FACELIFT
A person’s face is their calling card to the world. We all wish to present ourselves in the best possible light, but despite a good skin care regimen, characteristic changes to the face develop with age. Excess skin and wrinkling develop around the mouth, jaw, and neck. As the cheeks descend, creases along the lower portion of the eyes and sides of the mouth form. Combine these effects with gravity and environmental exposures such as sun and stress, and we can begin to look older than our age.
A popular and powerful procedure to improve these changes is a facelift, or “rhytidectomy.” A facelift allows for repositioning of tissues into a more youthful position, redefining the neck and jawline, and removing excess skin. This can dramatically reshape a patient’s midface and neck regions, creating a balanced contour.
A facelift surgery is never duplicated, rather the techniques adjusted for each patient’s unique desires. Facelifts are often combined with additional procedures, such as a brow lift, eyelid lift (blepharoplasty), or fat grafting for a total face rejuvenation. After a thorough consultation, Dr. Castillo individually tailors a surgical plan to obtain the best result for each patient.
SURGICAL TECHNIQUES
Incisions are made along the undersurface of the chin, and along both sides of the face from the temple region, down along the front of the ear, and wrapping around the ear to end on the back of the neck. The skin is carefully lifted along both sides of the face and along the entire neck.
It is the layer of tissue underneath the skin that is used to correct a patient’s sagging cheek, jawline, and neck. Using the incision underneath the chin the underlying muscles are tightened and any excess fat removed. The same layer of muscles in the face is then dissected free, and resuspended in an elevated position, addressing the cheeks and jawline. The skin is then redraped, and any excess removed.
RECOVERY
Depending on ancillary procedures performed during a facelift, recovery typically requires 1-2 weeks, with patients comfortable in public at 3 weeks. Final results will take several months as the tissues heal and incisions fade to a linear scar, camouflaged within the hairline, or in the natural creases of the face
Swelling and bruising to the face and eyes may occur, and can be treated with cool compresses in the first few days after surgery. It is also important that one maintains the head elevated while sleeping, by placing one or two extra pillows underneath their head and neck.
With any neck lift, you will feel tightness across the throat, which may be accentuated while eating. This resolves spontaneously in a similar time frame.
RISKS
We believe in being preemptive to avoid any risks associated with surgery, but occasionally the following may occur:
Bleeding/Hematoma – A small amount of bleeding is common after surgery, but if severe enough, another operation may be required to stop it. Bleeding can also form a collection, termed a hematoma, which presents as a swollen, painful, and tense fluid collection. These require drainage to prevent secondary problems.
Poor Cosmesis: This may include poor wound healing with a widened scar, irregularity of the scar contour, or partial wound separation. These may all lead to suboptimal results, and the possibility of additional surgery to correct.
Infection – Facelift surgery carries a small risk of infection, but if one occurs, it may require oral, or intravenous, antibiotics.
Nerve Injury: Patients may have transient numbness due to the swelling of surgery, and this largely resolves during the recovery period. As the dissection of a facelift is near the nerves responsible for animating the face, branches may be injured, leading to weakness of a muscle and an asymmetry.
Alopecia: When an incision is made into the hairline, some of the hair follicles may be irreversibly damaged, resulting in a small area of hair loss along the edges of the scar.
Blood Clots: A facelift can result in the development of blood clots in the legs. These clots can travel to the lungs where they can be fatal. Precautions before, and after, surgery are taken to avoid blood clots from forming.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Long Term Changes: Time, weight changes, and gravity will affect the appearance of a facelift. These changes may require future surgery to maintain a more youthful contour.
FAQS
What is the best age to have a facelift?
The answer is…it depends. Most patients begin to consider a facelift in their 40’s and 50’s, but age is just a number. An appropriate candidate is one that seeks dramatic improvement in their facial contour, shows the characteristic signs of aging, and cannot be corrected by less invasive means, such as Botox, fillers, and fat grafting.
How long will a facelift last?
Unfortunately, the results of a facelift are not permanent. The same factors that contributed to skin sagging will continue to play a role after surgery. Younger patients, with good skin quality, will be able to hold their results for a longer period of time than older patients with less skin elasticity. Conversely, the results of a facelift will likely be more dramatic in an older individual, than a younger one.
What type of anesthesia is used?
All patients are performed under general anesthesia for airway protection and patient comfort.
