Q&As Face Lift

1. What are the benefits of a facelift?

 We live in an era of instant gratification and facelifts are something that go arm in arm with this trend quite well. The weightage given to good looks these days is immense irrespective of age and gender. The primary benefit of a face-lift is no doubt the increased satisfaction with your appearance and a more youthful and attractive countenance. Sagging skin, wrinkles, deep creases, and loose skin can all be improved with a facelift. This procedure tightens and removes excess facial skin for a more youthful and rejuvenated appearance. Another benefit has got to do with other peoples perception of you. An attractive person is automatically perceived as being successful and healthy as well. Facelifts can help you feel good about the way you look, live and feel. You don’t need to feel any stress about age creeping up on you and as a result decreasing any stress can only increase your life quality exponentially.

2. What is the recovery period for a facelift?

Recovering from a cosmetic procedure like facelift is far quicker and more comfortable than ever before especially with the modern advancements in cosmetic medicine and the skills of an expert surgeon. As every facelift procedure is different, every patient’s recovery will also be different. And again recovery time also varies depending on your age, health, skin quality, genetics, and complexity of the procedure. Most patients experience some discomfort, but medication can relieve tenderness. Bruising and swelling will be at their worst after 2 days, and they can persist for a few days. A traditional face and neck lift addresses a larger area and a greater degree of skin laxity than other procedures and so recovery can take longer than minimally invasive procedures. But mini facelifts can have you up and running and back to work within a week. Once the bruising and swelling that is common with facelifts reduces, most patients are comfortable about going back out in public. Recovery normally takes around 2 to 3 weeks, and vigorous activity can resume after 4 weeks

3. Is there a non-surgical facelift?

 Men and Women everywhere are constantly being reminded about ways to face the inevitable – aging. From foods, to magic creams to supplements, everything these days boast about their anti-aging benefits. And again who doesn’t want to look young? When it comes to getting a facelift there are numerous other alternatives that doesn’t involve going under the knife. Injections or dermal fillers, or Ultherapy that uses ultrasound technology, Micro-Current Toning, Cryolift or Thermage which is a radio-frequency cosmetic procedure that helps to smooth and improve skin by tightening existing collagen and stimulating the production of new collagen, Light-emitting diode (LED) therapy is a pain-free procedure that uses a variety of different colored lights to target various parts of the face. The Laser skin resurfacing works to give you clearer, younger-looking facial skin by removing skin, layer by layer, with precision. Threadlifts also known as lunchtime facelift are performed in under 2 hours even!

4. Is a facelift permanent?

While facelift surgery may rejuvenate one’s facial appearance, natural aging is something that is inevitable. There is a common misconception that facelift is permanent and will last a lifetime. But there are some factors though that will stand in the way of not prolonging whatever you have achieved from a facelift surgery. Smoking causes deeper facial wrinkles, particularly “smokers’ lines” around the lips and this expedites facial aging. Sometimes genetics can affect the progression of facial aging. Excessive Sun exposure may lead to more prominent wrinkles, pigmentation changes, as well as decreased skin elasticity. Weight fluctuations and stress are other factors that has been associated with premature facial aging. But patients can still look younger at a given age following a facelift. When you add healthy lifestyle choices to the equation, you may delay the progression of facial aging as this is beneficial both for one’s appearance as well as overall health. 

5. What are top things to consider before a facelift?

 The top most thing to consider will be how ideal a candidate you are for a facelift surgery. This type of cosmetic surgery is typically done in patients between the ages of 40 and 70 years old and only if they are in relatively good health. Health conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure must be managed and under control before going for the surgery. The next factor will be your reasons for deciding to go ahead with a facelift surgery, whether it is for yourself or because of friends or for a partner. It is crucial that you do your research to find out all possible outcomes of the procedure so as not to be disappointed in the end after such an expensive procedure. The next step is going with the right surgeon that you are comfortable discussing your goals with. A good medical history will also go a long way for having positive outcomes following a facelift surgery.

6. Is a facelift painful?

 During the surgery the traditional method is to make an incision in the hairline near the temples ,in front of the ears and in extended facelift behind the ears and after the procedure you will have a surgical drainage tube as well as bandages wrapping your face.The facelift procedure actually gives minimal pain or discomfort to patients postoperatively. And again pain is a subjective thing and this threshold can vary form patient to patient. Your surgeon will have given you numbing medications during the operation prior to beginning the surgery so you are not likely to experience any pain. For the first few days, it is important that you sleep with your head elevated which will help shorten the duration and severity of postoperative swelling. Your surgeon will prescribe you mild pain medications.

7. Does facelift remove wrinkles?

 As you get older, the appearance and shape of your face is altered because of normal age-related changes. A facelift, also known as rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure that works to achieve a more youthful look for the patient and yes it does help to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. The surgery can refresh your look and make the wrinkles seem less pronounced on the skin but wrinkles cannot be removed entirely. A facelift surgery can necessarily help with age related changes like the sagging appearance of your cheeks, with the excess skin at your lower jawline (jowls) or with the deepening of the fold of skin from the side of your nose to the corner of your mouth or even the sagging skin and excess fat in the neck if the procedure includes a neck lift. Unfortunately, a facelift is not effective at treating those all too common lines around the mouth (smoker’s lines) and it is not a treatment for superficial wrinkles, sun damage, creases around the nose and upper lip, or irregularities in skin color.

8. What can you eat after a facelift surgery?

After the facelift surgery, the post-operative diet should be rich in fiber, healthy fats, protein, and vitamins and minerals to expedite healing. The fiber will also help with the feeling of fatigue and in avoiding constipation. Protein, found in eggs, fish, and chicken will help repair tissue, muscles, and the skin.Vegetable soups are the best bet for the first day after facial plastic surgery, especially for an upset tummy and a low appetite. Avoiding highly processed foods, high-fat fried foods, sugary treats, drinks, as well as a diet high in salt.soft diet is preferable for a few days post surgery.

9. What are the steps to take care of your face and skin after a facelift?

Self-care at home during the first three weeks will help your recovery and minimize the risk of complications. Always follow wound care instructions as directed by your surgeon and ensure not to pick at crusting scabs that develop on your wound. You have clear from your doctor on the type of soap and shampoo you can use after the facelift surgery. Makeup of any sort should be avoided. Coloring, bleaching or perming hair should also be avoided for at least six weeks. Following the facelift surgery wear clothes that are fastened in the front rather than clothes that are pulled over the head.To ensure optimal healing, you should apply sunscreen to their scars daily. Topical vitamin E and scar gels may provide additional relief, but nothing replaces sunscreen. But the best advice will be to avoid direct sun exposure to the incision for atleast 3 weeks.

10. Are there any sleep tips after a facelift?

A facelift surgery is a valuable investment of your time and money, so you’ll want to keep its benefits for a long time to come and that is the reason why something as simple as sleeping matters.The way you sleep at night can either age you, or help keep you looking young. Certain sleep positions can actually create deep wrinkles and creases from consistent long nights of sleeping. After a facelift, it makes sense to sleep on your back. However, you must also sleep with your head elevated for 2 to 4 weeks following the surgery. This position prevents facial strain, swelling, and general discomfort. Prop your head up with a stack of pillows and place extra pillows at the sides of your face. And while side and stomach sleeping positions may be the most comfortable ways to catch your snoozes they’re not going to help safeguard your youthful, post-facelift appearance. Back sleeping with the face free of pressure is the best facelift-preserving sleep position.