Aging of the face is inevitable. As we age, our skin elasticity diminishes, creating wrinkles, creases, folds, and fat deposits on the face and neck. As the years go by, the skin on the face and the neck loosens. Crow’s feet appear at the corners of the eyes. Fine forehead lines become creases and then, gradually, deeper folds. The jaw line softens into jowls, and beneath the chin, another chin or vertical folds appear at the front of the neck. Heredity, personal habits, the pull of gravity, and sun exposure contribute to the aging of the face.
Rhytidectomy and rhytidoplasty are the medical terms used to describe the operation designed to remove wrinkles and fat deposits on the face and neck, and decrease sagging that occurs on the face and neck with aging. This type of facial plastic surgery has become the 3rd most desired cosmetic surgical procedure in both men and women. This procedure is frequently performed along with a brow lift and eyelid lift surgery to achieve comprehensive facial rejuvenation and restoration of a youthful, healthy appearance. How long the improvements last will depend on your heredity, lifestyle, etc. However, you will look much better at any given age than you would have without the operation. So, in essence, the changes are permanent!
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Procedure Information
Dr. Macdonald most commonly performs facelift surgery under general anesthesia due to the extended length of surgery time (particularly if face & neck lift are combined with eyelid surgery and brow lift). However, if appropriate to the specific procedure(s) and patient circumstances, Dr. Macdonald prefers “twilight sleep” sedation because of the overall benefits of this method as further described in the section entitled Patient Care Philosophy. Local anesthesia is also used to produce numbness of the surgical area and minimize bleeding and bruising. The patient experiences no pain during the surgery and remembers very little from the time the IV is started. Facelift (combined with neck lift) surgery usually takes 4-8 hours depending on whether or not it is combined with eyelid and/or brow lift surgery.
The incisions for facelift surgery are carefully placed in natural skin creases behind the tragus of the ear and behind the hairline so that they are extremely difficult to detect. A “short-scar” technique, or “S-lift”, approach may be used if appropriate. Shaving of the hair is not required. The most important tightening takes place in the tissue under the skin rather than in the skin itself. The skin is then repositioned along the new contour lines so that an appropriate amount of excess skin can be removed thereby avoiding the obvious “wind tunnel” look sometimes seen with this type of surgery in years past. In his care taken to perform the most important tightening in the deeper layers below the skin, Dr. Macdonald is able to yield the most natural-looking result possible.
Recovery Information
Generally, there is minimal discomfort of a facelift operation. During the pre-operative visit, Dr. Macdonald prescribes antibiotics and pain medication as well as Arnica (for more rapid healing and recovery). After the operation, a light pressure dressing is frequently applied and will be removed 1-2 days following surgery. All sutures are usually removed within 7-10 days after surgery.
Recovery usually takes 2-3 weeks, though many patients return to work in 2 weeks. Scars are usually not noticeable after enough time has passed for them to mature. In any case, they are easily disguised in natural creases, by the hair, or, if necessary, by makeup until total healing occurs.
CLICK HERE to read more…about the facelift post-op recovery experience…
Please call or contact us online at any time to further discuss your facelift surgery options and questions. Or, visit our cosmetic surgery offices located in San Francisco, California (CA) in the Union Square district. Our offices are conveniently located for easy accessibility from the entire San Francisco Bay area.
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