Facelift

Over time, the long-term effects of gravity, exposure to sun, dry air, and general stress takes its toll on an individual’s face and neckline. Jowls can develop under the jawline with folds and fat deposits. Sometimes creases begin to form between the nose and the mouth.

A facelift can considerably reduce these signs of aging by removing excess fat, tightening the underlying muscles, and redraping the skin around the neck and face. Facelifts can be done alone, or frequently performed in conjunction with another procedure such as a browlift, eyelid surgery, or nose reshaping. If your problem areas are limited to the neck, a more conservative procedure, known as a “necklift” will be recommended. In some cases, a facelift can reduce the outward signs of aging by ten or fifteen years.

Facelifts, technically known as rhytidectomies (literally, “removal of wrinkles”), rejuvenate the mid- to lower face and neck. Facelifts are most effective for patients who want to correct:

 VIRTUAL CONSULTATION

At Aesthetic Surgery Center Antwerp, we frequently treat patients from out of town. For your convenience, we have created the form below which allows you to submit information about your surgical goals and photographs of yourself for Dr. Van Look to review.

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Candidates for Facelift

The best candidates for rhytidectomy:

During your consultation, your doctor will discuss whether a facelift is right for you.

Facelift Procedure – Techniques

Facelifts are typically outpatient procedures and may be performed in an office-based facility, surgery center or hospital. Patients may have a choice of IV sedation or general anesthesia. The procedure takes about two hours.

The way a facelift is performed varies depending on the surgeon, the patient’s facial structure, and the extent of correction desired. The three most common incision techniques are:

• Traditional facelift: The “full” facelift for rejuvenating the face, jowls and neck, including fat sculpting, lifting and repositioning of muscle and deeper tissues, and skin trimming and redraping. The incision begins at the temples and travels down to the front of the ear, around the earlobe, and behind the ear to the lower scalp at the hairline. Sometimes, another incision is made under the chin.
• Limited-incision facelift: For limited rejuvenation around the eyes and mouth, including nasolabial folds and other deep creases. Short incisions are made at the temples and around the ear, and possibly in the lower eyelids and/or under the upper lip as well.
• Neck lift: A neck lift concentrates on jowls, loose skin on the neck, and fat under the chin. The incision is made around the ear lobe and behind the ear to the lower scalp.

In all three methods, incisions are closed with stitches or tissue glue. Scars are hidden in the hairline and natural contours of the face.

Recovery from Facelift

After your rhytidectomy, your doctor will wrap the incisions in bandages and may place drainage tubes in the area. The tubes will be taken out the next day, when your hair will be carefully washed. If surgical clips are used to hold the incisions closed, they will be removed one week after the facelift along with your stitches.

At first, you may experience swelling, numbness, bruising, and a feeling of tightness or tension in the face and neck. Your face may look uneven or distorted, and your facial muscles may feel stiff. Most of these usually resolve within 3-6 weeks, and sensation typically returns to normal within a few months. Scars become less red, raised, lumpy or itchy in time.

Many patients return to work by the third week. Camouflage cosmetics can be used to minimize the appearance of bruising.

You should be gentle with your skin and hair as you recover. Men may need to shave behind the neck and ears where areas of beard-growing skin have moved.