The facelift is one of the most common forms of plastic surgery. Its goal is to tighten the skin of the face and neck area, giving a younger appearance. This often involves getting rid of excess skin, tightening of the underlying muscles and re-positioning the skin to make it more tight.
Procedure variations
SMAS lift
SMAS stands for Superficial MusculoAponeurotic System. This refers to the underlying facial muscles and tissue. This procedure deals with both the skin and the SMAS.
This type of facelift is recommended for persons of 45 years of age and older who experience sagging jowls and loosening of the skin on the neck and mid face.
This procedure starts with an incision from the temple, above the hairline, down to below the ear. The surgeon will lift the skin and underlying SMAS and reposition it in a higher and tighter position, before using sutures or staples to close the cut and keep the skin in place.
A general anesthesia with overnight stay is usually recommended.
Deep plane lift
The deep plane lift is similar to the SMAS lift, but goes even deeper below the skin. This procedure is recommended for older people with looser skin and more sagging jowls and mid face. The incision goes all the way along the hairline to below the ears. The surgeon can then access the underlying tissue to reshape it and re-drape the skin. After removing excess skin, staples or stitches are used to keep the skin in the new position.
The hospital will want you to stay overnight.
Endoscopic facelift
An endoscope is a small instrument for looking inside the body, like a small stick the size of a pen with a camera attached. Younger people with mild sagging of the cheek often prefer this less invasive method, since it requires smaller incisions, has less bruising and heals quicker. It can be done as an outpatient treatment under local anesthesia.
This treatment is most often used for forehead lifts, but not suitable for the neck area.
Thread facelift
The thread face lift is also referred to as the one-hour facelift or feather facelift and is not an invasive surgical procedure. It uses a barbed suture, a kind of thread, to pull the skin backwards and keep it in place. No skin is removed. This technique, while fast and cheap is not that effective on the long term. It usually done by people in their 30s or 40s who plan to have surgical facelift later on.
Recovery after the procedure
Each variation has a vastly different recovery period.
Thread facelifts have a shorter recovery time. You will have to refrain from strenuous activities such as driving for 24 hours. After a week you can resume your normal life.
For the other, invasive, facelifts the recovery time is longer. The first 24 hours your face will often be severely bruised and often drainage tubes will be placed to reduce swelling. After 2 days you should be able to was your hair. You should avoid strenuous activity until swelling has subsided.
After 2 weeks you should feel comfortable enough to go out for light social occasions and work. But complete healing will take around 3 months.
Ask your doctor for more details about your situation: an endoscopic facelift will heal quicker than a deep plane facelift.
Risks
All surgeries have risks, so does a facelift. Below is an incomplete list of complications that can occur:
- Hematoma
- Unfavourable scarring
- Skin discoloration
- Skin or fat necrosis
- Infection
As always consult a qualified physician before you decide on embarking on a medical trip to Thailand.
Who is a candidate for a facelift?
Both men and women choose facelifts nowadays. If you are above 30 and feel uncomfortable with sagging jowls, loose skin or wrinkles you can elect to have a facelift. Patients who are aware of the possible results and have realistic expectations tend to be happiest with the result.
