Are loose skin and wrinkles on your face adding years to your appearance? Do you wish you could tighten your skin somehow and get rid of the unseemly wrinkles? There is a solution. Consider having a facelift performed.
A facelift is among the most common plastic-surgery procedures in the world. Men and women have it performed to reverse the signs of aging. A facelift, or rhytidectomy as it is called in medical parlance, can remove about ten years from your face. It’s no surprise that the procedure is so popular.
Many people incorrectly believe that the goal of a facelift is to correct wrinkles. Wrinkle correction is instead a result of the real goal: lifting loose sagging skin near the cheeks, jowls, jawline, and neck area.
A facelift can be performed by itself or in conjunction with procedures such as a brow lift and an eyelid lift for greater rejuvenation. It can also be combined with Botox and other non-surgical procedures for even better results.
The Traditional Facelift
A traditional facelift is intended for older adults who have a significant amount of sagging in the lower regions of their face. A traditional facelift is carried out under general anesthesia. The procedure lasts between two to four hours.
At the start of a traditional facelift, an incision is made within the hairline and extends down the side of the face (still within the hairline) to the skin in front of the ear, where the hairline ends.
The incision is extended along the front of the ear, around the earlobe, and behind the ear right up to the hairline at the back of your head. The plastic surgeon will use this incision to separate the skin from the underlying connective tissue, muscle, and fat.
He will then proceed to tighten the skin until the desired degree of change has been achieved. If your facelift involves tightening the tissues on your neck, the skin covering your neck will be lifted down to above your collarbone and across your entire neck.
Some surgeons like to tighten a deeper layer within the skin known as the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) in order to extend the longevity of the results.
The skin is redraped, and excess skin is removed with a scalpel. The surgeon sutures your incisions closed and bandages the treated areas for recovery after the procedure is complete.
Recovery can take time, and there are patients who have reported recovery as early as two to three weeks from the date of the operation. During recovery, you will need to take time off from work. You will experience a degree of temporary post-surgical bruising and swelling.
Ready to Learn More About Facelifts?
If you’ve been wondering about the best way to tighten your sagging skin and get rid of harsh wrinkles and folds, the facelift may be right for you. Contact the office of Doctor Bivik Shah, skilled board-certified plastic surgeon, to arrange a consultation and learn more about your facial-rejuvenation options.