Drawbacks of Facelift Surgery

What Is a Facelift?

A facelift, also called rhytidectomy, is a cosmetic surgical procedure that repairs the visible signs of skin aging, like wrinkling, sagging, or drooping of the face and neck area. It also involves the removal of excess fat from under the skin and trimming the facial skin to improve firmness and tightness. The signs of skin aging can be caused by many factors like stress, heredity, skin thinning, facial fat loss, sun damage, or smoking.

• Decrease in the amount of fat under the facial skin, causing wrinkles.

• Relaxation of the facial skin, making it sagged.

• Increased depth of the fold lines between the mouth’s corner and the nose.

• Jowls or drooping of the skin on the jaw and cheeks.

• Double chin or turkey neck appearance due to sagging of the skin on the chin or the neck.

What Are the Different Types of Facelift Surgeries?

Facelift surgeries are of different types, like:

• Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System Facelift (SMAS Facelift): In this procedure, the muscles will be tightened under the lower part of the skin. In addition, excess fat and skin will be removed or trimmed from the cheeks or the lower third of the skin.

• Traditional Facelift: In traditional facelift surgery, incisions will be made on the extreme parts of the face, like around the hairline, ears, and below the chin. The surgeon will then remove excess underlying fat and tightens the muscle. The skin will then be repositioned. Due to the removal of underlying tissues, the skin may be in excess, which will be trimmed and sutured.

• Mid-Facelift: This is done on the middle part of the face or the cheeks. The surgeon will remove excess fat, tightens the muscle, and trims excess skin from the cheek area.

• Deep Plane Facelift: In this technique, the deep muscle layer will be lifted, and the deeper attachments will be remodeled. To lift the middle third of the face, the fat pad will be repositioned in the cheeks.

• Mini-Facelift: It is performed in younger people who develop premature signs of skin aging. It is usually done in the neck and lower face area.

• Cutaneous Facelift: In a cutaneous facelift, the surgery will be done on the skin alone.

What Cannot Be Fixed by a Facelift Surgery?

Facelift surgery cannot be considered in the following cases:

• Permanent stoppage of skin aging process.

• Sun damage.

• Irregular skin pigmentation.

• Superficial lines and wrinkles.

• To alter the natural and fundamental appearance of the face.

• For a sudden and intense facial change.

How Is a Facelift Surgery Performed?

• The Patient: The candidate should be physically and mentally healthy, not be a smoker, not have health issues that cause difficulty in healing, and have realistic facelift goals.

• The Surgeon: The patient should choose an experienced and knowledgeable surgeon for the procedure. The surgeon will take an elaborate medical and family history to prepare for the surgery. The patient will also be asked to take a few laboratory tests.

• Preparation: The patient will be asked to take a few medications before the surgery. Smokers should quit the habit, as smoking can affect healing. In addition, the patients may also be asked to apply for certain topical medicines. Drugs that increase bleeding, like Aspirin, should be discontinued before the surgery. Following the surgeon’s instructions helps in a smooth procedure and easy recovery.

• Procedure: The surgeon will explain the procedure to the patient. IV (intravenous) sedation or general anesthesia will be given first. Depending on the type of facelift surgery, the surgeon will place suitable incisions. Depending on the goal, the skin, and the fat will be repositioned or remodeled, and the underlying muscles will be tightened. The flaps will then be closed and sutured with dissolvable stitches.

What Are the Side Effects of Facelift Surgery?

Opting for cosmetic surgery like a facelift is a personal decision. The patient must learn about the benefits, suitable techniques, and risks or complications of the treatment. The following are the risks associated with facelift surgery:

• Nerve Injury: Nerves that control the muscles may get damaged during the surgery. Facial nerve injury can lead to numbness or altered sensation. This can be permanent or temporary, based on the depth of injury.

• Anesthesia Risks: The risks of anesthesia include allergy to the used drug, breathing difficulties, infections, bleeding, or blood clotting.

• Hematoma: It refers to the pocket underneath the skin that gets filled with blood. Hematoma needs to be drained out surgically.

• Infection: The surgical site may get infected, and fluid or pus may show up in the area.

• Bleeding.

• Healing Issues: The wound may take a prolonged time to heal or get infected.

• Hair Loss: The hair may be temporarily or permanently lost from the area of the incision.

• Other Complications: Complications like deep vein thrombosis (formation of blood clots in deep veins) and other problems to the heart or respiratory tract can occur.

• Persistent pain.

• Prolonged swelling.

• Unpleasant Scarring: The scars may not heal completely. They may get thickened or visible and requires additional treatments to hide them.

• Seroma: It is the accumulation of serous fluid under the skin.

• Uneven or asymmetric face.

• Skin irregularities or altered contour of the skin.

• Altered skin color or uneven pigmentation.

• Suture Problems: Sutures may get gradually visible. They can also irritate the skin.

• Obvious deformities at the end of the incision.

• Not a Permanent Solution: The results of facelift surgery may last up to ten years, and the skin will continue to age after that.

Can Facelift Be Done Non-surgically?

If the patients do not want surgery or want to maintain the results of facelift surgery, they can opt for non-surgical procedures. These methods will not cause repositioning or remodeling of the tissues and, therefore, will not be effective in repairing sagging. Some of the non-surgical methods are as follows:

• Renuvion: Helium plasma and radiofrequency energy will be used to tighten the subdermal tissues.

• Laser Skin Resurfacing: Pigmentations, wrinkles, fine lines, and acne scars will be treated using laser energy.

• Forma: Radiofrequency energy will lift the skin of the face and the neck.

• Dermal Fillers: The fillers will be introduced to the skin to increase fullness.

• Ultherapy: Tighten the skin by regenerating collagen synthesis.

• Botox: Botox will be injected into the skin to reduce the aging signs.

• Fat Injection: Fat will be injected into the skin to improve its appearance.

Conclusion

Facelift surgeries reduce the signs of skin aging and improve appearance. Facelift, to an extent, can also be achieved non-invasively by non-surgical facelift methods. Facelift surgeries can improve the confidence and self-esteem of the patient. The patient should be aware of the possible complications or risks associated with the procedure.