Facelift

Facelift is a surgery which eliminates laxity of tissues in the face and loose skin in the neck and typically also facial expression muscles are tightened. The surgery is suitable for patients who have significantly dropped soft tissue in the face with deep lines and loose skin in the neck. This might give the face an expression of being old and tired or even dreary.

A facelift is typically performed under general anaesthesia but it is also possible with a combination of analgosedation (when the doctor gives painkillers and sedatives before surgery) and local anaesthesia. The procedure generally takes 3 hours depending on the type of anaesthesia and surgery. There are a number of facelift techniques and the plastic surgeon will inform you about them. In principle the incision curves around the bottom of the ear and then behind it, usually ending near the hairline on the back of the neck. After the skin incision is made, the skin is separated from the deeper tissues over the cheeks and neck (also called undermining). The skin is then redraped as determined by the surgeon's judgment and experience; the excess skin is then removed. The skin incisions are closed with sutures. The result is a younger face expression and a smoothed double chin with the minimum of or no excess skin.