A face lift is a surgical procedure for the purpose of facial rejuvenation. This is accomplished through recovery of the natural positioning of facial tissue that has displaced downward over time.
The procedure may focus primarily on the neck, known as a CERVICAL LIFT, on the wrinkles of the middle portion of the face, known as a MID-FACE LIFT, or, if the goal is to reduce forehead wrinkles and those around the eye and eyebrows, a FRONT LIFT is the procedure of choice. Naturally, it is also possible to combine all the procedures to perform a full face lift.
A face lift acts to rejuvenate the face, stretching and tightening the skin. This technique can be combined with LIPOFILLING to restore lost fat volumes, in which case body fat is extracted from the patient and placed in such a way as to provide a filling effect in the areas with loss of volume, mainly around the cheekbones and cheeks.
This procedure is aimed primarily at people over 40 years of age, whose facial tissue has begun to "fall," giving an aged, flaccid, or wrinkled look to the skin. To be a good candidate for this type of procedure, it is essential that the patientretain elasticity in the skin. It can also be used to treat younger people who have signs of premature aging.
The technique is based on stretchingthe muscle layers and removing any excess tissue through a small incision. The scar is hardly noticeable, since it is located along the natural lines of the ears. In case the area around the neck requires treatment, in this particular case an incision in the chin must also be made.
The procedure may last from three to five hours, requiring general anesthesia. Two nights of hospitalization are recommended.
Recovery is quick and painless. The scars are placed strategically so that they are not noticeable. Patients may return to their daily routine and work life after between ten days and two weeks. A properly performed face lift does not alter a patient's facial expressions.
After the procedure, the results are not readily visible, while the face will look swollen and bruised. This will improve after a few days, so that the final result will begin to be noticeable 10 or 15 days following the procedure. Note that habitual smoking can negatively impact recovery after the procedure.
