Facelift :  Understand the facts about Facelift

Facelift surgery (aka a rhytidectomy) tightens underlying muscles, lifts tissues, sculpts fat, and removes excess skin, to offer your face and neck a younger appearance. It’s the foremost effective procedure to deal with significant sagging and smooth deep wrinkles and folds.

“A facelift is that the singular cornerstone for facial rejuvenation,” says Dr. Stephen Prendiville, a facial cosmetic surgeon in Fort Myers , Florida.

While it involves up to 2 weeks of downtime and a hefty tag , it’s one among the more popular cosmetic surgery procedures. consistent with the American Society of cosmetic surgery (ASPS), 121,531 people had a facelift in 2018

What are the pros and cons of Facelift?

Pros

It has high patient satisfaction—the majority of Everlast Wellness Medical Center members say it had been “Worth It,” mentioning that the results were beyond their expectations which they not only look younger but feel younger too.

It’s an outpatient procedure, which suggests you’ll head home following surgery.
When the procedure is completed by an experienced surgeon, facelift scars are generally undetectable once they’re fully healed.

Surgical methods that lift the underlying facial muscles instead of just stretching the skin can help make facelift results look very natural.

Cons

A facelift doesn’t include any work to the eyelids or brow. “Brow lifts and upper and lower eyelid surgery [or blepharoplasty] are separate face lift procedures one can append , for a further cost,” says Dr. Prendiville.

It doesn’t address fine lines and wrinkles and other surface imperfections. You’ll need additional treatments to correct those concerns.

While scars can soften and fade over the course of a year, they’ll never permanently disappear.
Complications can include bleeding, infection, skin loss with scarring, visible surgical scars, hematoma, and facial injury with associated muscle weakness or paralysis, consistent with Dr. Brock Ridenour, a facial cosmetic surgeon in St. Louis, Missouri.It requires up to 2 weeks of downtime.
Facelifts are expensive, and they’re not covered by insurance.

Does the facelift includes Neck ?

Typically, facelift surgery includes a neck lift as well. The surgeon elevates the skin off the platysma muscle of the neck and tightens the muscle with sutures.

The platysma can usually be accessed through the same incisions behind the ear, but sometimes an incision under the chin is necessary—especially in the case of severe skin laxity and platysmal banding (when the muscle is seen as two vertical bands that run the length of the neck, from jawline to collarbone).

Platysmal banding can be corrected by cutting and suturing the muscle through a small incision under the chin. Any excess fat under the chin can also be removed with liposuction using the same incision.

Related: Lower Facelift vs. Neck Lift: What’s the Difference?

How long does a facelift take?

Facelift surgery typically takes anywhere from 2 to 4 hours depending on the type of facelift and the skill of your surgeon.

You’ll need additional time in the recovery room as the anesthesia wears off and the nurses ensure that you’re doing well.

What happens during facelift surgery recovery?

After surgery, you’ll be discharged to go home, with bandages on your face and head, and you’ll be very groggy. Make sure you have a friend, partner, or family member take you home and stick around for the first night, to monitor how you’re feeling.

Some surgeons will request to keep you overnight, which can be beneficial for some patients who want help with post-op care.

You’ll be on a soft-foods diet for the first few days, drinking only from glasses or cups (the sucking motion of straws can be painful), so stock up on smoothies and easy-to-chew foods that are high in protein.

You’ll also want a firm cushion that can elevate your head while you rest, since regular pillows can put pressure on your ears.

“As you begin to heal, you may experience itchiness, swelling, and some tightness, which is completely normal and subsides within the first few weeks,” says Jupiter, Florida, plastic surgeon Dr. Jason Cooper.

Facelift recovery time depends a lot on how your body heals, but this is a typical timeline.

• Day 2: The day after surgery, you’ll have a follow-up appointment. Your surgeon will remove the surgical dressing and evaluate your incisions as well as any bruising or swelling. They’ll also remove any drains that had been placed to prevent fluid buildup. You’ll be sent home in fresh bandages or no bandages at all, depending on how you’re healing. You can bathe the day after your surgery, but if you still have bandages on, avoid getting your head wet.
• Day 3–4: Bruising and swelling are at their max at this point. Take only your prescribed pain medication, not aspirin or other over-the-counter painkillers.
• Day 3–5: You’ll have another follow-up appointment within five days, and any remaining bandages will be removed. Your doctor may give you a removable elastic strap to wear for support. You’ll care for the incisions by cleaning them with saline and applying a thick ointment, such as Vaseline or Aquaphor. You can wash your hair with warm water, using baby shampoo. Gently let the water run through your hair, to remove any dried blood, surgical soap, and normal residue, and don’t disturb the staples or sutures. Avoid letting shower water hit your face. Pat your face dry and let your hair air-dry (blow-dryers can be too hot). You’ll also want to skip makeup and your regular skin-care regimen until your surgeon gives you the green light.
• Day 7: Stitches and sutures are removed around this point. You’ll be allowed to do light housework or other activities, if you feel well enough. Some patients choose to return to work at this time, but many wait for most of the swelling to go down (around the two-week mark). Don’t bend over; lift anything heavy; or bump your head, face, or neck—this can cause bleeding.
• Week 2: You can resume sleeping on your side, but don’t sleep on your stomach until your doctor says it’s safe to do so.
• Month 1: Typically, after 30 days, you should be back to your regular routine. Avoid elevating your heart rate for four weeks—skip the cardio and weight lifting, though walking is okay, says Dr. Prendiville.
• Month 3–4: During the first three or four months after surgery, stay out of the sun and apply sunscreen with a high SPF.

