A facelift is an elective procedure that uses incisions around the hairline to remove excess skin and tighten underlying soft tissue. Many people choose to undergo the procedure for cosmetic reasons or to achieve a more youthful appearance. Other people seek out a facelift to help them recover from other treatments, such as radiation therapy.

This excerpt helps you understand why someone might want to consider it.

Why Undergo a Facelift Surgery?

A facelift is a procedure that improves the appearance and health of your skin and underlying tissues, such as fat and muscle, in your face. During a facelift, excess skin and fat are removed from the face, usually under the chin, cheeks, and forehead. Also, muscles can be tightened. Recovery will be more difficult if a facelift procedure is performed on an older patient with very little skin elasticity. After a facelift surgeon performs the procedure to remove wrinkles and sagging facial skin, some patients look younger than they did before surgery.

The facelift is the most commonly performed of all cosmetic procedures. The average age for a facelift is 51 years. Still, anyone considering this procedure should take care and should remain close to their ideal weight and avoid smoking, sun damage, and other aging factors.

How is a Facelift Done?

The procedure involves making incisions around the ears and in front of each ear and then lifting the skin off the face to create a new facelift. The skin is then pulled tight around the lower face and neck. The skin is then secured with sutures that remain under the skin as scars. Sutures are also used to close up small cuts made below the corners of the mouth to make folds that extend beyond the corners of the mouth. Treatment time varies widely depending on the extent and type of procedure performed.

Some patients have returned to work within one week, while others need six to eight weeks. Any facial surgery will produce some degree of swelling, bruising and scarring that may vary from patient to patient. Scars will fade over time as collagen remodels itself.

What are the Possible Side Effects?

Every year about a million people in the United States get a facelift. The results are impressive. A facelift can make even a middle-aged person look much younger. But it does have its drawbacks.

After a facelift, the most common side effects are bruising, swelling, and asymmetry. Swelling is the most common complication. It may occur because of surgery trauma or bleeding under the skin.

It also may be due to increased fluids in the tissues of your face. Swelling may last from one to six months after surgery. Tissues that are overstretched during surgery may become loose and wrinkled over time.

Also, differences in pressure between tissues may cause a shift in facial features, including the nose and lips.

Severe potential risks associated with a facelift include:

  • Anesthesia risks such as breathing problems
  • Reactions to medications and reactions to anesthesia given by anesthesiologists or other staff members.
  • Infection of the surgical incisions and surrounding skin areas.
  • Bleeding under the skin or into muscle tissue (hematoma).
  • Injury to facial nerves, muscles or blood vessels.
  • Loss of sensation in the lower half of your face (also called hypoesthesia).

Finally, A facelift refers to a surgical operation that modifies the appearance of the face. It’s not just for actresses and models, you can also get a facelift if you want to boost your facial looks.