Facelift (“Rhytidectomy”)

Description

Improves sagging facial skin, a slack jaw, and loose neck skin by removing excess fat, tightening muscles, and redraping skin. Most patients who desire a facelift are men and women over 40 years old, seeking to remove the most visible signs of aging.

Length

Several hours.

Side Effects

Temporary bruising, swelling, numbness and tenderness of skin. Tight feeling and dry skin. Men will permanently have to shave behind ears, due to the repositioning of beard-growing skin.

Recovery

Back to work: 10 to 14 days. Avoiding strenuous activity: 2 weeks or more. Bruising: 2 to 3 weeks. Facelift patients should avoid alcohol, steam baths and saunas for several months. Must limit exposure to sun for several months as well.

Results

Usually lasts 5 to 10 years.

Technology

(Placement of the incisions and the sequence of events depend on a patients facial structure and the surgeons technique) Generally, incisions begin above the hairline at the temples, extending in a natural line in front of the ear, and continues behind the earlobe to the lower scalp. The surgeon separates the skin from the fat and muscle below, trimming or suctioning fat from around the neck to improve the contour. He or she then tightens the underlying muscle and membrane, pulling the skin back, and then removes the excess.

Patient Status

Outpatient – Usually outpatient. If general anesthesia was used, some patients require a short inpatient stay.

Anesthesia

Local with Sedation

General