A facelift, or rhytidectomy, is a procedure in cosmetic surgery that aims to give a more youthful appearance to the face.
It reshapes the lower half of the face by removing excess facial skin.
Rhytidectomy can tighten loose, hanging skin around the jaw line, also known as “jowls.” It can also remove deep creases around the mouth and nose, and excess, hanging skin and fat under the chin and in the neck.
The procedure can also tighten the underlying tissues, and it may be combined with surgery to enhance the forehead, cheeks, brows, and eyelids.
If you’re thinking of going ahead, be absolutely sure about your reasons for wanting a facelift and do not rush into it. The procedure can be expensive, the results cannot be guaranteed, and there are risks.
The best candidates for a Face Lift procedure:
- Wish to improve one or more of the signs of aging indicated above
- People with good facial skin elasticity
- Wanting to improve the appearance of their face and neck
- Are healthy
- Try not to smoke
- Have sensible desires
Why Have a Facelift (Rhytidectomy)?
As we age, skin begins to lose elasticity, and facial tissues lose volume. Eventually, this results in “jowls” on the lower face, deep wrinkles, and loose skin on the neck. While this is a natural part of growing older, patients who are bothered by these signs of aging may find a facelift to be a good solution. If any of the following describe you, a facelift is an option to consider:
- You feel self-conscious about the way your face & neck look due to sagging skin
- You wear turtlenecks and scarves not because you want to, but because you want to hide your aging neck
- When you see your reflection, you feel that your face makes you look much older than you feel
- You feel that an aging appearance is negatively affecting your career or personal relationships
- Following a facelift, patients frequently experience an upsurge in self-confidence, as their appearance better portrays their healthy, energetic vibe.
How does a Facelift (Rhytidectomy) Work?
During a facelift(rhytidectomy), your surgeon repositions fat and tissue under the skin to:
- help smooth out creases
- remove excess skin that’s causing sagging or “jowls”
- lift and tighten the facial skin
Types of Facelifts
Mini Facelif
Patients who show a gentle level of jowling and saggin skin are regularly great candidates fora mini-facelift. This is a less obtrusive method that enables a corrective specialist to fix profound facial tissues through shorter incisions, typically located along the hairline above each ear and/or in the natural creases surrounding the ear. Through these entry points, basic tissues around the cheeks are lifted and fixed to address jowling, refine the facial structure, and restore a “drained” appearance.
It depends on case, a little facelift might be performed local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia; your cosmetic specialist will prescribe the best choice for your individual needs.A mini-facelift (rhytidectomy) can enable you to address unwelcome signs of aging before they become too pronounced, postponing the need for more extensive surgery for many years.
Standard Facelift
A standard or “conventional” Facelift will more completely address moderate to cutting edge maturing around the mid-face and neck. While the medical procedure is more extensive than those for a mini-facelift, and in this manner more recovery time is required as well as the outcomes are progressively dramatic. Through entry points found simply behind the hairline, starting close to the temples, and around the front of the ear, covered up in the natural folds, a cosmetic specialist can reposition the deeper tissues beneath the skin and remove excess skin to smooth creases, eliminate jowling and sagging skin under the chin, and restore a naturally younger contour to the face and neck.
Nonsurgical facelift
A nonsurgical facelift procedure doesn’t require general anesthesia or large incisions, but it still targets signs of aging, including sagging skin, creases, and wrinkles. Vampire facelifts, liquid facelifts and thread lifts are examples of nonsurgical procedures that target skin on the face.
What Happens During Facelift (Rhytidectomy) Surgery?
There are many steps involved in facelift surgery. Here’s an explanation of the steps.
Anesthesia
Your surgeon will perform the surgery while you’re under general anesthesia (you’ll go to sleep) or through IV sedation. Your surgeon will recommend the best option for you and your type of surgery.
The incision
Depending on the type of facelift (rhytidectomy) you get, your surgeon could make incisions on these place during surgery:
- In your hairline at your temples.
- Around your ears.
- At your lower scalp.
- Under your chin.
- In your mouth.
The size of the incisions will also vary based on the type of facelift (rhytidectomy) you’re getting. Your surgeon will discuss all of this with you before the surgery.
The procedure
Facelifts (rhytidectomy) generally involve repositioning and/or removing facial skin and/or fat and tightening facial muscles. Depending on the type of facelift you’re getting, your surgeon may just do one of these actions or all of them. You and your surgeon will discuss the process in detail before your surgery.
Closing the incisions
After the procedure, your surgeon will close the incision(s) with one of the following options:
- Dissolvable stitches.
- Stitches that will need to be removed after a few days.
- Skin glue.
