Which are the recommendations of a successful face lifting?

• prominent nose trenches,
• loss of the mandibular well defined line,
• deep wrinkles and fallen skin at the cheek level,
• fallen skin and wrinkles at the neck level.

The category of patients between 40 and 60 years benefits the most of facial lifting. However, very good results are also obtained with the elder persons. Face defects that could be solved through face lifting are as it follows:

How does the consultation take place?

You must be prepared to supply your surgeon with full data about:

• previous surgical procedures,
• other pathologies, current or passed,
• other treatments followed,
• medication administered, including nutrients and natural remedies.

If you're overweight and you intend to keep a diet, the loss of weight might affect the final result.

Your doctor will study your bone structure and the subjacent tissues, skin texture and elasticity as well as the severity of face wrinkles and folds. You'll be explained about the incision location and you'll be described the entire surgical plan.

You'll also be informed about other procedures that could be associated at the same surgical time with the facial lifting:

• forehead lifting,
• eyelid surgery,
• nose correction,
• chemical peeling or laser resurfacing for fine wrinkles

What does the surgery procedure consist of?

There are many technical options. Usually the incision is hidden inside the natural shape of the ear and in the hairy area of the head. A small incision could be necessary under the chin to remove fat deposits and to smoothen fibroid areas of neck muscles. It could also be practiced skin decoloring against under-tissues and the excision of the integument in excess, and afterwards it could be sutured back.

In some cases, deeper tissues are also repositioned in such manner that they assign the face a more invigorant appearance.

How should I prepare for the surgery?

Once the surgery procedure date has been established you'll receive instructions regarding both periods, before and after the surgery:

• to avoid some drugs that might complicate the surgery or the healing period: aspirin, other nesteroidian anti-inflammatory, stabilizer agents etc,
• to stop smoking,
• to leave your hair to grow in such way that it could cover the incision areas throughout the healing period.

You'll be administered a medication before and after the surgery in such way that you'll feel permanently comfortable. Facial lifting surgery takes place under general or local anesthesia with endovenous sedation.
You'll be monitored before the surgery, throughout the surgical procedure as well as throughout the recovery period.

How will I look and feel immediately after the surgery?

The incision areas will be banded. Often you'll have mounted in the cheek region some suction drain tubes, on the ends of which collector recipient are attached to.

The discomfort is usually minimum due to the pain could be easily controlled by the medication prescribed by your doctor.

Although healing is a process that varies with the person some general valid lines could still be defined, as it follows:

First day:

• You must stay in bed with your head sitting on many pillows to minimize the occurrence of ecchymosis (bruises) and facial edema (face inflation).

First week:

• Face edematization reaches maximum limit and then starts to decrease gradually
• The suture material is removed
• You may resume soft daily activities but you must continue to sleep with your head in a raised position
• You may resume make-up use

After two weeks:

• most of the ecchymosis (bruises) have disappeared
• you may resume all activities.

After six weeks:

• you may resume physical exercises
• face edematization decreases step by step
• skin sensitivity comes back to normal in most of the cases. Sometime the anesthesia areas could persist for more months.

Throughout the healing period you must avoid UV exposure and you must use protector creams for long term.

A number of factors, including the heredity and the lifestyle, are playing an important factor in the durability of results. Although the ageing process continues, most of the patients are very happy with the results they have obtained, for long period of time.

For the entire period of healing you'll benefit of many consultations, occasions on which the healing is monitored by your surgeon and you'll have the opportunity to receive answers to all your questions generated in the meantime. It is essential to keep in touch with your surgeon many months following the face lifting surgery.