What You Need to Know About Facelifts

A facelift is an operation performed to restore a patient’s youthful appearance by removing or reducing scars, wrinkles, loose skin, and fat deposits. Sometimes this procedure, medically known as rhytidectomy, is performed in conjunction with rhinoplasty (nose surgery), blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), or other facial procedure to achieve the patient’s desired result. Facelifts are most effective at diminishing loose folds of skin around the neck area and tightening skin over the cheeks.

The Facelift Procedure

A conventional facelift requires the surgeon to make an incision from the patient’s hairline near the temple, in front of the ear, under the ear and following the hairline toward the back of the head. Some operations may involve another incision under the chin to tighten and smooth a patient’s neck.

After the incisions are made, the skin is separated from the underlying layers of muscle and fat. Unwanted fat, skin, and other tissues are excised, and sutures may be used to tighten deeper layers of tissue. The surgeon then repositions the remaining skin in the desired location and closes the incisions with sutures and staples.

Facelifts can be done while the patient is under general anesthesia, or local anesthesia combined with a sedative. Use of general anesthesia may require the patient to remain in a hospital for one night or more, but the procedure can be performed on an inpatient or outpatient basis.

After the operation you should be on your feet in a day or two, though you should take it easy for at least a week, and follow your doctor’s instructions explicitly. Most of the stitches are removed within the first week of recovery, after which you can begin to resume your normal lifestyle.

Facelift Risks and Complications

Complications of facelift surgery can include hematoma (pooling of blood beneath the skin), temporary or permanent nerve damage, infection, post-operative bleeding, and adverse reactions to anesthesia. Skin numbness and swelling around the operation site are to be expected; these symptoms will gradually subside over the following weeks. Pain during the healing process is usually minor and easily controlled with medication. Patients may also find that their expectations do not match their final results, though the majority report satisfaction with their final appearance after surgery.

Click on the link to see our photo gallery of Philadelphia facelift patients.

The content of this Web site is intended to be used for informational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice or instruction. If you have more questions about Philadelphia facelift surgery, other cosmetic treatments, or plastic surgery procedures, please call Dr. Lohner’s Main Line Pennsylvania office and we’ll be happy to schedule a consultation.