You may notice very minor swelling, bruising, tightness, and even numbness for up to a year, but it’s rarely noticed by others.

RealSelf Tip: Dr. Prendiville tells his patients to eat well so they can heal well. That means a diet high in protein and also avoiding fish oil, alcohol, ginkgo biloba, vitamin E, and other blood thinners (they can prolong bruising).

Related:  Recovery Rules to Know Before Undergoing a Facelift

How long does the swelling last after a facelift?

Expect to be swollen and bruised for two weeks, with the worst swelling between 48 and 72 hours after surgery, says Dr. Prendiville. Avoid bending over or doing any heavy lifting for two weeks, to help mitigate swelling.

You can use cold compresses (crushed ice in a bag, a soft ice pack, or even a frozen washcloth) to help reduce swelling and bruising. Apply the compress to your face, 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off, during the first 48 hours.

What are the risk of facelift surgery?

The rate of complications from facelift surgery is 1.8%, according to a 2015 study. The most common complication is hematoma (1.1%), a collection of blood under the skin. “It usually stems from too much activity while healing or elevated blood pressure,” says Dr. Prendiville. If you develop one, your doctor will need to perform a surgical procedure to drain the blood.

The second most common facelift complication is infection (0.3%), a risk you can help mitigate by keeping your incisions clean.

Mild bleeding isn’t unusual, especially if you cough, sneeze, or strain yourself in any way. If you’re bleeding badly from a facelift, contact your surgeon immediately.

Facial nerve injury is possible, but the chance is extremely low and it’s typically not permanent. “Facial nerve palsy and facial muscle weakness following a facelift are almost always temporary, with full recovery by three to six months [afterward],” in a Everlast Wellness Medical Center Q&A.

When will you see results, and how long will they last?

Once the bandages come off on day one, you’ll be able to see some of the results, even with all the swelling and bruising.

“I tell my patients they will be restaurant-ready by two weeks and back to social events and exercise by six weeks but full that results take a whole calendar year,” says Dr. Devgan.

You should have a more lifted appearance for 10 years or more, though the natural aging process will still continue to affect your skin.

“Maintaining good health and taking good care of your skin definitely preserves the results of a facelift,” says Raleigh, North Carolina, plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Law in a RealSelf Q&A. “Wearing sunblock, [practicing] good nutrition, getting enough sleep, and trying to minimize stress are wonderful ways to keep your skin and the results of your facelift looking their best,” he says.

How much does the facelift cost?

The cost of a facelift can vary widely, depending on your surgeon’s level of training and experience, their practice location, and the type of facelift you get.

A neck lift is usually part of a facelift, says Dr. Ridenour, but if you are having an eyelid lift (blepharoplasty), forehead lift, chin implant, or other procedures, the combined procedure will cost more.

At your facelift consultation, ask for a full breakdown of all associated costs, in addition to your plastic surgeon’s fee. This may include operating room or hospital access, anesthesia, additional medical appointments, and pain medication. You should also ask about any supplies you’ll need to buy for at-home care after the procedure.

A facelift is considered an elective cosmetic procedure, so it’s not covered by insurance.

What are the alternatives for the facelift?

Some patients with milder sagging opt for just a neck lift, a lower facelift, or a mini lift. These generally target the neck and lower third of the face—but there are no standard definitions for these variations, and many surgeons dismiss them as marketing terms. None can deliver the same results as a full facelift, but limited procedures may come with less downtime and a lower price tag .

A thread lift (also known as the one-hour facelift, the SMART facelift, or the lunchtime lift) is technically not surgery, but barbed threads are passed under the surface of your skin to lift tissue. As they’re absorbed by your body over six months, the threads boost collagen production, which can increase firmness for up to a year.

Other nonsurgical options include radiofrequency (RF) or ultrasound therapy treatments, such as FaceTite, Thermage, or Ultherapy. They use heat to stimulate collagen production deep under the skin’s surface. “These give you a fraction of the results that a facelift will give you,” says Dr. Prendiville.

Injectable fillers can temporarily add volume to the skin for a soother, more lifted appearance. Also known as a liquid facelift, they use hyaluronic acid fillers, such as Restylane or Juvéderm, in combination with neurotoxins, like Botox or Dysport, which relax expression lines.

The popular Vampire Facelift uses injections of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) taken from your own blood and combines them with hyaluronic acid–based fillers. The effects can for last up to a year, depending on the type of filler that’s used.

Expect to be swollen and bruised for two weeks, with the worst swelling between 48 and 72 hours after surgery, says Dr. Prendiville. Avoid bending over or doing any heavy lifting for two weeks, to help mitigate swelling.

You can use cold compresses (crushed ice in a bag, a soft ice pack, or even a frozen washcloth) to help reduce swelling and bruising. Apply the compress to your face, 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off, during the first 48 hours.