What is a face lift?
A facelift is a procedure to lift and tighten loose skin on the face and neck. Surgeons perform the procedure in the operating room while the patient is often completely asleep under general anesthesia.
During the procedure, surgeons make small incisions around the earlobes to help hide any surgical scars, which are minimal. They lift and pull back loose facial and neck skin and connective tissue, removing excess skin before closing the incisions. The process addresses problem areas such as:
- Red appearing on the jaw line
- Loose neck skin
- Nasolabial folds, also known as marionette lines, between the nose and mouth
- Tilting the middle face
- Double chin
Compared to injections that last anywhere from eight months to two years, a facelift usually lasts for several years.
How long does it take to recover?
According to Ishii, a common misconception about facelifts is recovery time. “In general, people think the recovery is going to be worse than it actually is,” he says. “They expect recovery to take six weeks, when in reality it only takes 10 to 14 days for most people.”
During recovery, people can expect some swelling and bruising while the incisions heal. Your surgeon will provide detailed post-operative care instructions and pain relief recommendations to speed your healing.
What are the benefits of a facelift?
Not surprisingly, the main benefits of a facelift are increased satisfaction with your appearance and being seen by others as more youthful and attractive. “People want what they feel inside to be reflected in the mirror,” says Ishii. “They also want to know that the people around them are thinking positively of them.”
Ishii’s team conducted new research to measure the impact of facelifts from the perspective of a casual observer. That research involved showing before-and-after photos of facelift patients to a group of nearly 500 online survey participants.
Participants estimated the age of the women in the photos and rated them on attractiveness, perceived success and general health. The results of the survey showed that casual observers saw women who had undergone high-quality facelifts as younger, more attractive, more successful and healthier.
What are the risks and disadvantages of a facelift?
As with any surgery, there are risks that people should consider before heading to the operating room. General anesthesia carries a risk for some people, including the elderly and people with conditions such as obesity and diabetes.
Some people also have an increased risk of bleeding during surgery. These patients include smokers and people taking anticoagulant drugs, such as warfarin.
If general anesthesia isn’t an option, Ishii says it’s possible to have the procedure done with local anesthesia that numbs the facial area.
Will people be able to tell?
Some people worry that their faces will look stretched or that it will otherwise be obvious that they had surgery. Ishii says that shouldn’t happen with the right surgeon. “If the operation is done well, the result will be natural in appearance,” he says. “No one will be able to tell.”
The key is to find a plastic surgeon with a track record of high-quality results. You can ask the doctor for before and after photos of patients so you can get a sense of the quality of their procedures. An important question to ask is whether the surgeon is collecting data on outcomes, especially patient satisfaction. If a high percentage of people are extremely happy with the results after five years, you are more likely to have had a successful procedure.
