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A facelift restores smoother, more pleasing
contours to your face and neck. It can help
you look as good as you feel, and perhaps
feel younger than you are.
Am
I a good candidate for a facelift?
Any one or combination of the following
conditions may indicate that you are a
good candidate for a forehead lift:
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A deep line, or fold, running from
the corner of your nose to the corner
of your mouth.
§ Jowls, or loss of a well-defined jawline associated with youthfulness.
§ Deep wrinkles in the cheeks
and sagging of the "highlight"
areas of the cheekbones.
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Loose skin, wrinkles, vertical "cords"
or excess fatty tissue in the neck. |
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A
facelift can improve all of these problems.
It cannot, however, correct conditions such
as sagging eyebrows, excess skin and fatty
deposits in the upper and lower eyelids,
or wrinkles around the mouth. I can provide
further information if you have an interest
in other procedures to treat these areas.
Your Personal
Consultation
During the initial consultation,
your plastic surgeon may ask you to look
in a mirror and point out exactly what
you would like to see improved. Sometimes,
patients may focus their attention on
excess skin in the upper eyelids and not
realize that sagging of their eyebrows
contributes to this skin redundancy. You
should be very frank in discussing anything
about your appearance that bothers you,
as well as what you hope to achieve with
surgery. This will help your surgeon to
understand your expectations and determine
whether they can realistically be achieved.
How
will my plastic surgeon evaluate me for
facelift surgery?
In
evaluating you for facelift surgery, your
plastic surgeon will assess the thickness,
texture and elasticity of your skin, and
the severity of wrinkles and folds. Your
hairline will be examined to determine
where incisions can be discreetly placed.
All of these factors, as well as your
bone structure and underlying tissues,
will be considered in developing an individual
surgical plan. Your plastic surgeon may
discuss with you additional procedures
that can be performed along with a facelift
in order to address all the concerns you
have identified. For example, a facelift
is frequently combined with a forehead
lift, eyelid surgery, nose reshaping or
skin treatments such as a chemical peel,
micro-dermabrasion or laser resurfacing.
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How
a Face Lift is Performed
Because
of individual factors, not everyone will
achieve the same results from a facelift.
Your plastic surgeon will select the surgical
technique that he or she feels will obtain
the best outcome for you.
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1.A
facelift can improve the deep cheek
folds, jowls and lose, sagging skin
around the neck that come with age. |
| 2.Incisions
usually begin above the hairline
at the temples follow the natural
line in front of the ear, curve
behind the earlobe into the
crease behind the ear, and into
or along the lower scalp. |
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3.facial,
neck tissue and muscle may be seperated;
fat may be trimmed or suctioned and
underlying muscle may be tightened. |
| 4.
After deep tissues are tightened,
the excess skin is pulled and back,
trimmed and sutured into place. |
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Where
are the facelift incisions placed?
Although
there are many variations to the facelift
procedure, generally an incision is hidden
in the natural contour of your ear, then
extends around the earlobe and back into
the hairline. Following surgery, incisions
can be easily concealed by your hair or
with makeup. There may also be a small
incision hidden underneath your chin.
Most facelift incisions are placed within
the hairline and within natural contours
in front of and behind (shown in lighter
black) the ear.Sometimes the deeper tissues
(grey shaded area) may also need to be
repositioned in order to restore a more
youthful contour to the face.After the
skin has been pulled up and back, the
excess (grey shaded area) is removed. |
How
is my plastic surgeon able to restore a
firmer, fresher look to my face?
Through the discreet facelift incisions,
your plastic surgeon is able to free the
skin from the underlying tissues to the
extent necessary for the particular surgical
technique selected. After the skin has been
pulled up and back, the excess is removed.
In some instances, the deeper tissues may
also need to be repositioned in order to
restore a more youthful contour to your
face. If necessary, a small incision beneath
the chin permits the removal of fatty tissue
in that area and smoothing of the cord-like
structures of the underlying muscle in the
neck. |
Understanding
Risks
Fortunately,
significant complications from facelifts
are infrequent. Every year, many
thousands of people undergo successful
facelift surgery, experience no
major problems and are pleased with
the results. Anyone considering
surgery, however, should be aware
of both the benefits and risks.
