Facelift - What Should I Expect?

A facelift is a cosmetic surgical procedure that is intended to literally give the face a lift. This surgery can remove sagging and excess skin in the face, as well as erase fine line and wrinkles. Many older women have considered this surgery to bring back the youth and vitality to their face. However, younger women have also considered a facelift for the same effects, although many times the sagging and excess skin is not as severe in younger women. Fortunately, you do not always have to undergo an invasive surgical procedure to have a facelift. There are many non-invasive facelift options that can produce some of the same results. These facelift options are especially popular among young women, who do not always need a surgical facelift to achieve the results they want. 

A mini facelift is a modified, less invasive surgical procedure. Instead of lifting the entire face, from jaw to forehead, this mini procedure focuses on areas in the lower part of the face. Many times these are the areas that will begin to show signs of aging, and younger women prefer this surgery because it tackles those specific areas. During this procedure, the plastic surgeon will make small incisions along the ear and sideburn areas; during a full facelift the surgeon would make his incisions along the hairline. Upon making the incision, the surgeon will tighten the skin and manipulate the muscles to remove wrinkles in the same manner he would for a full facelift. This less invasive procedure requires less recovery time. In fact, this can be an outpatient procedure, with the patient returning to normal activities within two days. On the other hand, a complete facelift will require more recovery time, and most patients will have to stay in the hospital overnight for at least one night. 

There are other options that are completely non-surgical. Lasers and Botox are two such options that can create some of the same results as the surgical options. Botox is solution that is injected underneath the patient's skin to erase fine lines and wrinkles. However, Botox cannot tighten the skin in the same manner as a surgical procedure because it does not allow the doctor to manually remove skin and manipulate muscle. Furthermore, Botox is only a temporary solution, and most patients will have to visit their surgeon for another treatment in about four months. A laser facelift is a little more permanent. This procedure uses concentrated beams of energy to gently melt the excess fat underneath the skin, as well as tighten the skin. Like Botox, this procedure has little to no recovery time, and most patients can resume normal activities the same day. 

If you are not yet ready for an invasive surgical procedure to lift the face, consider some of the many other facelift options. A certified plastic surgeon will be well-versed on each of the options available to you and can provide some insight as to what procedure is appropriate for your needs.