What is a facelift?

A facelift or Rhytidectomy improves the facial appearance by reshaping and rejuvenating the cheeks, jawline and neck. During our youth our faces are slightly triangular, with wider cheek bones, a straight jawline and a smooth neck. As we age, there is loss of volume in the face and areas of skin laxity appear in predictable places; the central cheek, along the jawline (jowls), and in the front of the neck ( neck banding). A facelift elevates the skin off the deeper tissues and these deeper tissues are lifted and repositioned by sutures to reshape the face in a youthful triangular contour. By lifting and tightening the deeper tissues it allows the surgeon to smooth the skin over these newly contoured tissues and leave the result looking natural, not pulled too tight. There are many variations of "facelift " noted in the media. Thread facelift, Lifestyle lift, short scar facelift, SMASectomy facelift, Lunchtime lift, etc. All involve some form of either lifting and/or tightening the deep tissues or the skin of the face. They differ in placement and length of incisions to achieve this goal. Some of those mentioned are long on advertising and short on results. A frank discussion with a plastic surgeon, who should be board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, will allow him/her to explain what will be the safest and likely to achieve the best results. A facelift can be done under local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia, depending on the patient's wishes. The surgery takes between 2 hours to 5 hours, depending on the areas in need of correction. Patients may go home that evening or be offered an overnite stay in a recovery area so the first night post op can be monitored. Recovery takes 7 - 10 days, although return to full activity is restricted until 4 weeks. Swelling and bruising should be modest. The results from a facelift should last 7 - 10 years. Exceptions to this are patients who are smokers, have a history of heavy sun exposure, diabetics and those with poor skin tone and elasticity. These patients may require a "touch up " to maintain the results after 4 - 5 years.