A cosmetic surgery facelift is not a procedure that can be rushed. Prior to surgery you will have an extensive consultation with your surgeon who will examine the shape and structure of the bones in your face, and discuss your expectations and what will be possible. The facelift operation itself takes at least three to four hours, sometimes longer, if a full facelift is being performed in conjunction with eyelid surgery.
The format of facelift surgery also varies; surgeons have their own individual technique, but incisions usually begin above the hairline at the temples, extend in a line in front of the ear and then continue behind the earlobe to the lower scalp. If a neck lift is being performed, there will also be a small incision under the chin.
Facelift surgery involves separating the skin from the fat and muscle beneath. Fat may be removed from around the neck and chin to give a tighter jaw line. The underlying muscle and membranes are tightened, the skin is pulled back with any excess skin removed. This smoothes out wrinkles and gives a much smoother appearance to the skin of the face. The surgeon uses fine sutures to keep the new facial structure in place and to close the skin. Metal clips are sometimes used on the scalp.
It is relatively common for surgeons to use endoscopic or keyhole facelift surgery to perform parts of the facelift, particularly the brow lift. Several tiny cuts allow entry of the endoscope, a thin fibre-optic tube with a camera at the end. Tiny instruments are placed under the skin through other small entry holes. The surgeon performs the facelift surgery using images from the endoscopic camera on a large TV screen in the operating theatre.
Some surgeons also use minimal access cranial suspension (MACS), in which shorter cuts are made in the temple and at front of the ears. Fibrous tissue under the skin is pulled tight. This is then fixed in place by permanent stitches that attach it to tissue close to the cheek bone. Both techniques make smaller incisions, cause less scarring, and have a shorter recovery time.
When the facelift is complete, the surgeon usually places a small drainage tube behind each ear to drain excess fluid. This is removed before you are allowed to go home. Your face will be wrapped in bandages, which come off after one or two days. Stitches are removed between five and ten days after surgery.
Ordinary painkillers can relieve any discomfort after the effects of the anaesthetic wear off, but generally face lift operations rarely cause much pain. You may be advised to use cold compresses to reduce swelling and to rest with your head up. You must also avoid bending, straining, saunas, and massage, and keep your face out of the sun for several weeks.
Facelift information summary:
| Technical name |
Rhytidectomy |
| Procedure time |
Time varies depending on the type of cosmetic surgery face lift but the operation will take at least 3 to 4 hours |
|
Anaesthetic
|
General
|
|
Time in hospital
|
1 - 2 nights
|
|
Time off work
|
Up to 3 weeks
|
|
Face feels sensitive for
|
1 week until bruising subsides
|
|
Time for scar tissue to heal
|
Up to 12 months
|
|
Time to resumption of normal activities (including sports)
|
5 weeks
|
