Facelift

Definition

A facelift is a surgical procedure to repair sagging, drooping, and wrinkled skin of the face and neck.

Alternative Names

Rhytidectomy; Cosmetic surgery of the face

Description

Sagging or wrinkled skin occurs naturally with increasing age. Folds and fat deposits appear around the neck, and deep creases form between the nose and mouth. The jawline grows "jowly" and slack. Heredity, poor diet, smoking, or obesity can contribute to early or severe skin problems.

A facelift can help repair some of the visible signs of aging. Fixing damage to skin, fat, and muscles can restore a "younger" look. 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 incisions above the hairline at the temples, behind the earlobe, to the lower scalp.

The surgeon removes some of the fat tissue and loose skin, then stitches (sutures) the incisions closed. The fat tissue is called the SMAS layer and is the main lifting part of the facelift.

Risks

Risks for any anesthesia are:

• Problems breathing
• Reactions to medications

• Bleeding
• Infection

• A pocket of blood under the skin (hematoma) that may need to be drained
• Damage to the nerves that control facial muscles (this is usually temporary)