A facelift, medically termed as a rhytidectomy is one of the most commonly performed facial cosmetic surgery designed to reverse the signs of aging. Aging, sun exposure, environmental factors, smoking, gravity, stress, can contribute to the loose skin, sagging brows, loss of a sharp jawline, wrinkles, lax facial muscles, fine lines, and deep creases.
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Healthy individuals with advanced signs of aging on their face including deep wrinkles, loose, sagging skin, and jowls.
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Individuals who have lost a huge amount of weight and this resulted in deflating and sagging facial and neck skin.
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Individuals with deep facial and neck wrinkles and prominent facial folds.
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Individuals who want to reverse the dull, tired, and aged appearance.
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Individuals with full necks and ill-defined jaw line due to genetic and saggy neck muscles.
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Individuals who are non-smokers and physically healthy.
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Individuals who are not suffering from diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases.
The best way to define one's candidacy for facelift surgery is to schedule a consultation with an experienced plastic surgeon.
A facelift is a comprehensive treatment for sagging facial skin. Benefits of facelift surgery include:
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Improves skin tone and wrinkles.
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Improves the jaw line, neckline, and cheekbones.
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Provides a youthful and natural subtle facial profile.
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Restores lost volume as it repositions sagging tissue.
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The incisions are hidden in and around the hairline and behind natural ear contours. Thus the scars are not visible from the front.
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The surgery can be combined with blepharoplasty to remove eye bags and a forehead lift to restore youthful contours of the face.
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Improves one’s self-confidence by rejuvenating the face and giving a more youthful look.
Dr. Mrinalini Sharma focuses on delivering results that look natural to appear more refreshed and youthful.
In the face's target area, markings are made, and then anesthesia is administered. In the next step, incisions are made, and skin is separated from the supportive structure such as muscles and fat. If excess fat is present, it is trimmed and suctioned out from the neck and chin area to improve contours. The underlying muscles are tightened, and the skin is re-draped after the excess skin is removed. Sutures are used to close the incision site. If the face has lost volume, then soft tissue fillers and fat transfer are performed to get the desired look.
Note
Depending upon the individual requirement, the incision techniques vary.
Drains are placed during surgery and kept for initial days to remove accumulated fluids.
Dressings are removed within a week, and then eventually, stitches are removed depending on the healing process.
Mild swelling and bruising are common and resolve in a few days.
Results are long-lasting and make the individual look younger.
The type of facelift surgery provided to an individual depends on the individual's goal, skin type, degree of skin laxity, lifestyle, and age. Some facelifts rejuvenate the upper portion of the face and some focus on middle and bottom areas.
Some individuals opt for a full facelift, and some only require minor changes. Dr. Mrinalini Sharma, an expert female facelift surgeon in Delhi, is highly trained in performing various types of cosmetic facelift surgeries and experienced in understanding the complexity and delicate anatomy of facelift surgery.
1. Skin lift: This is one of the simplest types of facelift surgery, which involves the excision of excess skin only without addressing the underlying muscles. The procedure is relatively quick and involves lesser downtime.
2. Full facelift: This is the most common facelift surgery for older individuals who show advanced signs of aging. The surgery incorporates an incision close to the hairline that extends down the temples and ends at the ear’s base. The underlying loose facial muscles and tissues are delicately pulled and tightened. This surgery provides a lifted look and helps diminish excessive wrinkles and sagging skin. Sometimes, with this surgery, forehead lift and blepharoplasty surgery are also performed to provide a more youthful look.
3. Mid facelift: This treatment focuses on the lax and the hollow cheekbone and the upper jaw areas. This treatment is best for people who want to improve the lower and middle regions of their faces.
4. Lower facelift: The treatment corrects the neck and chin region and sometimes the jowl area.
5. SMAS (Superficial Musculo-Aponeurotic System) lift: This is a more refined version of the facelift that addresses the underlying facial tissue laxity. The SMAS is the fibrous tissue sheet between the subcutaneous fat and the facial muscles. The SMAS facelift incorporates surgical techniques that flatten creases in the neck and face regions and also correct the sagging cheeks and jowls. An incision is made at the start of the hairline that extends along with the ear, behind the ear, and into the hair. After this, the skin is raised and separated from SMAS tissues and the facial muscles are raised off. Then the tissue present beneath the face is trimmed and is readjusted higher into the face, providing tighter and lifted facial muscles. Fat deposits, if present are removed to enhance facial definition. Then after the procedure is complete, the skin is trimmed and re-draped.
