How does a facelift work?

As we age our skin loses its elasticity, and the underlying tissues lose their volume, as well as bone losing its structure. A facelift works by repositioning the soft tissues and skin to its former level and plumping out the soft tissues to give the refreshed look of natural youth.

A facelift is regularly done as a Day Case procedure, under local or TIVA, our gentler version of general anaesthesia. The procedure may take several hours, but you, the patient, will be able to go home to rest on the day of the surgery.

For a full standard facelift, the surgeon creates an incision in the front of the ear, up towards the hairline and behind the ear into the scalp. He or she will then lift the skin up off the face, gently pulling it into an upwards direction and removing any excess skin.

Depending on your individual case, the surgeon is likely to also tighten the SMAS, the deeper tissues on the face, or perform a neck lift to tighten the skin around the chin and jowls. Once the procedure is completed, the incision will be closed with staples or sutures, and dressings will be applied.

These days we generally use fat grafting in association with non-surgical procedures to help fill in concaves in the face that occur with age. There are numerous types of facelifts, depending on the results you’re looking for, and the condition of your skin, your surgeon will decide what is best for you and make recommendations. 

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