What is a facelift?
A facelift involves tightening and lifting the skin of the neck and face, which tends to sag with age. Indeed, the skin is the visible part of aging, but aging also involves the muscles and fat beneath the skin. Therefore, the operation involves repositioning all the tissues. The operation may involve a specific area, two or three areas, or even the entire face.
Additionally, facelifts can be combined with lip surgery, blepharoplasty, a mesolift, a peel, etc.
The operation is performed under local anesthesia (when localized to the forehead or a small area) or general anesthesia. The procedure is also performed as an outpatient procedure (without hospitalization) or with an overnight stay. It lasts 1 to 3 hours. 15 days of rest after the operation and 3 to 6 months to see the final results. The benefits of a facelift last at least 10 years. Fortunately, it’s entirely possible to have several procedures performed in a lifetime.
Ultimately, every surgeon’s goal is to achieve a natural result, a face that isn’t rigid, rejuvenated, and free of paralysis.
At what age should a facelift be performed?
First and foremost, skin aging varies greatly depending on the individual and their genes. Furthermore, the operation is suitable for both men and women, although it is currently much more popular with women. Heredity plays a significant role in skin sagging, but there are also environmental factors: sun exposure, smoking, living environment, air pollution, etc. Therefore, it’s impossible to give an ideal age at which a facelift can be performed. Generally, people start consulting cosmetic surgeons in their 40s or 50s.
The different facelifts:
Forehead lift
This addresses sagging of the forehead and forehead wrinkles, frown lines, horizontal wrinkles, and crow’s feet. A forehead lift repositions the forehead tissue, smooths out wrinkles, and raises the eyebrows.
Temporal lift
This involves the skin on the side of the face, near the temples. This lift reduces wrinkles on the outer side of the eyelids (crow’s lines) and raises the outer side of the eyebrow.
Neck lift
This procedure targets the neck and a small portion of the lower cheeks. It is one of the most common procedures. When combined with a facial (cervicofacial) procedure, it restores the oval shape of the lower face.
Facelift
This concerns the cheekbones, cheeks, lower cheeks, and the face/neck border (jowls), the furrows between the corners of the mouth and the nostrils (bitterness lines), and the furrows between the corners of the mouth and the chin (nasolabial folds).
Liposuction
This procedure corrects a double chin.
Minifacelift
This procedure is less invasive and less traumatic. In most cases, it treats the skin that hangs below the cheeks (sagging cheekbones). It tightens the lower face in the chin area.
Facelift: A More or Less Major Surgery
Subcutaneous
This is the least major procedure; the surgeon will only lift the skin layer. It is intended for younger people who do not require too much skin shifting.
Deep Subfatty Liposuction (SACS)
The surgeon will move both the skin and the fat beneath the skin.
Submuscular Liposuction (SMAS)
The surgeon will move the muscle, fat, and skin.
Mask Lift
The surgeon will lift everything above the bone. This will lift an entire section of the face.
Scars
Scars are hidden in the various natural folds of the face (behind the ear, etc.) and in areas hidden by hair (on the scalp). They are very discreet. It is important to massage them with the cream prescribed by the surgeon to prevent them from hardening. As with any recent scar, they should be protected from the sun with a cloth (scarf, hat, etc.) or SPF 50+ sunscreen.
In addition, it is important to quit smoking before and after surgery to promote proper healing.
How much does a facelift cost?
This will depend on the target area and the clinic’s reputation. Expect a budget of $8,000 to $30,000. The procedure is considered cosmetic surgery and is not reimbursed.
What are the alternative solutions?
It is possible to have filler injections (hyaluronic acid) to fill in wrinkles, or Botox, which relaxes muscles. These injections are sometimes performed in addition to a surgical facelift.
