A facelift, technically known as a rhytidectomy (literally, surgical removal of wrinkles),
is a type of cosmetic surgery procedure used to give a more youthful
appearance. It usually involves the removal of excess facial skin, with or without
the tightening of underlying tissues, and the redraping of the skin on the
patient's face and neck. The first facelift was performed in Berlin in 1901 by
Eugene Hollander. According to the most recent 2007 statistics from the American
Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, facelifts were the seventh most popular
aesthetic surgery performed after liposuction, breast augmentation, blepharoplasty
(eyelid surgery), abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), breast reduction, and rhinoplasty,
In
the traditional facelift, an incision is made in front of
the ear extending up into the hairline. The incision curves around the bottom
of the ear and then behind it, usually ending near the hairline on the back of
the neck. After the skin incision is made, the skin is separated from the deeper
tissues with a scalpel or scissors (also called undermining) over the cheeks
and neck. At this point, the deeper tissues (SMAS - fascial suspension system
of the face) can be tightened with sutures, with or without removing some of the
excess deeper tissues. The skin is then redraped, and the amount of excess skin
to be removed is determined by the surgeon's judgement and experience. The excess
skin is then removed, and the skin incisions are closed with sutures and
staples.
Facelifts work best in women with thin skin and good bone structure.
They are helpful for eliminating loose skin folds in the neck and laxity
of tissues in the cheeks. The areas not well corrected by a facelift include
the nasolabial folds and marionette lines which are more suitably treated with
injectable fillers. A facelift requires skin incisions; however, the incisions
in front of the ear are usually inconspicuous. The incisions behind the ears
are hidden from casual view. Hair loss in the portions of the incision within the
hair-bearing scalp can occasionally occur. In men, the sideburns can be pulled
backwards and upwards, resulting in an unnatural appearance if appropriate techniques
are not employed to address this issue. Achieving a natural appearance
following surgery in men can be more challenging due to their thicker, bearded
skin. In women, one of the telltale signs of having had a facelift can be an
earlobe which is pulled downwards and/or distorted. If too much skin is removed
(as was common many years ago), the face can assume a pulled-back, "windswept"
appearance. |
