Plastic Surgery

The main reason people get face lifts is aging skin.  You may feel young and full of energy but your face might look old and tired.  A face lift cannot keep you from the aging process but you will look fresher and more youthful.  People over the age of forty are typical candidates for face lifts.  A model patient will have good physical and emotional health.  You also want to have realistic expectations before you attempt to have any plastic surgery.  

A traditional face lift elevates and redrapes the facial skin and muscles.  The surgeon will make sure you have enough elasticity before he does face lift surgery.  A scalpel is used to make incisions near the ear which allows the skin and underlying tissue to be pulled tight and reconstructed for firm and younger looking skin.  The amount of improvement depends upon the severity of wrinkles and sagging.  

  After the surgery you probably have pain along with swelling, bruising and drains that remove accumulated blood.  It could take weeks before you look and feel well enough to go about your usual routine.  This is an inconvenience for people with busy lifestyles.  A good option is to get a tissue clue face lift.  Your doctor will use a sealant to close the incision lines instead of sutures.  This way there is no discomfort with drains, bruises and bandages.  The tissue clue or sealant closes off the broken capillaries and seals the incision within several minutes as the surgeon holds things in place.  It has been said that the scars are lighter and recovery time is much quicker.   

Another type of face lift is called the short scar face-lift.  This is appropriate for people who show the most aging in their mid-face.  You shouldn't have a lot of sagging skin around your jaw line or neck though you should have some looseness.  Short scar face-lift will give you the same outcome as the traditional operation but has limited incisions.  Everything is performed the same way under the skin but the incision is half the length of the traditional lift.  There is no scarring in the hairline behind the ear.  This is perfect for people that wear their hair pulled back in a ponytail or bun.  Since this type of face life is less invasive, there is less pain.  The healing time is also shorter.  

Discussing all aspects of the surgery beforehand with your surgeon is very important.  Since there is always a risk of complications from surgery you need to follow his advice.  One thing he will probably suggest is to stop smoking at least two weeks before your face lift.  Smoking will interfere with the healing process because it constrains blood flow to the skin.  

Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any medical problems such as high blood pressure or a tendency to develop blood clots.  You don't want any extra problems during or after the operation.  The short scar-face lift is usually done under local anesthesia.  Traditional face lifts are often performed with a combination of local anesthesia and a sedative.  In some cases surgeons would rather have you completely asleep with general anesthesia.  

  A face lift should be done only by a board certified plastic surgeon.