Why You Need a Face Lift Surgery

As we age, our facial tissue begins to lose both volume (due to a loss of fat and bone) as well as elasticity. This results in a sunken and tired appearance with loose or wrinkly skin. An aged pyramid replaces the V-shape youthful appearance of the face, with a heavy lower face with drooping jowls. The skin and the underlying soft tissue with its fascia (SMAS) and supporting ligaments lose their elasticity and begin to stretch. A facelift seeks to reverse as many of these ageing changes as possible.

These changes usually start developing around the early 30s and increase in severity as we age further. Depending on the severity of aging, the amount of correction required and the degree of downtime that can be tolerated, different types of facelifts may be performed to achieve smoother looking skin and a more youthful appearance. This may involve one of more of the following:

• Surgical facelift of various techniques (short-scar, extended, etc).
• Facial fat-grafting, with the harvest of the patient’s own fat, which is subsequently processed to produce pure fat for injection into various regions of the face that have undergone volume loss
• Non-surgical facelift (Threadlifts, Fillers + Laser resurfacing, etc)

Typically, the main difference between the choice of type of facial lifting procedure is dependent on the individual needs of the patient, the willingness to undergo surgery as well as the downtime that can be tolerated by the patient. The length of the surgery is also longer for a surgical facelift, especially if the facelift is a repeat procedure. Various modalities can be combined to achieve the optimum result for the patient, with the ultimate aim being a more youthful and refreshed appearance. The choice of facelift is decided after a detailed discussion between the patient and the plastic surgeon.

Some bruising and swelling is to be expected after the procedure, which will dissipate after 1-2 weeks. The use of a facelift band is critical for the success for this procedure and this has to be worn for 3-4 weeks after the procedure. Patients are able to return to light exercise after 1 week.