At around forty years old, many individuals experience a loosening of skin, sagging muscles, and an increase in wrinkles. Individuals can undergo a face lift to give themselves a more youthful look. After or combined with the surgery, many individuals even decide to do other procedures, such as correcting of a double chin, forehead lifting, or eyelid surgery.



During your Consultation:

After an individual decides to undergo a traditional face lift, the doctors will also discuss the options and recommend a course of treatment as well as the likely outcome. The cosmetic surgeon should also discuss any risks or potential complications.

The plastic surgeon will examine and measure the face, taking photographs for medical records. The doctor will also discuss the type of anesthesia that will be used during the procedure. In a traditional facelift, the doctor usually performs the surgery in a hospital where the patient receives anesthesia.

The Procedure:

In a traditional facelift, the surgeon pulls the skin in a lateral direction, toward the ear. After giving the patient anesthesia, the doctor will cut an incision at the hairline in front of the ear. The plastic surgeon then continues the incision downward in front of the ear.

The doctor removes the skin and fatty tissues from the muscle and the connective tissue to eliminate the loose skin problem. The surgeon may then tighten the muscle and connective tissue. Small tubes may be placed under the skin and behind the ear to drain blood. The doctor then pulls the skin and removes the excess skin. The surgeon closes the wound, staples the skin and places bandages on the wounds.

After Surgery:

After surgery, a patient may be taken to the recovery room until she is ready to return home while others may stay in the hospital overnight. In traditional surgery, it can take the patient three to five days to recover. Once the patient removes the bandages and dressings, which occur three to five days after the surgery, the patient usually can continue with her daily activities, such as wearing makeup.

The patient might have scars, bruising, loss of hair or bleeding at the incision. Others can encounter skin necrosis, or the loss of skin due to the death of tissue. Finally, during the first days some can suffer from neurological dysfunction and the loss of muscle dysfunction.

A traditional face lift can permanently change the basic appearance of your skin. In some cases, the direction of the lift is not natural, and too much tension is placed on the skin causing widened scars and pulled earlobes. Some believe the traditional face lifts often leaves patients with an unnatural appearance. It may take several months for swelling to fully dissipate and up to six months for incision lines to mature. Most well conducted face lift surgeries can last up to ten years.