While much good can be said of growing older, the prospect of physically aging leaves much to be desired. One of the harshest realities of the process of physical aging is the damage that time and life can cause to the face. As people age, their facial skin grows less elastic, and visible flaws become more and more prominent as the years pass.

For those seeking to maintain their physical beauty into old age, rhytidectomy ? a surgical operation better known as the facelift ? becomes an ever more attractive option.

A facelift is a cosmetic surgery operation intended to improve the firmness and smooth texture of the facial skin, thus reducing the appearance of the outward signs of aging. Although some surgeons require that the patient be sedated and under general anesthesia when a rhytidectomy is being performed on them, the typical facelift operation is performed under local anesthesia, which is the preferred option. During the procedure, the patient remains awake and aware in a relaxed and pain-free state. The procedure itself requires that the surgeon detach the skin of the patient's face and neck, allowing the underlying tissue and muscle to be tightened; some liposuction of excess fat may also be required. The skin is then placed back upon the face and neck and stretched taut. Excess skin (often including that found upon the patient's eyelids) is then cut away and removed, the skin is sutured into place, and bandages are applied to the wounds. Although the procedure is exacting and complex, it has a very long history and can be performed by a competent surgeon in only a few hours, often on an outpatient basis.

Complications of a rhytidectomy can be severe. These may include

Hematoma

Infection

Adverse reactions to anesthesia

Damage to the facial nerves

Necrosis of the skin

Major bleeding

However, dangerous complications are rare. The use of tobacco and certain medications (e.g. aspirin) are forbidden during the recovery period due to their promotion of increased bleeding.

A facelift operation, while clinically routine, is nevertheless a major surgical procedure and carries with it certain serious risks, including the risk of premature death. Prior to making a decision regarding a facelift procedure, the prospective patient should consult with his or her physician as well as a board-certified plastic surgeon in order to examine whether or not a facelift is the best means of treatment in his or her particular case.