Facelifts are usually performed in the early forties to mid-sixties. However, there is no typical age for a facelift. It’s all depends on the extent of skin ageing. Early signs of ageing like fine lines can be managed with other measures like Anti-wrinkle injections, fillers, ULTHERA and HIFU. For deep lines and loose hanging skin, facelifts are the best option.
1. Skin lift: This is the simplest type of facelifts which involves excision of excess skin only without addressing the underlying muscles. The procedure is relatively quick and involves lesser downtime. However, the results may not be long lasting as the skin can get stretched again.
2. SMAS lift: This is a more refined version of the facelift which addresses the laxity of the underlying facial tissue. The SMAS (Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System) is the fibrous tissue between the subcutaneous fat and the facial muscles. In an SMAS lift, this is specifically tightened along with the overlying skin. This increases the strength of the repair and thereby the longevity of results over a skin-only.
A facelift operation can perform as a day surgery under general anesthesia. It takes between two to six hours to perform. The incisions are placed in inconspicuous areas within your hairline and in the natural fold in front of the ear.
The surgeon loosens the facial skin from the underlying fat and muscle, tightens the muscle and fascia underneath, and then re-drapes the skin, trimming and suturing or stapling it into position. This is a description of the procedure of facelift in its simplest form.
After a facelift, your face will be swollen, tender and bruised for several days. It will be covered with a dressing during initial two days. A compression garment is then worn for the next few weeks. Swelling will maximum over the first 3 to 5 days and gradually subsides over the next few weeks.
Facelift scars are hidden in the hairline, in the folds behind the ears or under the jawline, so they are not very noticeable. The procedure takes off many years from the patient's appearance and most clients are very happy with the trade off.
Light activities and office can be resumed about a week to 10 days after your surgery, although you will likely need to conceal residual bruises with cosmetics. The final results do deserve appreciation and they will be in front of you over the next few weeks once the swelling completely subsides.
Facelift surgery takes about two to six hours to perform.
After facelift surgery, the face would be swollen, puffy, tender, and bruised for several days. It will be covered with dressing for the initial two days. A compression garment is then worn for the next few weeks. The swelling will be maximum over the first 3 to 5 days and gradually subside over the next few weeks. Once the recovery is complete, the face appears slightly lifted and rejuvenated.
Facelift scars are hidden in the hairline, in the folds behind the ears or under the jawline, so they are not very noticeable.
Light activities and office can be resumed about a week to 10 days after the surgery, although one might need to conceal residual bruises with cosmetics. The final results can be observed after a few weeks, once the swelling completely subsides.
The cost of treatment depends on various factors like:
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Age of the patient.
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Skin concerns addressed.
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Surgeon’s experience.
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Location of the clinic.
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Anesthetist fees.
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Type of surgical incision involved in the treatment.
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Additional surgical treatments performed along with a facelift.
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Sleep straight and wear loose clothes that are easy to change.
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Do not apply any strain on the face and neck area.
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Protect the treated area from sunlight and dusty area.
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Do not scratch the treated area.
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Eat soft foods and consume plenty of water.
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Avoid stress and take plenty of rest.
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Avoid vigorous chewing and excessive talking.
Note
Increasing age, gravitation effect, and weight fluctuations can affect the results. If an individual maintains a good skin care regimen, overall health, adapts a healthy lifestyle, and eats a healthy and nutritious diet, the results are long-lasting. One must regularly apply sunscreen and should avoid stress to maintain their skin health and youthfulness.
Dr. Mrinalini Sharma, an expert plastic and cosmetic surgeon in Delhi uses safe and effective techniques to provide desirable outcomes. To know more about other anti-aging and other facial surgery treatment in Delhi, visit Aestiva Clinic.
Clinic Timings
Monday to Saturday : 10:00am - 7:00pm | Sunday : Closed