A facelift is cosmetic surgery that makes your face and neck tighter and smoother to give you a more youthful and fresher appearance. Also known as rhytidoplasty, a facelift treats loose skin, lines and wrinkles, lack of muscle tone, and other signs of ageing by lifting up your skin, deeper tissues and surrounding muscles.
Typically, a facelift is performed under general anaesthetic, although for some surgery such as a mini-facelift local anaesthetic and sedation may be used. It will usually take two to three hours.
There are many different kinds of facelift, but in general your surgeon will make cuts above your hairline from your temples, down in front of your ear, underneath your earlobe and behind the ear. If you are having your jawline lifted they will make cuts under your chin.
Your surgeon will remove surplus facial skin, pull the remaining skin backwards and upwards and stitch it into its new position. Sometimes they will redistribute facial fat and tissue or add this to your face.
There are different types of facelifts you can choose from based on your aesthetic goals, facial anatomy and your preferences around recovery and the risks involved. They tend to vary by the type of incision, number of tissue layers treated, the area of the face that is targeted, and their degree of invasiveness.
Some of the more popular facelift types are:
The deep plane facelift targets severe facial sagging, cheek and neck aging. It produces a natural-looking and long-lasting facelift for a rejuvenated appearance.
A deep plane facelift cuts under the muscular layer of your face that is used for facial expressions (your Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System or SMAS layer) and lifts it along with fat and skin as a single unit. The pull occurs deep under the surface so your skin doesn’t look pulled. Incisions are inconspicuous along your hairline.
Mini or short-scar face lift includes the MACS lift (Minimal Access Cranial Suspension), s-lift and mini lift. These s are less invasive and use shorter scars that often stop at your ear to offer minimal scarring. They are recommended for people with a mild degree of jowling and sagging skin and are often performed on younger women who want a fresher look.
Your surgeon will re-suspend deep facial tissues through these shorter cuts and lift and tighten a moderate amount of lose skin.
Combining additional cosmetic surgeries
Often a facelift is combined with a neck lift to refine the appearance of your lower face, chin and neck area.
Other additional surgeries are often performed with a facelift, such as blepharoplasty (eyelid lift), rhinoplasty (nose job) and, facial implants (such as chin implants) to further enhance your results.
The cost of your facelift will depend on the exact type of facelift procedure you have and if you choose to have any additional procedures. Following your consultation, you will receive a TotalCare package price where a single one-off payment at a pre-agreed price delivers direct access to all the treatment you need for complete reassurance. All packages include unlimited* post discharge outpatient care commencing the day you leave hospital plus one follow up consultation.
We also offer a number of finance options to pay for your surgery, including 0% Finance.
Whichever facelift surgery you choose you can expect to stay in hospital for one to two nights. Your face will be wrapped in supporting bandages, which you may need to keep on for a few days.
At first your face will feel sore, swollen and bruised. We’ll provide pain relief to ease this discomfort. The pain and bruising will subside over time.
When you’re ready to go home we’ll give you advice about recovering at home and arrange a follow-up appointment. If you have any worries, you can speak to a member of our clinical cosmetic team, day or night.
Typically, you will have one to two weeks off work and three weeks if you’ve also had blepharoplasty surgery.
You should abstain from strenuous activity for eight weeks.
It may take 12 weeks for the swelling to completely subside and then you can see the final result of your facelift.
The length of time a facelift lasts will depend on the type of facelift. A full facelift that lifts the deeper tissues and not just the skin can last for up to 15 years, whilst less invasive techniques, like mini facelifts or S-lifts, typically last from two to six years.
There are also other factors that can impact on the lifespan of a facelift. These include skin condition and genetic makeup, if any other cosmetic procedures have been performed, lifestyle including diet, exercise routine, alcohol, smoking, stress and skin care regimen, and the skill and experience of the cosmetic surgeon who performed the facelift.
A revision facelift, also known as a corrective facelift or secondary facelift, is subsequent facelift surgery after already having had a facelift.
It can be performed if you have had facelift surgery that was successful several years ago but has now naturally aged over time or to rectify and improve undesirable results from previous facelift procedures that have left the skin looking tight or stretched or scarred.
Yes, dermal fillers are a good non-surgical temporary option to address the signs of facial aging without having cosmetic surgery.
Dermal fillers are injected into your skin to restore lost volume and smooth out lines and wrinkles.
Some candidates are better suited for dermal fillers than others. Dermal fillers are best used to correct early signs of aging in younger patients, typically those under 50 years of age. Fillers offer a quicker, cheaper, non-invasive procedure with minimal recovery time but they are temporary, lasting between six months to two years. A cosmetic facelift is permanent surgery performed to address advanced aging by removing, lifting and tightening skin and repositioning deep tissues.
At your Ramsay hospital our care team can discuss the best option for your individual needs
Facelifts are considered relatively safe, but as surgical procedures they carry possible risks that are inherent in any surgical procedure.
You can also expect some scarring, but an experienced cosmetic surgeon will minimise and hide facelift scars. Cosmetic surgeons at Ramsay hospitals are GMC registered, on the GMC Specialist Register for plastic surgery, specialised in facelift operations, and have worked in both the NHS and private sector.
You should talk with your cosmetic surgeon about the possible risks of facelift surgery to help you make an informed decision.
You can rest assured that you are in the best of hands for your facelift at Ramsay Health Care, from your first appointment through to recovery.
Our cosmetic surgeons are GMC registered, on the GMC Specialist Register for plastic surgery, specialised in facelift operations, and have worked in both the NHS and private sector.
Ramsay hospitals are registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and are well-equipped with specialist plastic surgery resources.
Mr Thangasamy Sankar
Mr T K Sankar is a Consultant Plastic and Cosmetic surgeon at the Woodland Hospital specialising in Breast. reduction, cosmetic breast surgery, body contouring, liposuction and sculpting, gender breast surgery nose reshaping, hand surgery, microsurgery and skin cancer removal
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