Operation duration: 2–3 hours
Insensitive: General
Post-operative care: One night in the clinic
Repeat operation: Performed one or more times, as needed and desired
Results remain: 5–10 years old
Tuning: Often, upper and lower eyelid corrections, neck lifts, mid-facelifts, and facial fat grafting are performed together.
As we age, the face changes: subcutaneous fat disappears, the skin changes, excess skin forms, and tissues droop. The face shape changes from „V“ to rectangular, the jawline becomes less defined, the skin under the chin sags, and the edges of the subcutaneous muscles become visible. All these listed signs are the main factors that cause us to gradually look less youthful than before. To correct these age-related changes, facial plastic surgery is performed – a facelift (rhytidectomy, facelift). Although it is one of the most complex aesthetic surgeries, it is also one of the most effective. During a so-called „facelift,“ excess skin is removed, drooping tissues are lifted, and the subcutaneous fat layer is reshaped.
A facelift will not turn you back into your youth and you will not look sixteen again, but you will look much younger and more beautiful. The goal of this surgery is for the patient to look young for their age, and the result of youthfulness will be achieved with a natural and aesthetic appearance.
A facelift is performed under general anesthesia, though local anesthesia with sedation is sometimes used. The surgery lasts 3-5 hours. Incisions are made around the ears and in the hairline to minimize visibility. Sometimes, if the neck area needs to be addressed (ligating hanging muscles, removing excess fat), additional incisions are made in the neck, in a natural crease. During the surgery, flaps of skin and subcutaneous tissue are lifted. The fascia is elevated, the superficial neck muscle is tightened, fat is suctioned, and excess skin and subcutaneous tissue are removed. The incisions are sutured, drains are left in the subcutaneous tissue, and the face is specially bandaged.
After the surgery, the patient stays at the clinic for one day under the supervision of medical staff. Drains are usually removed the next day. After the surgery, a special facial brace must be worn to support the facial tissues. The most pronounced swelling occurs in the first few days, and it begins to subside from the fourth day. Bruising may occur and can last for 10–14 days. If there is no bruising, patients can appear in public places after 7–10 days. Patients fully return to their normal lives after 3–4 weeks, although the final result forms after 4–6 months, and a repeat surgery is recommended after 8–10 years.
The classic facelift (rhytidectomy) is one of the oldest and most effective aesthetic cosmetic surgeries. It has been performed for over 100 years, and its results are very good, satisfying even the most demanding patients. A classic rhytidectomy is designed to correct the lower third of the face and the chin area. Age-related changes in these areas are very pronounced, and their correction is highly effective because the sagging tissues are lifted back to their original position.
It has been established that sagging superficial facial subcutaneous tissues (fascia with fat, platysma muscle) change the shape of the face: the cheeks become sunken, the skin folds over the nasolabial folds, the distinct jawline disappears, skin folds appear under the chin due to excess skin and muscle sagging, and the aesthetically pleasing chin-neck angle is lost. During facial plastic surgery, all these problems are corrected: excess skin is removed, sagging fascia is lifted, and the platysma muscle is tightened, resulting in a very good and long-lasting outcome.
A variety of alternatives to facelift surgery have been proposed, including skin tightening devices, fillers, threads, and so on, but so far no other method can compete with the effectiveness, naturalness, and longevity of a facelift surgery. It should be noted that people's lifestyles have changed, so the need for facelift surgery is postponed by these alternative methods (fillers, PRP, fat grafting, lifting threads, etc.), and it is now generally recommended to have them done from the age of 45-50. It should also be reminded that this classic facial plastic surgery is often supplemented with other surgeries or procedures that correct the middle and upper thirds of the face (lifting threads, fat grafting, brow lift, etc.). In such cases, a better, more complete facial correction result is achieved.
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