FACELIFT

Facelift

A facelift is a procedure that tightens and lifts the skin and muscles of the face. The medical name for a facelift is a rhytidectomy. This gives the face a more youthful appearance. It is one of the most commonly requested procedures by both men and women. Often, it can be combined with other procedures such as a neck lift or brow lift, to rejuvenate the overall facial appearance.

A facelift, or rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure that improves visible signs of aging in the face and neck, such as:

*Relaxation of the skin of the face causing sagging
*Deepening of the fold lines between the nose and corner of the mouth
*Fat that has fallen or has disappeared
*Jowls developing in the cheeks and jaw
*Loose skin and excess fat of the neck that can appear as a double chin or “turkey neck”
*The loss of youthful contours in the face can be due to variety of factors, including thinning of the skin, loss of facial fat, gravity, sun damage, smoking, as well as heredity and stress.

Other procedures that might be performed in conjunction with a facelift are brow lift and eyelid surgery to rejuvenate aging eyes. Fat transfer or fillers may be suggested to replace the lost fatty volume.

Types of Facelift Surgery
Not everyone suffers from the same level of facial sagging, which may change the extent of a face lift procedure. There are many types of facelift surgery in Turkey:

Mini facelift (Lower face lift)
Mid facelift
Brow lift (Forehead lift)
Temple lift
Neck lift
Full facelift

Frequently Asked Questions

+ What are the steps of a facelift procedure ?
A facelift procedure includes the following steps:

Step 1 – Anesthesia
General anesthesia.

Step 2 – The incision
Depending on the degree of change you’d like to see, your facelift choices include a traditional facelift, limited incision facelift or a neck lift.

A traditional facelift incision often begins in the hairline at the temples, continues around the ear and ends in the lower scalp. Fat may be sculpted or redistributed from the face, jowls and neck and underlying tissue is repositioned, commonly the deeper layers of the face and the muscles are also lifted. Skin is redraped over the uplifted contours and excess skin is trimmed away.

A second incision under the chin may be necessary to further improve an aging neck. Sutures or skin adhesives close the incisions.

An alternative to a traditional facelift uses shorter incisions at the temples, continuing around the ear. “Mini-lifts” are usually reserved for patients with less skin relaxation, as the results are less rejuvenating than a full facelift.

A necklift addresses the sagging jowls, loose neck skin and fat accumulation under the chin. The neck lift incision often begins in front of the ear lobe and wraps around behind the ear, and ends in the posterior hair behind the ear.

Step 3 – Closing the incisions
The incisions will be closed with sutures that may dissolve. Once healed, the incision lines from a facelift are well concealed within the hairline and in the natural contours of the face and ear.

Step 4 – See the results
The visible improvements of a facelift appear once swelling and bruising subside. Your final result should not only restore a more youthful and rested appearance, but also help you feel more confident about yourself.

+ When can I shower and wash my hair after surgery?
Your surgeon will give you specific advice on how to wash and bathe after the surgery. In general, you may shower and wash your hair 48 hours after a facelift surgery. Use a mild shampoo and be particularly careful around the treatment area. You can also blow dry your hair on a cool setting. Be gentle when brushing or combing your hair so that you do not catch your comb in the suture lines. You must follow your surgeon’s specific advice.

+ Will I have pain?
A normal face lift surgery is generally not painful due to the anaesthesia applied. After surgery, a little pain or discomfort can be expected because of swelling and bruising but can be dealt with medication.

+ Will there be scars resulted from the surgery?
Incisions made in face lift surgery are usually hidden within the hairline or ears and after recovery they are very difficult to be seen. Your doctor will try his/her best to minimize the visibility of incisions in your surgery.

Facelift Aftercare
The following instructions are general information to be followed before and after a face lift surgery. The instructions of your surgeon after your face lift surgery in Turkey should be followed.

Pre-Operation Instructions
Stop using any make up material at least 1 week before. Chemicals are dangerous for your skin with open incisions and your healing period.
Stop dyeing your hair at least 1 week before your surgery. Chemicals are dangerous for your skin with open incisions and your healing period.
Stop taking any medications or any vitamin supplements containing aspirin, ibuprofen (e.g. Advil, Motrin, Aleve etc.) because they can affect blood clotting.
Stop smoking before at least 4 weeks. Nicotine slows the healing period down.
Stop using all herbal medicines. They can affect blood clotting.
Stop using all diet pills at least 2 weeks before. They may cause complications about blood pressure, blood clotting, heart rate and respiratory.
Stop drinking alcohol at least 2 days before your surgery.
Do not use any kind of medication without your doctor’s permission.

Night/Day of the Surgery:
Stop eating or drinking anything 6-8 hours before your surgery.
Prefer clothing (button-top and pull on pants, zipped shirt, sweatpants etc.) that does not need to be pulled over your head.
Remove your contact lenses before the surgery.

Post-Operation Instructions
Bruising and swelling can be normally expected after face lift surgery. It can last 2 weeks or longer depending on your body and care for them to subside.
Try to have a soft diet for the first week since it will limit your movement of jaw face and help your healing period.
Avoid excessive facial movements including smiling, talking, yawning and chewing for the first week.
Restrict your head and neck movements after your surgery, turn your neck and shoulders at the same time for a while depending on your surgeon’s instructions.
Keep your head high during the day and night while sleeping.
Apply ice and cold compresses on your face based on the instructions of your surgeon.
Apply sunscreen on your face based on the instructions of your surgeon.
Keep away from bending down and heavy lifting for at least 1 month.
Keep away from strenuous activity for at least 4 weeks.
Sex is not recommended for at least 2 weeks after your surgery.

Procedure time
2 to 5 hours

Hospital stay
1 night

Anaesthetic
General

Final results
6 to 9 months