A facelift is a surgical procedure to repair sagging, drooping, and wrinkled skin of the face and neck.
Description
A facelift can be done alone or with nose reshaping, a forehead lift, or eyelid surgery.
While you are sleepy (sedated) and pain-free (local anesthesia), or deep asleep and pain-free (general anesthesia), the plastic surgeon will make surgical cuts above the hairline at the temples, behind the earlobe, and to the lower scalp. Often, this is one cut.
Many different techniques exist. The outcomes for each one are similar.
During a facelift, the surgeon may:
Remove and “lift” some of the fat tissue underneath the skin (called the SMAS layer; this is the main lifting part of the facelift)
Remove or move loose skin
Tighten muscles
Perform liposuction of the neck and jowls
Use stitches (sutures) to close the cuts
Why the Procedure is Performed
Sagging or wrinkled skin occurs naturally as you get older. Folds and fat deposits appear around the neck. Deep creases form between the nose and mouth. The jawline grows “jowly” and slack. Genes, poor diet, smoking, or obesity can make skin problems start sooner or get worse faster.
A facelift can help repair some of the visible signs of aging. Fixing damage to skin, fat, and muscles can restore a “younger” look.
People have a facelift because they are not satisfied with the signs of aging on their face, but they are in otherwise good health.