What is face-lift?

A face-lift is surgery to firm and tighten the skin of the face and neck. It can make you look younger. It may remove many wrinkles, but it does not change the texture of your skin.

You will get medicine before surgery to make you sleep or feel relaxed. The doctor will make a cut along your jawline or in the temple area, near your ear. This cut is called an incision. The doctor will then tighten the skin and the tissue under it. Any excess skin will be removed. The doctor may make another incision under your chin to reposition the skin on your neck.

Sometimes more or fewer incisions are needed. How many you need will depend on your age, the number of wrinkles you have, and other factors. The incisions will be closed and will leave thin scars that will fade with time.

The surgery takes about 3 to 5 hours. After surgery, you may have a drain near the incisions to remove excess fluid. The drain will be taken out in 1 or 2 days. You will probably be able to go home 1 to 2 hours after surgery. But you may have to stay overnight in the hospital or surgery center.

Face-lifts are done to make an older face look younger by getting rid of wrinkles, lifting sagging muscles, and tightening the skin.

Having a face-lift can make your face look younger and healthier. Your face will continue to age, but a face-lift does indeed "take years off" your face. For some people, this may increase self-confidence and reduce anxiety over growing older.

A face-lift can reduce signs of aging to a great extent. But it can't reverse sun damage to the skin or remove all facial wrinkles around the eyes, below the nose, and around the lips. For best results, you may want to have a face-lift and then treat any skin damage.

The effectiveness and safety of your face-lift surgery depends heavily on the skill of your surgeon.

Surgery can be stressful. This information will help you understand what you can expect. And it will help you safely prepare for surgery.

Preparing for surgery

• Be sure you have someone to take you home. Anesthesia and pain medicine will make it unsafe for you to drive or get home on your own.
• Understand exactly what surgery is planned, along with the risks, benefits, and other options.
• If you take a medicine that prevents blood clots, your doctor may tell you to stop taking it before your surgery. Or your doctor may tell you to keep taking it. (These medicines include aspirin and other blood thinners.) Make sure that you understand exactly what your doctor wants you to do.
• Tell your doctor ALL the medicines, vitamins, supplements, and herbal remedies you take. Some may increase the risk of problems during your surgery. Your doctor will tell you if you should stop taking any of them before the surgery and how soon to do it.
• Don't smoke. Smoking can delay recovery. Stop smoking for at least a month before surgery. If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor about stop-smoking programs and medicines. These can increase your chances of quitting for good.
• Make sure your doctor and the hospital have a copy of your advance directive. If you don’t have one, you may want to prepare one. It lets others know your health care wishes. It’s a good thing to have before any type of surgery or procedure.

Activity

• Rest when you feel tired. Getting enough sleep will help you recover.
• Keep your head raised for several days after surgery. Sleep with your head up by using 2 or 3 pillows.
• Try to walk each day. Start by walking a little more than you did the day before. Bit by bit, increase the amount you walk.
• You will probably need to take 1 to 2 weeks off from work. It depends on the type of work you do, how you feel, and whether you want to return to work before you have completely healed.
• Avoid strenuous activities, such as bicycle riding, jogging, weight lifting, or aerobic exercise, for about 3 weeks or until your doctor says it is okay.
• Ask your doctor when you can drive again.
• Follow your doctor's directions about showering. You may be able to shower 1 or 2 days after surgery.
• Use a baby toothbrush to brush your teeth if you have trouble opening your mouth.
• Be very careful shaving after a face-lift because you will not be able to feel the blade on your skin. It may help to switch to an electric razor for a few months, until feeling returns to the skin on your face and neck.

Diet

• Eat soft foods for the first few days after surgery. Try soup, juice, pudding, yogurt, applesauce, scrambled eggs, and mashed potatoes.
• Drink plenty of fluids (unless your doctor tells you not to).
• You may notice that your bowel movements are not regular right after your surgery. This is common. Try to avoid constipation and straining with bowel movements. You may want to take a fiber supplement every day. If you have not had a bowel movement after a couple of days, ask your doctor about taking a mild laxative.

Medicines

• Your doctor will tell you if and when you can restart your medicines. Your doctor will also give you instructions about taking any new medicines.
• If you stopped taking aspirin or some other blood thinner, your doctor will tell you when to start taking it again.
• Be safe with medicines. Take pain medicines exactly as directed.
  • If the doctor gave you a prescription medicine for pain, take it as prescribed.
  • If you are not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter medicine.
• If your doctor prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. You need to take the full course of antibiotics.
• If you think your pain medicine is making you sick to your stomach:
  • Take your medicine after meals (unless your doctor has told you not to).
  • Ask your doctor for a different pain medicine.

Incision care

• If you have strips of tape on the cut (incision) the doctor made, leave the tape on for a week or until it falls off. Or follow your doctor's instructions for removing the tape.
• When your doctor tells you that it is okay, you may wash the incisions with warm water and gently dry the area. Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which can slow healing.
• Do not put lotions or ointments on your incisions unless your doctor tells you to do so.