A face-lift is the most extensive way to remove or reduce the appearance of wrinkles and sagging of the face caused by age. In a traditional face-lift, the skin is literally lifted off the face so that the skin and the tissues beneath can be tightened and the skin can be repositioned smoothly over the face.
Face-lift (rhytidectomy): Overview
For the procedure, you are either given general anesthesia or a sedative through an intravenous line and local anesthesia to numb your skin. Next, the surgeon makes an incision that starts in the temple area and circles around the front of the ear. The skin is raised, and the muscle and tissue underneath is tightened. The surgeon may remove some fat and skin. The skin is then redraped over the face and the incision is sutured. The incision usually falls along the hairline or in a place where the skin would naturally crease so that it does not show after the surgery.
Some people are able to have a limited-incision face-lift. This surgery uses shorter incisions at the temple and close to the ear. Sometimes an incision is made within the lower eyelid or under the upper lip.
A neck lift can tighten sagging jowls and loose skin under the chin. The incision starts in front of the ear lobe and goes behind the ear to the lower scalp.
The surgery usually takes several hours. You may be able to go home that day. But people sometimes spend one night in the hospital.
What can you expect after a face-lift (rhytidectomy)?
Your face will be bandaged after the surgery. The dressings are usually removed 1 to 2 days later. If a drainage tube has been placed (usually behind the ear), it will also be removed 1 to 2 days after the surgery. Your doctor will remove your stitches in 5 to 10 days.
Your doctor may prescribe medicines to relieve pain after the surgery. Expect to have swelling and bruising of the face. Cold compresses can help relieve these side effects. Your doctor may instruct you to keep your head elevated and still as much as possible.
It is important to avoid smoking and even second-hand smoke for 2 to 4 weeks before and after surgery. Tobacco smoke increases the risk for skin and tissue death and will delay your face's healing process and make scarring worse.
Most people can return to their normal activities 2 to 3 weeks after a face-lift.
At first your face will feel stiff and will probably look and feel strange to you. This is normal, but it is important to be prepared for it.
Numbness of the skin may last for months after the surgery. Your skin may feel rough and dry for a few months. Men sometimes have to shave in new places because the skin has been rearranged, but laser hair removal or electrolysis can be used for beard hairs that have shifted to a new position.
Meet Our Team
Marco Maricevich, M.D.
Appointments: (713) 798-6141
Dr. Maricevich is a fellowship-trained plastic surgeon who specializes in all kinds of reconstructive and aesthetic procedures of the face, body and extremities as well as skin cancer and non-surgical aesthetic treatments.
Krista Lee Olson, M.D., FACS
Appointments: (713) 798-3223
Dr. Olson’s practice covers all realms of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery including rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty and facial rejuvenation. She is board certified in both Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.
Sunthosh Kumar Sivam, M.D.
Appointments: (713) 798-3223
Dr. Sivam is board certified in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. He has particular interests in nasal surgery (rhinoplasty), facial rejuvenation, facial reconstruction following excision of skin cancers, repair of facial fractures, and facial reanimation.
Sebastian Winocour, M.D.
Appointments: (713) 798-6141
Dr. Winocour specializes in aesthetic surgery. His practice includes breast surgery and body contouring including abdominoplasty, thigh lift and liposuction.
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