What is the basic procedure of a facelift?

Every face is different, with a unique shape and contour of its own. Therefore, the needs of every patient are different when it comes to facelift surgery. A person with sunken cheeks and high cheekbones may need to add extra volume, while a person with sagging or drooping skin may need muscle and skin tightening. Therefore, the treatment approach to each case for a facelift may differ to a certain extent.

Before going ahead with the facelift procedure, the operating surgeon will explain the surgery to the patient. Any doubts or concerns that the patient has will be fully addressed before the surgery. The treatment plan will be made in close consultation with the patient and as a precautionary measure, the surgeon will advise the patient to stop smoking at least two weeks prior to the surgery. Similarly, the surgeon will ensure that the patient does not continue any medications that may increase bleeding.

During the facelift procedure, the operating surgeon begins with an incision that separates the facial skin from the underlying tissue. The incision is generally made above the hairline. Thereafter, the surgeon removes excess fat and skin. The surrounding muscles are tightened to make the skin taut and and give a youthful appearance to the face. Once the procedure is done, the facial skin is put back in place and stitched up. The treated area is then usually covered with bandages.

The lifting is actually performed on the underlying structure. All the smoothing and contouring of the face happens underneath the skin. Therefore, it is not the skin that is tightened, but the work that is done underneath the skin that gives long lasting results.

If the patient has sunken cheeks, extra volume is added to give a fuller look. In a case where the face looks old because of loose skin folds, creases, frowns, lines and wrinkles, the excess skin and accumulated fat are removed. This makes the facial skin smoother and reduces sagging and other signs of aging from the face. Coupled with tightened muscles, such a facelift procedure leads to a more youthful and rejuvenated appearance.

The facelift procedure may take anywhere from two to four hours. This depends on the extent of surgery performed and the number of different procedures involved. Some patients may also choose to opt for a mini-lift procedure, which is a minimally invasive procedure that involves a smaller incision to work on a specific portion of the face.

“Mini-lift” is a term used to describe less-invasive procedures that use a smaller incision and work on a smaller area of the face compared to a traditional facelift. This may include an eyelift, brow lift or other such small procedures focusing on a particular area of the face only.

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