Facelift Surgery - Knowing What is Actually Lifted

The plastic surgery treatment of the aging face often involves a facelifting surgery. A facelift is one of the top ten cosmetic procedures performed in the United States. Despite its frequent performance and its recognition by the public, it is a procedure that is usually misunderstood.

The most common misconception of a facelift is that it does very little for much of the face. It is a procedure that has its impact on the neck and jowl areas. The rest of the face is untouched by the operation. While other procedures are often done with it, such as eyes and brows, these procedures are not part of the a traditional facelift operation. A facelift should more properly be called a necklift or a neck-jowl lift.

The layer underneath the skin that patients misinterpret as muscle being moved is actually a different tissue altogether. Between the skin and the muscles is a layer of tissue known as the SMAS. This is an acronym for a more anatomic name but for simplicity of understanding think of the SMAS as another layer of skin underneath. This layer can be raised up off the muscles and re-suspended up higher on the face. The combination of SMAS and skin tightening together generally makes for a better facelift result that may last somewhat longer.

Technically known as Rhytidectomy, a facelift is a surgical procedure to improve visible signs of aging in the face and neck such as sagging in the midface, deep creases below the lower eyelids, deep creases between the nose and mouth, fat that has fallen or is displaced, loss of muscle tone in the lower face that may create jowls, loose skin and excess fatty deposits under the chin and jaw. These visible signs of aging can be corrected by a facelift. It restores a more youthful and rested appearance with uplifted contours and improved tone in facial skin and underlying muscle.

As with any oher cosmetic surgical procedure, there are also risks involved. Unfavorable scarring, bleeding (hematoma), infection, poor wound healing, anesthesia risks, correctable hair loss at the incisions, facial nerve injury with weakness, facial asymmetry, skin loss, numbness or other changes in skin sensation, fat necrosis, fluid accumulation, skin contour irregularities, and skin discoloration are the possible complications of facelift surgery.

The procedure is done under general or local anesthesia. A traditional facelift incision often begins in the hairline at the temples, continues around the ear and ends in the lower scalp. This allows access to tighten underlying tissue, remove excess fat and reduce sagging skin.

As opposed to conventional facelifts, which can result into undesirable scars and a plastic look, the weekend facelift leads to a natural, rejuvenated appearance without any visible scars or the look of major surgery. This means the procedure can be kept totally private if desired and the weekend facelift is usually performed on an outpatient basis, with the surgery lasting one hour or less.

Also, one of the best features of this procedure is that it will allow you to return to work the same day you receive treatment. The main goal of a facelift procedure is to give you a fresher and younger look, preserving her/his natural characteristics, unless the patient has some reasons to change the natural look too.