Facelift or rhytidectomy is intended to improve your facial look, it can't stop the aging process but it can give you a look more younger. It's important for the success of the surgery that the skin still has some elasticity and the bone structure is strong and well defined, for this reason is usually not that successfull on people in their seventies or eighties.

Before         After

Posible Complications

Risks include hematoma formation (collection of blood under the skin), nerve injury (usually temporary), infection, poor skin healing and anesthesia reactions.

Before Facelift

Your surgeon will evaluate your health condition, face, skin and bone structure.  Uncontrolled high blood pressure, blood clotting problems and tendency to form excessive scars increase complications risk and may be not recommended to go for this procedure.   

You may let your hair grow more than usual before surgery to help to hide the scars while they heal. 

The Surgery

Facelift is performed in an operating room, it can be done in an outpatient basis but when using general anesthesia require you to stay in the hospital.  It takes several hours specially when other procedures are required to achieve your goals.

The incisions are placed according to your facial structure and your surgeon's technique, they are usually above the hairline at the temples, extending in a natural line in front of the ear (sometimes just inside the cartilage at the front of the ear) and continuing behind the earlobe to the lower scalp.  When neck is included a small incision may be placed under the chin.

Then, the skin wil be separated from the fat and muscle below, excess of fat removed, the muscles tightened and the skin pulled back, removin excess.  In some cases a drainage tube is needed for couple of days to drain any blood that might collect behind the skin.  Finally, your head will be wrapped in bandages to minimize bruising and swelling.

The Results

You may feel some discomfort and numbness after surgery but this is usually minor and can be relieved with the medication prescribed by your surgeon.  Your head should be elevated for couple of days and it will start swelling down gradually.  Dressings are removed in about 1 to 5 days.

At the beginning your face may look pale, bruised and puffy but this should disappear in couple of weeks.  The stiches will be removed in about 5 days, any metal clips in your hairline or stitches in your scalp could take a few days more to be removed.   

You can return to normal activities in few days, but you need to take speciall care when cleaning your face and hair, and avoid arduous activities (including contact sports, heavey housework and sex) for at least 2 weeks.  You should avoid alcohol, steam baths or saunas for several months.  You may return to work in 10 to 14 days after surgery and you can use special camouflage makeup to mask some bruising that could remain.

The results may not be immediately apparent, but almost all the patients feel fully satisfied with them.  Men may need to shave in new places (behind neck and ears) because of the repositioning of the skin.