Facial neck lift (facelift) aims to restore the signs of time on the face and neck.

Facelift

Smoking, stress and excessive sun exposure worsen the image with the appearance of wrinkles and sagging skin. The average age of patients undergoing facelift is 45 to 55 years, without this being mandatory, since facelift is a strictly individualized operation and each patient has different requirements and needs. After a preoperative examination, the facelift is performed under general anesthesia, preferably.

Facial neck lift (Facelift)

Generally

Lifting (neck facelift) is a cosmetic surgery that aims to rejuvenate your face. The procedure can reduce sagging or wrinkled skin on the cheeks, smoothing the nasolabial grooves, drooping and bagging in the jaw and neck. At the same time, the facelift improves the oval of the face. In general, I would say that it is the surgery that successfully renews all the changes that older age brings to your face.

When straightening the face, a part of the skin on each side of the face is stretched by a few millimeters to a couple of centimeters in the worst cases. At the same time, the tissues under the skin are surgically modified to return the contour of the face to a more youthful shape. Excess skin is removed before sewing is closed. The most important part in face and neck straightening is the proper straightening of the underlying tissues and not the skin. Older generations of plastic surgeons did the so-called skin pull but this technique has ceased to exist as it gives the image of a pulled face.

Neck lift (neck lifting) is often done as part of a facial lift to reduce fat deposits and relax the skin on the neck.

What a neck and neck lift aims to correct

As you grow older, the appearance and shape of your face change due to age-related physiological changes. Your skin becomes less supple and loose, and fat deposits are reduced in some areas of your face and increased in others. Age-related changes in your face that can be reduced by facelift include the following:

• Relax your cheeks.
• Hanging skin and fat on your lower jaw
• Deepening of the skin fold from the side of your nose to the corner of your mouth (nasopharyngeal grooves).
• Loose skin and excess fat on the neck

Risks Complications

A facelift surgery can cause complications. Some can be treated with proper care, medication or surgery. Long-term or permanent complications, although rare, can cause significant changes in appearance.

Risks include:

Hematoma. A collection of blood (hematoma) under the skin that causes swelling and pressure is the most common complication of facelift surgery. Hematoma formation, which usually occurs 24 hours after surgery, is treated immediately by draining a small incision to prevent damage to the skin and other tissues.

Scars. The scars after the face facelift are hidden from the hairline and the natural contour of the face and ear. Rarely, incisions can lead to obvious scars. Corticosteroid and laser injections can be used to improve the appearance of scars.

Nerve injury. Nerve injury, although rare, can temporarily or permanently affect the nerves that control sensation or muscles. Temporary paralysis of a muscle, resulting in a facial asymmetry or temporary loss of sensation can last from a few months to a year. Surgery can offer some improvement.

Hair loss. You may experience temporary or permanent hair loss near the intersections of the facelift. Permanent hair loss can be treated with skin graft surgery.

Skin loss. Rarely, facelift can interrupt the blood supply to your facial tissues. This can lead to skin loss. Like any other type of major surgery, face and neck lifts carry the risk of bleeding and infection.

Certain medical conditions or lifestyle habits can also increase the risk of complications. The following factors may pose a significant risk or lead to adverse effects. The most important of all is smoking. Smoking significantly increases the risk of poor wound healing, hematoma and skin loss after a facelift. In case of smoking, the operation is considered a very high risk.

Blood thinners. Blood-thinning medications or supplements can affect your blood’s ability to clot and increase the risk of hematomas after surgery. These medications include anticoagulants (Coumadin, Plavix, others), aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), ginseng, Ginkgo biloba, fish oil and more.

Medical diseases. If you have a medical condition that prevents blood from clotting, you will not be able to do a facelift. Other conditions, such as poorly controlled diabetes or high blood pressure, increase the risk of poor wound healing, hematoma and heart complications.

Weight variation. If you have a history of recurrent weight gain and weight loss – factors that affect the shape of your face and the condition of your skin – the result of surgery may be unsatisfactory or only satisfactory for a short time.

Preparation before, during and after neck facelift

Medical history and examinations. Prepare to answer questions about past and present medical conditions, previous surgeries, previous plastic surgeries, complications from previous surgeries, smoking history, and drug or alcohol use.

Medications Enter the name and dosage of all medications you take regularly, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, herbal remedies, vitamins, and other supplements.

Facial examination. I will take photos of your face from different angles and close-ups of some features. I will also look at the structure of your bones, the shape of your face, the distribution of fat and the quality of your skin to determine your best options for your facelift surgery.

Before face lift:

Follow the instructions for the medication. You will be instructed on the medicines you should stop taking and when to stop. For example, you will probably be asked to discontinue any blood thinner or supplement at least two weeks before surgery. Wash your face and hair. You will probably be asked to wash your hair and face with an antiseptic soap on the morning of surgery.

You will be asked not to eat or drink anything after midnight the night before the facelift.

Arrange for help during the first second day of recovery at home.

Before the procedure

Sometimes the procedure is done with sedation and local anesthesia, which only numbs your face. In most cases, general anesthesia is recommended.

During the process

In general, facelift involves lifting the skin and tightening the underlying tissues and muscles. Fat on the face and neck can be removed or redistributed. The skin of the face is then placed over the new contours of the face while the excess skin is removed and the incision is sutured or closed with tape and surgical glue.

Facial erection generally takes two to three hours, but may take longer if other cosmetic procedures are performed at the same time.

After the procedure
After a facelift, you may experience:

• Mild to moderate pain
• Swelling
• Bruises
• Numbness

Your incisions will be covered with bandages that provide gentle pressure to minimize swelling and bruising. A small tube can be placed under the skin behind one or both of your ears to drain any excess blood or fluid.

The first days after surgery:

• Rest with your head raised
• Take pain medication as directed by me
• Put crushed ice in latex gloves and touch them to the face at regular intervals to reduce swelling.

Where are the incisions made in the face lift (incisions in the facelift)

The incisions in the facelift depend on the techniques to be used and the patient’s preferences. Options include: A traditional face straightening incision starts at your temples at the hairline, continues down and around the front of your ears and ends behind your ears on your scalp. An incision can be made under your chin to improve the appearance of your neck with plasmoplasty.

A limited incision is a smaller incision that starts at your hairline just above your ear, passes around the front of your ear, but does not extend to the back of your scalp. The neck incision starts in front of your earlobe and continues around your ear to the lower scalp. A small incision is also made under your chin.