I understand that every surgical
procedure has risks, but how will
I learn more so that I can make
an informed decision? The subject
of risks and potential complications
of surgery is best discussed on
a personal basis between you and
my self. Some of the potential complications
that may be discussed with you include
hematoma (an accumulation of blood
under the skin that may require
removal),infection and reactions
to anesthesia. While plastic surgeons
are trained in techniques for safely
manipulating facial skin and tissue,injury
to underlying structures is possible,
though it is usually only temporary. Facelift
incisions are most often inconspicuous,
but this is not entirely predicable due
to individual variations in healing.
You can help minimize certain risks by
following the advice and instructions
of your plastic surgeon, both before and
after surgery.
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How
should I prepare for surgery?
If
you are a smoker, you will be asked to
stop smoking well in advance of surgery.
Aspirin and certain anti-inflammatory
drugs can cause increased bleeding, so
you should avoid taking these medications
for a period of time before surgery. Your
surgeon will advise you and provide additional
preoperative instructions. If your hair
if very short, you may want to let it
grow enough to cover your incisions while
they heal. If you are overweight you have
a realistic desire to lose more that 15
pounds, you should discuss this with your
surgeon. If your facelift will be performed
on an outpatient basis, be sure to arrange
for someone to drive you home and to stay
with you at least the first night following
surgery.
What will the day of surgery be
like?
Your
facelift may be performed in a hospital,
free-standing ambulatory facility or office-based
surgical suite. Medications are administered
for your comfort during the surgical procedure.
You and your plastic surgeon will have
decided in advance what type of anesthesia
is to be used, either intravenous sedation
or general anesthesia. For your safety
during the operation, various monitors
are used to check your heart, blood pressure,
pulse and the amount of oxygen circulation
in your blood. When surgery is completed,
you will be taken into a recovery area
where you will continue to be closely
monitored. A bandage may have been wrapped
around your face to be closely monitored.
A bandage may have minimize swelling.
Sometimes small tubes will have been inserted
beneath the skin to drain away fluids
that might otherwise accumulate, but you
will not feel these at all. It fact, there
is surprisingly little discomfort from
the surgery. You probably will be permitted
to go home after a few hours, although some patients may stay overnight in the
hospital or surgical facility.
How will I look and feel initially?
It
is important to realize that the amount
of time it takes for recovery varies greatly
among individuals. After surgery, you
will be asked to restrict your activities
and simply relax for a few days. Elevating
your head when you sleep will help to
minimize swelling and bruising. Remember,
you must not take aspirin or certain anti-inflammatory
medications, and you should not smoke
or be exposed to heavy secondary smoke
for a while. Any bandages and drain tubes
will usually be removed in one or two
days.
At that time, you will notice puffiness
and discoloration, which may be more pronounced
in some portions of your face than others.
Do not be alarmed by any unevenness or
temporary asymmetry caused by this variance
in swelling and bruising, which is perfectly
normal. Generally, the greatest amount
of swelling occurs 24 to 48 hours after
surgery, but it may take several weeks
before all puffiness is resolved. Most
bruising will disappear within two weeks.
After a few days, you will be permitted
to wear makeup, which will help conceal
the discoloration. You will also experience
some numbness in the facial area, which
may be present for several weeks or longer.
Your stitches will be removed from four
to seven days after surgery.
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When
can I resume my normal activities?
Straining,
bending and lifting should be avoided
during the early
postoperative period. In many instances,
you will be able to resume most of your
normal activities within two weeks and
begin to exercise three to four weeks
after surgery. You will be instructed
to temporarily avoid exposure to direct
sunlight and, for the long-term, to be
conscientious about the use of a sunblock
to protect your skin.
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Results
of Your Facelift
The
results of your facelift may be dramatic
or subtle, depending on how you look before
surgery as well as the specific goals
that you and your plastic surgeon have
established. Since the healing process
is gradual, you should expect to wait
at least several weeks for an accurate
picture of your "new look."
Additional minor changes, or settling,
may occur over several months
.Maintaining
a Relationship with Your Plastic Surgeon
You
will return to your plastic surgeon's
office for follow-up care at prescribed
intervals, at which time your progress
will be evaluated. Please remember that
the relationship with your plastic surgeon
does not end when you leave the operating
room. If you have questions or concerns
during your recovery, or need additional
information at a later time, you should
contact your surgeon. |
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