different non-surgical facelift methods to consider that can help remove sun damage and age spots, smooth out wrinkles, tighten up the skin, and create a more radiant, younger looking complexion. However, non-surgical facelift is not permanent and will not deliver the same dramatic results as the traditional facelift.

Please take a moment to carefully review these possibilities for non-surgical options. There are pros and cons for each when compared to a surgical facelift. These non-surgical options often have a lower cost but may require several sessions to achieve noticeable results.

Facelift Complications, Side Effects and Risks

Much like any other surgical procedure, facelift surgery has its own set of side effects and risks. The good news is that serious complications are considered rare, and the complications and risks can be prevented if you carefully follow your surgeon's instructions before and after surgery.

Most of the side effects and risks are common to other surgical techniques, such as temporary bruising, numbness, swelling, scarring and regionalized tingling sensations. Other common side effects and risks include possible allergic reactions to anesthesia, or prescribed medications, excessive bleeding, hematoma formation, infection, facial nerve damage as well as the possibility of revision surgery.

Patients should ask their doctors about the side effects that may affect their particular situation. In case you experience an allergic reaction to medication, consult your doctor immediately. As for damage to any facial nerves, patients who smoke are at a higher risk.

Although many patients are concerned that they will have scars from their facelift surgery, these days, scars are minimized using a variety of techniques. Cosmetic surgeons are often able to hide scars behind the patient’s hairline, under the chin, or behind the ears. Additionally, newer technologies allow cosmetic surgeons to strategically control how the incision will look after it heals.

Cosmetic surgeons today are able to use internal sutures that are put in place under the skin or special adhesive substances to help the incisions leave fewer scars in a facelift procedure. Though some patients may have the tendency to develop excessive scar tissue, if your skin responds normally to surgical incisions, scarring is not a major concern.

Most patients do not have issues with scarring following facelift surgery. Incisions tend to heal quickly and within two to four weeks begin to fade. Research has allowed cosmetic surgeons today to have more control allowing them to make carefully planned incisions that are either hidden within or behind facial features, or that will heal into scars that are not noticeable