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FACELIFT

Todays facelift is more effective and natural looking than ever before. The goal of a facelift is not to give you a different look, but rather help you look as you used too - turn back the clock. The facelift (rhytidectomy) is a surgical procedure used to reduce the most apparent signs of aging in the facial area giving you a more youthful appearance. The procedure involves reducing the creases from the nose and mouth, the slacking jaw line and sagging jowls and fat deposits around the neck by removing excess fat tightening underlying muscles, and redraping the skin on the face and neck. Though the procedure cannot give you a completely new look it can give you a younger, fresher look. It can also have a positive effect on your self confidence. The drawings featured depict the traditional facelift procedure.



The best candidate for a facelift is a man or a woman whose face and neck have begun to sag, but whose skin has elasticity and whose bone structure is strong and well defined. Most patients are in their forties to sixties, but facelifts can be done successfully on patients in their seventies and eighties.

Facial rejuvenation can be accomplished utilizing a number of different techniques. At the time of a consultation the patient's concerns about their appearance are discussed in detail. A plan for facial rejuvenation is formulated and the best technique to accomplish these goals are discussed at the time of consultation. The procedure can be performed under general or twilight anesthesia. Most patients are back to work 2 weeks after surgery. Other activity will be limited for a few more weeks. Depending on the technique required to achieve the formulated goals, the recovery time may be less than anticipated.

The greatest risk of complication with the facelift procedure can occur in people who smoke. Smoking decreases a patient's wound healing capacity and may lead to tissue loss and poor scar quality. Patients who smoke must stop 3-4 weeks prior to the procedure and not resume until 4 weeks after the procedure.

All of the potential risks of the procedure are discussed at the time of the consultation.