Face lifting
Like the rest of the body, the oval of the face gradually subsides over time. Fortunately, nowadays, Aesthetic Surgery and Anti-Ageing Medicine offer many solutions to restore the shape of our initial face. Your Aesthetic Surgeon will offer you a facial lift, the ultimate facial rejuvenation procedure!
Presentation
There are several types of facelifts to improve the discomfort caused by aging of the face and neck, either locally or more extensively: facial lifting, neck lift, brow lift, temporal lift, eyebrow tail lift. In this article we will discuss mini-lifting and cervico-facial lifting. We will come back to the other types of facelifts in another post very soon.
Mini-lifting and cervico-facial lifting both correct ageing in the neck and lower face. The difference between the two residing in the addition or not of corrective procedures on the eyelids, cheekbones, lips or any other part of the face requiring it. Unlike the first facelifts made in the 1960s/70s, which gave a "frozen" appearance to the face, the techniques have evolved towards softer techniques. The objective is to keep the face looking natural with a revitalizing and refreshing effect. Indeed, it is important that the patient and his or her family and friends can "recognize" themselves after the operation.
These lifts can be performed at any age but generally from the age of 50. This procedure can be supplemented by injections of botulinum toxin.
Objectives of the project
The purpose of the procedure is to treat the sagging and sagging of the skin and facial muscles (cheeks, jowls, oval of the face) and neck. The purpose of this procedure is not to change the shape and appearance of the face but, on the contrary, to allow the simple restoration of the different anatomical structures of the face and neck (skin, muscle, fat), allowing the patient to regain the appearance that was his a few years earlier.
Principle
Your surgeon will put the structures back in tension, in order to correct their relaxation. The skin is then "redraped" on the new curves, without excessive traction. This double action makes it possible to obtain a natural result (because the skin is not too tight), durable (because the muscular plane is solid) and generally quite simple after-effects (the skin "marks" less because it is not very traumatized, due to the limited tension and detachment). If the patient has a fat overload, (often on the neck: "double chin"), it can be treated by liposuction.
On the other hand, if the face is ossified (when the face is hollowed out we speak of ossification), this aspect can be corrected at the same time by reinjection of autologous fat (fat belonging to the patient) by the lipostructure technique.
Thus the face and neck are in a way "rebuilt", "restructured". The skin incisions are hidden mainly in the hair (at the neck, sometimes at the temples) and around the ear, so the scar is almost entirely hidden.
The intervention
The operation is performed under general anaesthesia and therefore requires a preoperative check-up, in accordance with the prescriptions. The anaesthetist will be seen in consultation at the latest 48 hours before the operation. No medication containing aspirin should be taken within 10 days of the procedure. Hair will be washed the day before the operation and make-up removed on the day of the operation. It is essential to remain fasting (do not eat or drink anything) 6 hours before the operation.
The after-effects of the operation
During the first few days, the patient should rest and avoid any violent effort. Facelift is a painless procedure. In most cases, simple analgesics are sufficient. During the first few days, the operated person should neither be surprised nor worried:
- edema (swelling) that may be more pronounced on the second day than on the first,
- bruises (bruises) in the neck and chin area,
- a feeling of painful tension, especially behind the ears, and around the neck.
These bruises and oedemas disappear on average within 2 weeks after the operation.
After the first month, the swelling has generally disappeared completely but there is still a slight induration of the detached areas, more palpable than visible. The ears do not regain their normal sensitivity until one or two months later.
The final result
The final result will be visible two to three months after the operation. The scars will still be slightly pinkish and indurated for about 6 months. Thanks to the progress made and a great deal of technical precision, we usually obtain an appreciable rejuvenating effect, which remains very natural: the face does not have a "surgical" appearance and has recovered approximately the features that were its own eight or twelve years ago, which gives an overall rested, relaxed and refreshed appearance.
This physical improvement is generally accompanied by psychological well-being. In the long term, cervico-facial lifting helps to combat the effects of time and has a lasting result. However, as the years pass and continue to take effect, it can be renewed about ten or fifteen years later.
Making the right choice
If you are considering a facelift surgery, it is important to choose a safe and competent plastic surgeon and facility. Many clinics offer such interventions at attractive prices, but these are often at the expense of fundamental factors such as the quality of the intervention and post-operative complications: the competence of the workers, asepsis, which must be rigorous and strict. The use of a qualified plastic surgeon is absolutely essential for the control of the surgical procedure, in order to obtain the expected result and avoid complications.
Never forget that your face is your first impression!