Fixing Sagging Skin with a Facelift

The cosmetic surgery market has many different popular procedures that people are using to enhance their aesthetic looks. Among the list of the most performed is the facelift. If you’re interested in learning more about this procedure, you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to define what it is, how it goes, what the recovery time is, and who can benefit from this type of plastic surgery.

What Is A Facelift?

A facelift is a type of cosmetic surgery that is aimed at enhancing the visible signs of aging on the face and neck. It’s formally referred to as a rhytidectomy procedure.

Dr. Stephan Baker, a surgeon specializing in facelift surgery in Miami, says that this procedure can be utilized to fix the following aging problems:

● Sagging Skin
● Wrinkles
● Deep Fold Lines Between The Nose And Mouth
● Jowls
● Excess Fat And Skin At The Neck

While aging is the most common reason that these facial and neck issues develop, they’re not the only culprits. Other causes of these skin imperfections include thinning of the skin, facial fat reduction, gravity, smoking, heredity, stress, and sun damage. Whatever the cause of your skin problems, a facelift can be a great remedy for them.

What Is The Procedure Like?

Before you agree to undergo facelift surgery, it’s very important that you understand what is fully involved in the procedure. This can help to eliminate potential nerves about undergoing the surgery and will ensure you and your surgeon are on the same page. Let’s take a quick look at the surgical process below.

Anesthesia: You’ll be given medications that will help to put you under for the surgery. These are done either with general anesthesia or intravenous sedation. Your doctor will recommend the best course of action to meet your individual needs.

Incisions: Once you’re sedated, your surgeon will make incisions. Depending on the specific type of facelift that you opt to have performed on your body, the incisions are going to vary. There are three main types of surgeries including the traditional facelift, the limited incision facelift, and the neck lift.

During traditional facelift surgery, your surgeon will place incisions at the hairline of the temple region. These will continue down towards the ear and end up at the lower scalp region. If you’re undergoing a neck lift as well, there will be a second incision under the chin.

If you opt for the limited incision facelift to address sagging jowls or loose neck skin, then the incision is going to be much smaller. It will start at the front of the ear lobe and wrap around behind your ear. The end of the incision will be at the posterior hair behind your ear.

Closing The Incisions: Once your surgeon has altered the facial and neck regions, they’ll close up their incisions. These can be closed with dissolvable sutures, regular sutures, or even skin glues. What is used will highly depend on the recommendation and preferences of your specific cosmetic surgeon.

Cosmetic Additions To Consider

When you speak with your skilled physician about undergoing facelift surgery, they may suggest having additional cosmetic surgeries performed at the time. Some common additional procedures that surgeons will recommend are eyelid surgery, brow lift, fat and fat transfer. They may also recommend non-invasive cosmetic treatments such as peels, laser correction, and dermabrasion to enhance the appearance and texture of your skin.

What Does The Recovery Look Like?

Once the surgical part of your procedure is complete, your surgeon will likely wrap a bandage around your face. This is to assist in minimizing bruising and swelling of the facial and neck tissues. They may also utilize small tubes that will help to drain excess blood and fluid from the face.

Before you underwent the surgery, your chosen surgeon should have given you post-surgery instructions. This way, you know how to care for yourself in the days after the procedure is complete. It’s very important that you follow the instructions on bandage care, medications, and so forth so that your results turn out as expected.

Who Makes An Ideal Facelift Candidate?

Facelifts are not recommended for everyone. The ideal candidates for this highly individualized procedure are healthy individuals who are looking to enhance the visible signs of aging on their skin. Those who undergo this surgery should be nonsmokers who have a realistic idea of what the outlook of the surgery will be. If you’re not sure whether or not you make a good candidate for this plastic surgery, be sure to consult with a local surgeon to get the right answer.

How Much Do Facelifts Cost?

According to the American Society Of Plastic Surgeons, the average cost of a facelift is just over $7,600. It’s important to realize that this figure will vary and doesn’t include additional services

involved such as operating room facilities, anesthesia, and other similar needs. It’s best to consult your local surgeon to get the actual price for facelift surgery.

Facelift costs can vary greatly depending on several factors. Some of the most varying ones are the surgeon’s fee, your geographical location, and medical testing fees. You should always ensure that you get a full breakdown of the price when speaking with a physician so you know what you’ll need to pay. Since a facelift surgery is considered elective, most insurance companies will not cover the fee for it.

What Are The Risks Of Having A Facelift?

Just as with any type of plastic surgery, there are always going to be minimal risks involved. You need to weigh the pros and cons of undergoing this type of surgery before deciding to do so. Some rare side effects of this surgery include bleeding, infection, poor healing, facial nerve injury, and temporary hair loss at the incision sites. Again, you should be discussing these risks with your surgeon so that you fully understand what you’re getting into with having this type of surgery performed on your body.

Thanks to Lee Lija