Face Lift

A face lift is an excellent operation for correcting loose, sagging, and or wrinkled skin from the cheek area to the chin. If you find yourself imagining your cheeks lifted up to the side as in when you smile, then you are a candidate for surgery. Loose skin is typically caused by aging, sun exposure and is often seen after significant weight loss. If you are healthy and a non-smoker, it is a safe, gratifying procedure. From a medical standpoint, ensuring that your blood pressure is under excellent control and that you are off all blood thinning medications and herb supplements is the key to proper medical preparation for a facelift.

Each person responds differently to surgery; however, recovery generally reflects the extent and length of a procedure. Drains and bandages are removed the day after surgery. Swelling is worst in the first 24 to 48 hours after surgery, with noticeable improvement starting at about 3 days afterwards. Sutures are removed 4-5 days after surgery. Bruising is variable, but most often noticed around the lower eyelids, neck and collar bone area. Many people feel comfortable to be seen in public after the first week or two at which time the scars should be quite unapparent. Continued improvements in swelling, sensation, softening of the skin and muscles and return of more natural facial movement will be noticed over the course of several weeks to months.

In healthy persons of all ages complications from facelift surgery should be rare. In my opinion, the worst complication of facelift surgery is an unnatural, pulled, or operated-on appearance. With good technique in the hands of a well-trained and meticulous surgeon, the face should only appear lifted or freshened, not tight. Nerve injuries should be exceedingly rare or unheard of in the experience of your surgeon, but temporary weakening, or accentuation of asymmetries of facial movement can be seen. It is important to review all facial asymmetry with your surgeon prior to your operation. A long list of ways to care for you face and neck will be provided after the surgery, so that you can be reassured and know how to respond to any specific questions or concerns you may have. Healing for most people is not a problem with this surgery. If you have certain medical conditions, or if you are a smoker, your risk of problems related to surgery may be too high. These will be discussed at the time of your consultation.

All these terms are seen frequently in marketing campaigns by various practitioners, who are generally not board-certified plastic surgeon specialists in facelift surgery. Physicians and dentists who have received cosmetic training through unapproved or corporate-sponsored pathways tend to be very active in advertising and making claims that are not necessarily proven or safe. Truth in advertising legislation has been recently passed but is not typically enforced. The cable lift and skin only lifts have been rejected by many leaders in the field of aesthetic plastic surgery because they do not offer significant, or natural appearing results and can lead to worse scarring because all the tension is placed on the superficial skin layers or undue risk to nerves. Stem cell lift is not a lift at all but rather a filling procedure that may or may not improve circulation and health to the facial tissues. Heavy use of advertising and marketing is typically a not necessary. It is likely that they received training by pathways outside the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Certification can be checked at https://www.certificationmatters.org/is-your-doctor-board-certified/search-now.aspx.