With aging, the chin line, the cheek region, the eye region, and the neck will demonstrate signs of sagging and deep wrinkles will appear. Face lift is the general name for the surgical techniques that include removal of these saggings and excessive skins. Gravity, negative effects of sunlight, habits such as smoking and alcohol consumption and poor nutrition cause deformations in the facial skin in time. Face lifting is not a simple skin removal operation. Sub-skin structures are hung, volume support is provided for regions of poor-volume and problems in the eyelid are corrected, and if necessary, fat tissue is transferred from the jaw and neck muscles are corrected.
This operation is generally performed on patients over 40-45 years of age. It can be performed only by plastic surgeons. Smokers should quit smoking 2 weeks before the operation. The patient should share his/her expectations completely with the physician in the pre-operative examination.
The operation is performed under general anaesthesia. According to the technique of face lifting, it may take 4-6 hours. One night of hospital stay is sufficient. Eyelid aesthetics, fat injection, botox application and face filling may also be performed in the same operation if needed.
Face lifting operations will leave a scar, although not prominent. The scars will lie along the front region of the ear and continue with the lower border of the earlobe to the back of the ear. The scars will thereby be hidden on the front and back aspects of the ear.
The patient is discharged following one night of hospital stay. In the early post-operational period, swelling, loss of sense and sense of stress may be observed in the face. These findings generally relieve within weeks. A special corset is applied to the facial region after the operation. If a drain is placed to transfer the fluid accumulation, it is removed before discharge. Sutures will resorb and will not require removal. The patient is called for a control visit 5-7 days after the operation. The patient may return to daily activities on the post-operative third day. Make-up is allowed on the 10th post-operative day. Mild sportive activities are allowed by the 4th week. Heavy sportive activities are not recommended before the end of the 2nd month.
Wounds may rarely be opened and commonly recover spontaneously following wound care. Blood accumulation may be observed under the skin in the early period. Another operation may be necessary to drain this blood accumulation.
