Step 1 – Anaesthesia
Medication is administered for your comfort during the surgical procedure. The choices include intravenous sedation and general anaesthesia. Your surgeon will recommend the best choice for you.
A variety of other procedures can further enhance the outcome. They include:
- Facial implants
- Soft tissue augmentation to re-contour the facial structure
- Resurfacing techniques to improve the tone and texture of facial skin
- Wrinkle reduction by injection
Step 2 – The incision
Depending on the degree of change you would like to see, your choices are as follows:
a.) Traditional Option
A traditional surgery incision often begins in the hairline at the temples, continues around the ear and ends in the lower scalp. Fat may be sculpted or redistributed from the face, jowls and neck, and underlying tissue is repositioned. Commonly the deeper layers of the face and the muscles are also lifted. Skin is redraped over the uplifted contours and excess skin is trimmed away. A second incision under the chin may be necessary to further improve an aging neck. Sutures or skin adhesives close the incisions.
b.) Limited Incision Face lift / Upper Face lift
An alternative to the traditional surgery which uses shorter incisions at the temples, continuing around the ear and possibly within the lower eyelids or under the upper lip.
c.) Necklift
A procedure now only performed as part of a full face lift. In the past the lift of the neck was a separate procedure but current medical guildlines recommend that cosmetic surgeons only do the neck lift as part of the full face. This is because the skin around the ears does not sit correctly after a neck lift in isolation and this would result in unevenness around the ear area. Now that it is done as part of the full face lift, this no longer occurs. Sagging jowls, loose neck skin and fat accumulation under the chin may be corrected with a necklift. The necklift incision often begins in front of the ear lobe and wraps around behind the ear ending in the lower scalp.
Step 3 – Closing the incisions
Once healed, the incision lines are well concealed within the hairline and in the natural contours of the face and ear.
Step 4 – See the results
The visible improvements of a face lift appear as the initial swelling and bruising subside. Your final result should not only restore a more youthful and rested appearance, but also help you to feel more confident about yourself.