One of the most common cosmetic surgical procedures today, the facelift, or rhytidectomy, is a technique almost synonymous with cosmetic surgery, having been around practically since the concept existed in modern times. The very first facelift was performed in Berlin in 1901, and since then, millions of people all over the world have undergone this ubiquitous method for restoring youth and vigor to a person’s face. As you are well aware, the face is constantly exposed to dirt, the sun and other harsh elements which, combined with the natural effects of aging and manifestations of stress, quickly make a person look weathered and old. The objective of a facelift is to reverse the ravages of these factors on your face, by smoothing out and reducing them, and rejuvenating the appearance of your face skin and jawline.

A typical facelift involves the surgeon making an incision that extends from the bottom of and behind the ears to behind the hairline, opening up a full flap of skin that will be manipulated during the procedure. Once this large incision is made, the scalpel or a pair of scissors will be utilized to dislodge the skin from the underlying tissues over the neck and cheek regions. These deeper tissues are then adjusted and tightened with sutures, lending sharper definition and support to the patient’s facial structure. The flap of skin is then replaced, with any excess skin that has lost elasticity and is hanging unattractively removed. Lastly, the incisions are closed up and sealed with surgical staples and sutures.

Care must be taken by surgeons performing a facelift to achieve as natural a look as possible. Consider that certain features, such as the earlobes and the sideburns, stay in a fixed position even with the effects of aging setting in. With the skin stretched backwards and pulled into new areas, these features may be shifted about as well, resulting in a distorted appearance. Facial skin that is excised too severely may look grotesquely stretched.

More recently, surgeons have been employing facelift techniques that sculpt the muscle and remove excess fat instead of simply stretching the skin and removing the excess. In conjunction with these new wholistic procedures, facelifts no longer have to involve the entire face. In cases where the patient’s needs are not so comprehensive, surgeons may work only with portions of the face or neck to achieve the full effect. Lower facelift procedures, for example, only involve making several small incisions in the ear and neck regions, and the use of endoscopic tools to reduce invasiveness of the surgery. Facelifts that target specific facial regions are generally recommended to patients between the ages of 30 to 50, who may have not completely surrendered their youth to the inevitable march of time.

Following the surgery, bandages will be placed around the head and face to hasten the healing process, and reduce the bruising and swelling. As blood and fluid may collect underneath the facial skin, a drainage tube may be temporarily inserted behind the ear to deal with this concern. Standard pain medication is also prescribed to help the patient manage the anticipated post-surgical discomfort.

The recovery time for a facelift lasts from one week to almost a month, depending on the intensity of the procedure. Patients can usually return to work from standard facelifts within ten days to two weeks, with partial facelifts only requiring a few days of rest at home. During the recovery period, swelling, numbness and skin discoloration are all to be anticipated. Incisions and dressings should be kept dry until the doctor allows otherwise. For the first few days, the head should be kept stationary and elevated