Facelift  


Before The Facelift Operation   


Introduction to Facelift Surgery

The young individual has a firm, smooth face with only a few lines and wrinkles. The skin feels tight because it fits snugly over the fatty tissue, and the muscles and bones of the face.

As you age, the skin loses its elasticity, the muscles of the face lose tone and stretch and the fatty tissue shrinks in volume. The eventual result of this is that lines and wrinkles begin to appear and they become more prominent due to the effects of gravity and muscular action.

The purpose of a facelift (rhytidectomy) operation is to raise and tighten the facial skin thereby eliminating or decreasing overhanging folds or lines. A facelift also aims to correct the effects of ageing on the deeper structures by tightening and relocating muscles which have stretched and drooped and by removing redundant deposits of fat.

The standard facelift operation is effective in the neck, chin, cheeks and temporal regions i.e. the lower two thirds of the face and the neck. The forehead and eyelid regions are not included in the standard facelift operation and require separate procedures that may be combined with it.

It is not possible to eliminate every line, wrinkle or furrow in a facelift procedure. Prominent lines or wrinkles that remain after a facelift operation will require additional treatment e.g. skin abrasion, filler injections with synthetic filling agents or fat implants.

The London Cosmetic Surgery Centre has successfully performed facelifts on many men in over 20 years.

Am I Suitable For Facelift Surgery?

The facelift is one of the few operations where you can see the result or get a good idea of what it will look like before you have it done. Lifting the facial skin upwards and backwards with cupped hands will give an indication of the final result of a facelift operation. If this manoeuvre gives a result that meets with your approval then the facelift operation is likely to be successful.

There is no minimum age which qualifies you to have a facelift operation because the rate of ageing is unique in every individual. Results of a facelift are more striking when the signs of ageing are very pronounced; hence less can be achieved in the younger patient with fewer signs of ageing. It must be emphasised though that risks and complications of a facelift increase significantly with age.

A facelift has little or no effect on the surface changes of the skin. These are usually treated by additional procedures carried out at the same time as the facelift operation or separately e.g. laser resurfacing, dermabrasion or chemical peeling.

Factors to Consider Before Facelift Surgery

Any problems regarding your fitness for facelift surgery will be thoroughly assessed and treated beforehand. Other factors to consider are:

• Smokers should stop smoking at least six weeks prior to facelift surgery and for at least one month afterwards.
• Alcohol should not be consumed for at least two weeks before and after the facelift operation.
• Aspirin or other blood thinning medications should be stopped for at least two weeks before and after the facelift operation (if possible).

You will need to take 2 weeks off work after a facelift operation.

The Facelift Consultation

At the preoperative consultation for a facelift you will be asked to complete a medical questionnaire before you see the surgeon. After reviewing your medical history, the surgeon will specifically discuss the concerns that you have about the various features of your face and what you wish to be altered.

After examining you, the surgeon will outline what can be achieved with surgery and give you a detailed explanation of the facelift procedure, the likely results and the usual course of postoperative events. The surgeon will also answer any questions that you may have about the facelift operation.

At the end of your consultation, you will be issued with detailed written information about the facelift operation which you are strongly advised to read carefully at home. If you have any further queries/concerns, these can be discussed with the surgeon at a further consultation.


To find out more about Facelift Surgery, click on any of the links below:

Facelift - The Operation
Facelift - After The Operation
Facelift FAQs
Facelift Gallery

or

Click here to download London Cosmetic Surgery Centre's "Guide to The Facelift"


Further Information about Facelift Surgery can be obtained by reading our senior surgeon's latest book "Every Woman's Guide to Cosmetic Surgery". If you would like to purchase a copy, please click here.