Facelift (Rhytidectomy)

The Facelift operation is used to tighten sagging jowls. This is the only surgery which will do that, and it does so by lifting up the skin of the face, tightening the fat and fascia which is on top of the facial muscles, and then redraping the skin over the tightened tissue.

While a facelift does a good job of tightening the face, the skill in doing the operation lies in having a result that still allows you to look “normal” and not stretched or odd. And while the result may be just what you want, you always have to consider the scars and the hair changes involved.

Much of my consultation with you will be about whether the benefit of a facelift for you is worth the scars and hair changes which are inevitable. Many times they are, but I want you to be fully aware of what is involved.

A facelift is a big commitment , not only in the actual operation and costs, but also for the time involved for healing. Always allow a month to recover fully, even though you may look fine in just two weeks. It is a big operation, and you cannot hurry healing.

Probably more important than the actual facelift, is the appearance of the adjacent areas such as your eyelids and neck. It is my belief that surgeries to those parts can make a bigger difference in how you look than the tightening of a facelift. Usually several of these connected operations are done at the same time as a facelift, and often, are done beforehand.

As we grow older the effects of gravity become evident by our sagging facial skin and neck muscles. The operations to tighten up these areas and to regain a smoother contour, with redefinition of our facial features, are grouped together as the facelift operation or procedure. Actually, there are as many operations as there are areas of the face; one person may be more concerned about her neck folds, another her jowls, while someone else wants a brow lift as well.

Commonly these operations are done together and in any combination as you may require. Some patients are more interested in tightening their loose hanging neck fold and getting back to work in as short a time as possible, while others will want all operations done at the same time. The choice is yours.