“Over time, you may develop wrinkles, sagging skin, and other skin imperfections due to ageing.”
Unsatisfied with how your face is showing obvious signs of ageing? Are these skin conditions affecting your self-confidence and quality of life? If so, you may consider a face and neck lift to achieve smoother, radiant, and younger-looking skin.
What is a face and neck lift?
These procedures help you achieve a rejuvenated appearance by tightening your skin. A face and neck lift restore your skin’s glow and beauty by removing loose, excess skin and fat deposits in the area. Whether your wrinkles are due to prolonged sun exposure or genetics, it can make you feel and look young.
For best results, these procedures are performed together with other cosmetic surgeries. During your consultation, Dr Anh will discuss the complete details of the procedure.
Depending on your facial structure and desired results, a face and neck lift can involve:
- Recontouring your jawline
- Removing excess fat from your neck
- Removing sagging skin
- Restoring volume to your cheeks, brow, and lips
- Tightening the muscles and skin in your neck
What are the different types of facelifts?
Your surgeon will perform the best type of facelift for your skin condition. These include:
- Cutaneous Lift: This procedure trims excess skin on your face. It is recommended for patients with sagging skin in their neck and lower face.
- Mid-Facelift: This technique treats the middle part of your face (cheek area). It is best done in patients with fat pads inside their cheeks.
- Mini Face Lift: This technique makes use of smaller incisions to reduce wrinkles in your neck. The procedure is recommended for patients who don’t want to have a full facelift.
- S-Lift: This makes use of an s-shaped incision to tighten the muscles and tissues on your face. It is best performed in patients with sagging skin on the lower third of their face.
- Traditional Facelift: This procedure dissects your skin to allow tightening of the muscles. It is best performed in patients with moderate facial aging.
Am I a good candidate for a facelift?
In general, you are a good candidate for a facelift if:
- You do not have an extreme degree of skin sagging.
- You do not have medical conditions that affect your healing ability.
- You do not smoke.
- You have a positive outlook and realistic expectations.
- Your facial sagging affects your self-esteem and career.
- Your skin bounces back when pinched.
- Your skin condition gives you an aged, tired-looking appearance.
What are the benefits of a facelift?
This procedure can offer the following benefits:
- Improved appearance of many areas of your face
- Improved contour of the face, neck, and jawline
- Improved quality of life
- Increased self-esteem
- Long-lasting results (up to 10 years)
How is a facelift performed?
The surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia. Once your skin is numb, your surgeon will create incisions at designated areas in your face. This allows your surgeon to reposition facial tissues and remove excess skin. Your surgeon will then secure the position of your facial skin by using sutures. After closing the incisions, your surgeon will place sterile dressings over your wounds.
What should I expect from my consultation?
The initial consultation can be daunting for you. It is only natural to feel nervous about revealing your concerns about your face and neck. Dr Anh Nguyen understands that you may feel this way and will try to make the process comfortable.
Dr Anh will show you before and after photos of real patients. This will give you an idea of what the procedure can offer. These images also provide information about what the surgery can or cannot achieve. At the end of your consultation, Dr Anh will give you a detailed estimate of the total costs of your procedure.
Dr Anh believes that the decision to undergo cosmetic surgery is very personal. This is the reason why she recommends that you go find and seek the opinions of other surgeons. She respects your decision and wants the best for all her patients. If you want to go over things again, she will schedule a second consultation with you. This ensures that you get the best cosmetic surgery that will suit your aesthetic needs.
Long-term results of a facelift
A study published in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal in October 2010 found a high satisfaction rate among patients who had facelift surgery. Researchers reported that 97.8% of the patients who had the surgery reported an improvement in their facial appearance that was good or had exceeded expectations. After an average follow-up of 12.6 years, 68.5 % reported that the surgery made them look 10 years younger.
*Friel, M.T. 1, Shaw, R.E. Trovato, M.J. Owsley, J.Q. The measure of face-lift patient satisfaction: the Owsley Facelift Satisfaction Survey with a long-term follow-up study.
Plast Reconstr Surg. 2010 Jul;126(1):245-57. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0b013e3181dbc2f0.
FAQS
The total cost of a facelift will depend on the fees of your surgeon, assistant surgeon, and hospital. This will also include the cost of the anesthetic used, operating room, and follow-up. The total cost of your surgery may also change if you choose to combine it with other procedures. Usually, a facelift is performed together with a neck lift or brow lift to achieve better results. To get the most accurate quote for your procedure, verify the total costs with your surgeon. During your consultation, your surgeon will give you a detailed explanation of what is included in the total costs of your procedure.
Most insurance companies cover procedures that are performed to treat a certain condition. This means that if your surgery is done for cosmetic purposes, you won’t be able to get any insurance claim. During your consultation, your surgeon may offer financing options to help you.
Facelift surgery is generally safe but it does have its risks and complications. These include:
- Allergic reaction to anesthesia, sutures, dressings, or antibacterial agent
- Blood clot formation at the surgical wound
- Damage to the facial nerve
- Deformity of the earlobe
- Delayed healing
- Facial asymmetry
- Hair loss around the scars
- Heavy bleeding from the surgical wound
- Infection
- Nausea and vomiting
- Numbness in one or both sides of the face
- Possibility of another surgery to correct complications and poor cosmetic results
- Raised scars
- Reopening of the surgical wound
- Severe pain, bruising, and swelling
- Skin loss
Like any other surgical procedures, a facelift may lead to inevitable scarring. During the procedure, your surgeon will create the incisions at hidden sites in your face. In this way, scars will be unnoticeable once your surgical wounds have healed. If your skin is prone to scarring, discuss it with your surgeon during your consultation.
Facial swelling and bruising usually resolve after 2 weeks. However, you may need to wait 2 to 3 months to see the final results of your surgery. During this time, the texture, sensation, and elasticity of your facial skin are back to normal.
A facelift is not a perfect procedure and has the following disadvantages:
- It will not slow down the effects of aging which requires you to have a secondary procedure in the future.
- The procedure cannot correct extreme degree of facial skin sagging.
- The procedure cannot correct sagging eyebrows, deep frown lines, eyelid creases, and wrinkles around your mouth.
- The risks and complications increase when you combine it with other cosmetic surgeries like a neck lift or brow lift.
- The surgery can take 3 to 5 hours to complete.
- There is downtime associated with the procedure.
- You need at least 2 weeks before returning to work and daily activities.
- You cannot have the procedure if you have very thin or dry skin.
To ensure a successful facelift surgery, your surgeon will ask about the following:
- Your mental health: This includes any history of depression, anxiety, or mental disorders.
- Your past reactions to medications: This determines if you have any allergy.
- Your physical health: This includes your past medical history, lifestyle, and immunizations.
By assessing this information, your surgeon will be able to create a detailed medical plan. This ensures that your surgery will go as smoothly as possible.