A facelift, also known as a rhytidectomy, is a comprehensive surgical procedure that typically addresses the lower two-thirds of the face and neck. It involves making incisions along the hairline, around the ears, and sometimes under the chin, followed by lifting and repositioning the underlying tissues, removing excess skin, and tightening the remaining skin.

A facelift can correct deep wrinkles, loose skin, jowls, and neck laxity. It can provide dramatic and long-lasting results, often making patients look up to ten years younger.

To achieve optimal cosmetic results, a facelift may be performed along with other surgical procedures. A neck lift addresses the sagging of the neck, while eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) enhances your youthful look by removing excess skin and fat from your lower and/or upper lids. To rejuvenate your upper facial region, a brow lift may also be performed to get rid of wrinkles.

You may be a good candidate for a facelift if you are experiencing any of the following three common facial-aging problems:

• Deflation: As we age, we lose facial fat volume. This is usually most noticeable as hollowness just below the cheeks or the descent of fat in the jaw, neck, or other parts of the face.
• Radial Expansion: Facial ligaments weaken over time and the attached tissue separates, causing a loss of definition in the jawline, prominent smile lines around the mouth, and more pronounced jowls.
• Neck Sagging: As muscles loosen, fat accumulates under the chin. At the same time, the skin loses elasticity, causing fullness around the jaw and neck.

Excellent facelift candidates are non-smokers. If you are considering a facelift, you must stop smoking several weeks in advance of the procedure and continue to avoid smoking during the recovery process. Smoking can damage skin health and increase the risk of complications during and after surgery.

There is no way to definitively stop the aging process; however, through facial rejuvenation, we can slow it down and restore you to a more youthful version of yourself. While it is not an anti-aging cure, a well-performed facelift can greatly rejuvenate the face and neck and give you a much younger-looking appearance.

Always consult with Dr. Patel before deciding to undergo a facelift. Make sure you understand the potential risks and recovery period associated with the procedure. If looking younger is your goal, Dr. Patel may be able to recommend other procedures that, when coupled with a facelift, will help restore balance and harmony to your face and body.

At the Plastic Surgery Clinic of Chicago, we thoroughly review your medical history, including any allergies you may have, any medications you are currently taking, and any procedures you have had performed. We perform an examination, speak with you about your expectations, and provide you with an extensive overview of the procedure.

There are several different methods for performing a facelift, which are often dictated by the desired results of the individual patient. To begin, the patient is placed under general anesthesia.

Incisions are made around the front and back of the ear and along the hairline to hide any scarring that may occur. Underneath the skin, facial tissues are lifted, reshaped, and re-suspended.

Fat cells are removed from troubled areas of the body like the hips and thighs. After being purified, the healthy fat cells are redistributed to the neck, face, and chin to correct deflation and restore facial aesthetic balance. The cheeks are elevated to a more youthful position, and additional fat transfers may be used to lift and fill the cheeks to create a younger appearance.

Depending on your individual needs, Dr. Patel may also wrinkle-reduction or skin-resurfacing techniques during the procedure. Drains may be placed depending upon the type of facelift performed. Lastly, the incisions are closed with skin sutures.

As an outpatient procedure, facelift patients are released on the day of surgery to return home. Patients should keep their head elevated for the first night and use ice packs to reduce post-operative swelling and bruising in the area. The face will be bandaged after a facelift, but the bandage can be removed by Dr. Patel within a day or two after surgery.

Sutures can be removed within a week after surgery. It is always important to follow your doctor’s instructions after any surgical procedure and attend follow-up examinations.

Although patients can typically return to normal activity about two weeks after the procedure, the swelling of the face and neck may not completely resolve for two to three months. The full effects of a facelift may not be entirely noticeable until the swelling has gone down completely.

You may need one to two weeks off work to fully recover from your facelift. Strenuous activities like exercising should be avoided for up to three to four weeks. You can shower after one or two days, and you will be given instructions on how to properly take a bath while you are healing from a facelift.

• Sutures can be removed within a week after surgery. It is always important to follow your doctor’s instructions after any surgical procedure and attend follow-up examinations.
• Infection
• Hematoma (blood clot)
• Facial nerve weakness
• Fluid accumulation
• Skin discoloration

Always make sure that the surgeon performing the procedure is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and that the surgery is being carried out in an accredited surgical facility.

All surgical procedures by the Plastic Surgery Clinic of Chicago are performed at top hospitals in Chicago and CMS or AAAASF-certified surgical centers for safety.