Face Lift

Surgery, Scars, Risks, Cost, and Recovery

Dr. Loftus is fascinated with the term "face lift", because this term simply does not describe the procedure. One would naturally think that a "face lift" would life one's face; and because one's face extends from the jawline to the hairline, it would be natural to assume that a "face lift" would lift the entire face. However, it does not. A "face lift" will lift your neck, jawline, jowls, and (sometimes) your cheeks. It does nothing for your eyelids and forehead. Dr. Loftus asserts that this operation should be renamed as "lower face and neck lift". But, alas, we are stuck with the term "face lift". Fortunately, it is an excellent operation, even though it is poorly named! On this page, Dr. Loftus will share some insights on this procedure. A facelift will lift your sagging cheeks, smooth your jaw line, and eliminate jowling. It will also tighten the loose skin of your neck, remove excess fat from under your chin, and correct the turkey-gobbler appearance of your neck.
A facelift will NOT (here comes the bad news) eliminate your wrinkles and other skin problems. You may want to consider Skin Care, Laser Resurfacing, Chemical Peel, and Dermabrasion to complement a facelift because they address these problems. There are some people who are interested in gaining the benefits of a facelift, but unwilling to undergo surgery. For them, instead of a facelift, there are a plethura of non-surgical treatments; however, none of these result in much improvement.

Incisions and Scars from a Facelift

Most scars from a facelift are hard to see once they heal. Scars will extend from above your ear, down the front of your ear, around your ear lobe, up the back of your ear, and into your hairline behind your ear. There is another incision beneath your chin. Your scars can be camouflaged with make-up within three weeks and should fade beyond detection in one to three months.

Ask Your Plastic Surgeon About These Risks and Telltale Signs

Hematoma
Skin death
Facial weakness or paralysis
Attached earlobe (pixie ear)
Open ear canal
Visible Scars
Early Relapse

What to Expect if You Have A Facelift

Anesthesia: Sedation or general.
Location of operation: Office or hospital.
Length of surgery: 2-3 hours.
Length of stay: Outpatient
Discomfort: Mild. Anticipate 0-3 days of pain medication.
Swelling and bruising: Will be mostly gone in 2 weeks but may last longer
Numbness: Cheek numbness is expected and lasts several weeks or months.
Bandages: Removed in 1-2 days.
Make-up: May be worn in 1-2 weeks.
Presentable in public: You should be presentable within 1-2 weeks with the help of make-up.
Work: You may feel capable of returning within 5 days, but your appearance will be the limiting factor.
Exercise: May be resumed in 2-3 weeks.
Sun protection: Six months with SPF 15 or higher.
Final result: Seen 1-4 months following most facelifts.