What Is A Face Lift (Rhytidectomy)?
A facelift procedure aims to rejuvenate the appearance of the facial area and restore a more youthful and rejuvenated facial appearance. The procedure involves tightening both the covering skin and the underlying muscle, called the platysma, and removing surplus skin from around the ears. We commonly combine this lifting with the volumizing treatments such as fat grafting to the chin, jawline, lips, cheeks and temples.
As we age, our faces show the most obvious signs of ageing.
We are most aware of ageing around the eye, the ears, nose and mouth. The facial skin loses elasticity and starts to droop, whilst the soft tissues (fat and muscle) hollow and the bone itself begins to resorb. The face loses it original youthful appearance, the earlobes and nose tip lengthen, and the lips become thin.
A facelift procedure typically takes place under general anaesthetic and takes between 1-3 hours. More complicated and extensive procedures can occasionally take longer.
Incisions are made behind and in front of the ears in order to minimize and hide scarring. In some cases, the incisions extend onto the scalp.
From there the surgeon will reach into the deeper layers of the face in order to reposition and lift the skin and soft tissues of the face, and restore the underlying facial muscles into a rejuvenated position. These muscles can also be tightened, and liposuction to the neck may also be performed to enhance the effect of the facelift.
We also offer both a mini – facelift and a micro -facelift as less invasive alternatives, and these should be discussed with your surgeon.