Facial aging is inevitable. Over time, the skin on the face and neck becomes sagging, crow’s feet appear at the corners of the eyes, fine forehead lines become creased, and gradually deeper folds appear. The jawline softens, and below the chin another chin or vertical folds appear in front of the neck. Heredity, personal habits, force of gravity and sun exposure all contribute to these processes. As the population ages, rhytidectomy remains the third most desired facial plastic surgical procedure.
The incision is made in the hairy area of the temporal region, just above and in front of the ear. It then continues under the earlobe and moves to the back, merging at the hairline. The skin is gently lifted as the surgeon repositions and tightens the underlying muscle and connective tissue. Some fat can be removed, as well as excess skin. For men, the cut is lined up to accommodate the natural lines of the beard. In all cases, the incisions are placed where they fall into a natural crease in the skin for camouflage.
After trimming the excess skin, the incisions are closed with thin sutures and/or metal clips. This allows for precise surgery and avoids shaving the hair in those places. Depending on the complexity of the surgery, the process can take four to six hours.
When the procedure is performed with a combination of mild sedatives, local anesthesia, and light intravenous anesthesia (“twilight sleep”), the patient experiences little discomfort. Some surgeons prefer general anesthesia for a facelift. After surgery, a dressing is applied to protect the entire area where the incisions were made.
