Mini Facelift

Several techniques exist which can improve you facial appearance without the need of a total facelift.  Early facelift  under 45 years talk about lipo and platysma.

The facelift was originally designed to be a skin tightening procedure.  Over time we found that by addressing only the skin of the face the procedure was short lasting and could obtain only average results.  We found that by tightening the deep tissues of the face in a separate layer from the skin the results of the facelift were far superior and considerably longer lasting.  Areas of the face, which are particularly well addressed with a facelift operation are, sagging jowls and cheeks, as well as, the nasolabial groove (the line which runs from the side of the nose to the corner of the mouth).  In combination with a necklift or submentoplasty the redundancy and bulkiness of the submental  and cervical regions may also be reduced.  Despite all of the changes to the face, which may be realized via a facelift procedure, the ultimate goal of a facelift should be to create a rejuvenated but unoperated facial appearance.

The procedure is performed under either local anesthesia with I.V. sedation or under general anesthesia.  Incisions are well hidden in the hairline of the temporal region above the ear, extending down along the anterior crease of the ear behind the tragus, around the ear lobe to the back of the ear, and, finally, into the hairline in the back of the scalp.  Following surgery small drains are placed to help with any bleeding and bandages, which wrap the head, neck, and cheeks are placed. The dressing is removed after one or two days and patients may gently wash their hair and face after this time. A smaller removable dressing will be applied once the larger dressing is removed.

Swelling and bruising following a facelift generally lasts about two weeks.  Discomfort following the procedure is mild and the healing process proceeds uneventfully.  You will be instructed on the use of ice packs to the face to help with this swelling.  The use of tobacco products before or after your procedure can have a significant negative impact on the final result of your facelift.  The facelift flap of skin and soft tissue, which is created during the procedure, is dependant upon extremely small vessels for its survival during the healing period..  Tobacco products decrease the blood flow through these vessels and, thus, can compromise the facelift flap.

Copyright@2001 The Washington Facial Cosmetic Surgery Center