Facelift: Common Questions

Who is a candidate for facelift surgery?
Those people who have loose skin and/or wrinkles of the lower face and neck.

How long will it last?
It sets the clock back five to ten years, and then the gravity process associated with aging begins again.

Do you have to have all of your face done?
No, you can do just the areas that are of greatest concern. The physician will discuss what is best for your particular situation. The best procedure for you may be a combination of procedures both surgical and less invasive.

Is the procedure done in the office?
For safety purposes it is performed in a surgical facility as an outpatient. The physicians usually request the procedure to be performed with general anesthesia. You would go home a couple of hours after the surgery. Following a facelift the surgeon usually sees you the next day for a post-op visit.

Are there any restrictions after surgery?
Keeping the head elevated is a must the week after surgery. You would need to sleep in a recliner or pile pillows up to keep the head above the heart. You will need to wear a chin wrap for at least a week following surgery. Lifting will be restricted to a gallon of milk or a six pack of soda for at least a week depending on how you heal. It is important not to raise your heart rate or blood pressure to keep the amount of swelling and bruising to a minimum.

What are the risks or complications?
There is the possibility of bruising, swelling, numbness, tightness. Lumps, irregularities, hair loss around the incision, bleeding, infection, and facial paralysis are the risks and complications that occur infrequently. If you are a smoker you must quit for at least two weeks before surgery because of a greater risk of scarring, poor healing, and skin loss.

What kind of results can I expect?
The plan is to make you look as good as we can FOR YOUR AGE, by putting the skin back to the proportion that is was when you were younger. Some wrinkles will remain. Surgery cannot alter developmental asymmetries.