Skin loses its elasticity and freshness with time, ultimately leading to wrinkles and sagging. A facelift is a type of cosmetic surgery procedure performed to lift and tighten these facial tissues.
A facelift procedure can involve smoothing out folds or wrinkles, tightening facial tissue, and removing excess skin. Brow or eyelift are not included in a facelift, although these might be done at the same time if required. People often get facelifts to disguise signs of aging. Mainly a facelift procedure is focused on the bottom two-thirds of the face and sometimes the neck too.
How Much Does a Facelift Procedure Cost?
A standard facelift procedure costs between $7,700.00 and $11,780.00, excluding the hospital or surgical center costs or related expenses so that the final cost may be even higher.
Your cost might differ depending on the expertise of the surgeon, your results, and your geographical location.
How Does a Facelift Procedure Work?
During a facelift procedure, a surgeon repositions fat and tissue under the skin to:
- Lift and tighten the facial skin
- Removes excess skin
- Help smooth out creases.
Preparing for a Facelift Procedure
A facelift is just like any other surgery. Your doctor will take your blood work or pre-surgical evaluation.
Your doctor will ask for your blood work or a pre-surgical evaluation. You might be instructed to stop taking certain medications. You might also be asked to:
- Discontinue use of anti-inflammatory pain relievers, aspirin, and any herbal supplement to reduce the risk of bruising or bleeding
- Stop smoking for a while
- Use some products on your face before the procedure.
It will be better to ask someone to drive you from the hospital or surgical center to your house since you’ll likely be under general anesthesia.
What’s the Procedure for a Facelift?
Facelifts vary depending on the type of procedure you desire. But mostly, an incision is usually made in the hairline near the temples. Fat, tissues and excess skin are either removed or redistributed from the face. Then the underlying connective tissue and muscles are tightened and reallocated too. If the skin has minimal sagging, then a mini facelift is done, which involves even shorter incisions.
The stitches are mostly dissolvable. In some cases, the stitches might have to be removed by a surgeon. The incisions mostly blend in with your hairline and facial structure. You will often have a surgical drainage tube and bandages wrapping your face after surgery.
What to Expect After a Facelift?
You will most likely be prescribed pain medications by your doctor to deal with pain, bruising, discomfort, and swelling. Your surgeon will give you all the instructions regarding your dressings or drains and when to follow-up.
Give yourself at least two weeks before resuming your routine. For more strenuous activities, wait about four weeks or ask your doctor. Moisturize your face daily, protect your skin from the sun, eat and live a healthy to extend the results of your facelift procedure. Keep in touch with your doctor to ensure a successful facelift.
Are There Any Risks or Side Effects?
Risks are always involved in any medical procedure, including a facelift procedure too. Risks involving in this procedure can include, anesthesia risks, pain or scarring, prolonged swelling, infection, blood clots, a problem with wound healing, cardiac events, bleeding, and hair loss at the incision sites. Talk with your doctor about all the side effects involved with a facelift procedure.
A facelift is an excellent way to rejuvenate your appearance and change the way you look. A facelift procedure should always be performed by an experienced, board-certified cosmetic surgeon to achieve natural-looking results that will age as you age. Although aging is a natural process, and nothing can stop the normal aging process, but after a facelift procedure, you always look years younger than you would have without it.