How Does a Facelift Work?

Since every face has its own unique contour and shape, a facelift will be slightly different for each patient. Before your procedure, your doctor will evaluate your skin consistency and explain the surgery to you. Those who are smokers will be asked to stop at least a week or two before the surgery date and to stay away from cigarettes for about two weeks after the surgery as well. The reason your surgeon will ask you to do this is because smoking inhibits blood flow to your skin and it can interfere with the healing process. Often, you will also be told to avoid aspirin and other medications that may increase your bleeding.

A facelift could be performed either in your plastic surgeon’s office or in a hospital. Often, patients are given local anesthesia which is combined with a sedative, this is so that the patient is awake but unable to feel the procedure. There are also some doctors who use general anesthesia which outs the patient completely to sleep.

With the traditional facelift procedure, your surgeon will make an incision that usually begins around your hairline from the temple and will curve around your earlobe, ending at the bottom of your hairline. Often, the surgeon will also make a smaller incision under your chin in order to tighten the skin of the neck.

The surgeon will first separate the skin from the muscle and fat underneath. They may even trim or suction out some excess fat to give your face a sleeker look. Underneath your skin is a layer of tissue called the “superficial musciloaponeurotic system” (SMAS). The surgeon will tighten this layer by folding it and pulling it back over itself. Tightening the SMAS layer will give you a cheek lift, give your jawline more definition and make your neck firmer.

Lastly, the surgeon will pull the skin back up over the area and remove any excess skin with a laser or a knife, similar to the way you would normally pull a carpet to tighten it over the floor, and then they will trim off the excess.

Your incision will be closed with sutures stitches or tissue glue. The stitches are usually placed within your hairline so that your hair will hide the scar.

This procedure could take between two to four hours, depending on your surgeon and the extent of the tissue and muscle work.

To enquire about a facelift that will have you looking naturally beautiful and younger, visit the Fourways Aesthetics Centre website on www.fourwaysaestheticcentre.co.za.

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