1.What is the basic procedure of a face lift?

During the face lift operation, the sagging tissues of the face are lifted to where they were at a young age. A face lift generally rejuvenates the area below the eyes to the neck. This does not include removal of fat from under the skin, nor does this surgery encompass rejuvenation of the eyelids, forehead, and around the mouth.


2.Can I expect permanent results from a face lift?

Yes, the results obtained from a face lift are permanent in one sense. In general, a person who has undergone a face lift will always look approximately 10 years younger than those who did not have this operation. However, the gravity effect is not halted by the face lift procedure. The patient will get older but the age will never catch up.


3.Is there a common technique for a face lift?

There are several different ways of lifting the face that are based on which layers of the face require elevation. The simplest technique is tightening the skin. However, many plastic surgeons who do face lift surgery have come to the conclusion that the results will not be enduring. Therefore, we not only tighten the skin, but also tighten the layers immediately under the skin (SMAS). This lends more success to the operation on a short term basis and the results last longer.

However, this layer can also be either folded over itself or suspended using special strings. The results of string suspension will not be as lasting.


4.Who is a good candidate for a face lift?

Anybody who has a sufficient change in the face and is healthy enough to undergo surgery is a candidate for this operation.

Most plastic surgeons prefer to do this operation when the person is younger and thus the surgery is safer, there is more elasticity to the skin and the change is not drastic enough for everyone to notice what has occurred.


5.Will a face lift eliminate all of my facial wrinkles?

A face lift will eliminate most of the droopiness including the jowls, and will efface the line between the lip and the cheek, which is called the nasolabial crease.

However, it will not affect the lower eyelids, forehead and fine lines, especially the area around the mouth.

Eyelid surgery, forehead surgery and some type of laser or fat injection may be needed to achieve a more rejuvenated result.


6.Will it be obvious that I have had a face lift?

The aim of a good face lift procedure is to make the person look refreshed, more energized and rejuvenated rather than making the patient look different. Therefore, if it is obvious that somebody had a face lift, either the person had too many procedures at the same time or the surgical technique was suboptimal.


7.What types of face lift surgeries are available?

As indicated earlier, the face lift can include only the skin lift or repositioning of the skin and the deeper layers. It could be combined with laser resurfacing and removal of fat from under the chin.

Most of the time, the procedure includes fat injections to some parts of the face. As we get older, we lose some volume, specifically in the cheeks, the area between the eyelids and the cheekbones, and around the mouth and lips.