Article published by
The cosmetic surgery clinic
Brol Medical Center
Face lift is an operation which has been done since the '70's and represents the best solution to diminishing the aesthetic damage wrought by the age.
As people get old, the effects of gravity, daily stress and sun exposure may show on their faces, as deep wrinkles crop up. The aging process affects both skin and underlying tissues as: face and throat muscles and even the bone skeleton may be the seat of some involutive alterations. Face lift cannot halt this; it can only reverse time by diminishing the most visible aging signs.
As a rule, face lift is performed on persons aged between 40 and 60, but it can also be done on healthy persons aged 80. One should remember that face lift makes one younger, but not more beautiful, as the surgery mends the age effect.
There is no operation without risk. When done by an experienced surgeon, the complications are rare and usually of lesser importance. There are big differences between patients regarding their healing rate so that the result is never completely foreseeable.
As for complications, there may crop up haematoma, infections, or the lesion of a motive branch of the facial nerve. A widened scar and thinned out hair on the temple scar may also show up.
- do not eat and drink anything after midnight before the surgery;
- it is forbidden to take aspirin and other drugs that contain aspirin for 2 weeks before the surgery;
- with women the surgery must be done as a rule outside the menstruation period;
- you must tell the doctor or the anaesthesiologist if you have medical problems (hypertension, vascular problems, heart failure, diabetes, lung problems, bleeding problems, epilepsy, neurological problems, allergies to certain drugs);
- you must tell the doctor if you wear dental prosthesis or contact lenses;
- if you smoke, plan to stop smoking for 2 weeks before the surgery and do not start smoking until at least 2 weeks have passed from the surgery;
- avoid extra exposure to sun before the surgery;
- do not keep a strict diet before the surgery because it can delay the healing;
- if you catch a cold or you have an infection of any kind, the surgery must be postponed.
The facial lift surgery is performed under local anaesthesia combined with intravenous anaesthesia. Some surgeons prefer to use complete anaesthesia by intubation. The surgery lasts for 3 hours. The purpose of this operation is to stretch out the face and neck skin by relocating the face muscles. The incision performed starts from the hairy head skin; it runs in front the ear, then it goes round the lobe and runs behind it. The skin is cut asunder from the muscles and fat under it. The muscles are strengthened, the skin is pulled back and upwards and the excess is removed. After the surgery one leaves a small draining tube is on the spot in order to hinder the appearance of haematoma. At the same time one can mend the dark rings around the lower eye lids and can remove the excess of skin of the upper eye lids.
After the surgery a circular compressing bandage is applied on the face.
After facial lift a 1 to 2 day long hospitalisation period is required in order for the patient to stay under medical supervision during which antibiotics need to be taken on a prophylactic basis. The draining tubes will be removed within 1 or 2 days.
In the first days after the surgery there may crop up a slight unease and local pain that can be fought with anti-algid medication. A certain numbness of the skin may also be felt during a few weeks after. The bandages may be kept on for 7 to 10 days.
In the first week the skin tegument is pale, slightly swollen, sometimes evincing small ecchymoses that will go away after the first week. The stitches will be removed 12 days after the surgery as this can be done by the family general practitioner. After healing it is essential that one should avoid exposure to sun, cold and to weight fluctuations, which may mar the results of the surgery.
As far as the scars are concerned, they turn red until they are 6 months old and after 9 months to one year they go flat and turn a light colour. The only stretch not hidden by the hair, the scar in front of the ear, will practically turn invisible after 9 months.
We have performed more than 200 surgeries of facial lift. If you have a lift done on you, you cannot stop the lapse of time. The skin will keep on aging over time, but the effects of a lifting surgery are long-lasting and still after many years you will look better than you would have looked like if you had not undergone the operation at all.
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