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Facelift Surgery - Dallas Plastic Surgery
Are you considering a facelift?
A facelift (technically known as rhytidectomy) by a Dallas plastic surgeon can't stop this aging process.
What it can do is "set back the clock," improving the most visible signs of aging by removing excess fat,
tightening underlying muscles, and redraping the skin of your face and neck.
Search Dallas plastic surgeons performing facelift surgery.
A facelift can be done alone, or in conjunction with other procedures such as a forehead lift, eyelid surgery,
or nose reshaping. If you're considering a facelift, this information will give you a basic understanding of
the procedure when it can help, how it's performed, and what results you can expect.
It can't answer all of your questions, since a lot depends on the individual patient and the surgeon. Please
ask your Dallas plastic surgeon about anything you don't understand.
Are you a candidate for a facelift?
As people age, the effects of gravity, exposure to the sun, and the stresses of daily life can be seen in
their faces. Deep creases form between the nose and mouth; the jawline grows slack and jowly; folds and
fat deposits appear around the neck.
The best candidate for a facelift is a man or woman whose face and neck have begun to sag, but whose skin still
has some elasticity and whose bone structure is strong and well-defined. Most patients are in their forties to
sixties, but facelifts can be done successfully on people in their seventies or eighties as well.
A facelift can make you look younger and fresher, and it may enhance your self- confidence in the process. But
it can't give you a totally different look, nor can it restore the health and vitality of your youth. Before
you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with your Dallas plastic
surgeon.
Potential risks of facelift surgery
When a facelift is performed by a qualified Dallas plastic surgeon, complications are infrequent and usually
minor. Still, individuals vary greatly in their anatomy, their physical reactions, and their healing abilities,
and the outcome is never completely predictable.
Complications that can occur include hematoma (a collection of blood under the skin that must be removed by
the surgeon), injury to the nerves that control facial muscles (usually temporary), infection, and reactions to
the anesthesia. Poor healing of the skin is most likely to affect smokers.
You can reduce your risks by closely following your surgeon's advice both before and after surgery.
Planning your facelift surgery in Dallas, TX
Facelifts are very individualized procedures. In your initial consultation the surgeon will evaluate your face,
including the skin and underlying bone, and discuss your goals for the surgery.
Your Dallas plastic surgeon should check for medical conditions that could cause problems during or after
surgery, such as uncontrolled high blood pressure, blood clotting problems, or the tendency to form excessive
scars. Be sure to tell your surgeon if you smoke or are taking any drugs or medications, especially aspirin or
other drugs that affect clotting.
If you decide to have a facelift, your Dallas plastic surgeon will explain the techniques and anesthesia he or
she will use, the type of facility where the surgery will be performed, and the risks and costs involved. Don't
hesitate to ask your doctor any questions you may have, especially those regarding your expectations and concerns
about the results.
Preparing for your surgery in Dallas TX
Your Dallas plastic surgeon will give you specific instructions on how to prepare for surgery, including
guidelines on eating and drinking, smoking, and taking or avoiding certain vitamins and medications. Carefully
following these instructions will help your surgery go more smoothly. If you smoke, it's especially important
to stop at least a week or two before and after surgery; smoking inhibits blood flow to the skin, and can
interfere with the healing of your incision areas.
If your hair is very short, you might want to let it grow out before surgery, so that it's long enough to hide
the scars while they heal.
Whether your facelift is being done on an outpatient or inpatient basis, you should arrange for someone to drive
you home after your surgery, and to help you out for a day or two if needed.
Where will your facelift surgery be performed
A facelift may be performed in a surgeon's office-based facility, an outpatient surgery center, or a hospital.
It's usually done on an outpatient basis, but some surgeons may hospitalize patients for a day when using
general anesthesia. Certain conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure should be monitored after
surgery, and may also require a short inpatient stay.
Types of anesthesia used in facelift surgery
Most facelifts are performed under local anesthesia, combined with a sedative to make you drowsy. You'll be
awake but relaxed, and your face will be insensitive to pain. (However, you may feel some tugging or occasional
discomfort.)
Some Dallas plastic surgeons prefer a general anesthesia. In that case, you'll sleep through the operation.
The facelift surgery itself
A facelift usually takes several hours-or somewhat longer if you're having more than one procedure done.
For extensive procedures, some surgeons may schedule two separate sessions.
Every Dallas plastic surgeon approaches the procedure in his or her own way. Some complete one side of the
face at a time, and others move back and forth between the sides. The exact placement of incisions and the
sequence of events depends on your facial structure and your surgeon's technique.
Incisions usually begin above the hairline at the temples, extend in a natural line in front of the ear (or
just inside the cartilage at the front of the ear), and continue behind the earlobe to the lower scalp. If
the neck needs work, a small incision may also be made under the chin.
In general, the surgeon separates the skin from the fat and muscle below. Fat may be trimmed or suctioned from
around the neck and chin to improve the contour. The surgeon then tightens the underlying muscle and membrane,
pulls the skin back, and removes the excess. Stitches secure the layers of tissue and close the incisions;
metal clips may be used on the scalp.
Following surgery, a small, thin tube may be temporarily placed under the skin behind your ear to drain any
blood that might collect there. The surgeon may also wrap your head loosely in bandages to minimize bruising
and swelling.
After your facelift surgery in Dallas
There isn't usually significant discomfort after surgery; if there is, it can be lessened with the pain
medication prescribed by your surgeon. (Severe or persistent pain or a sudden swelling of your face should
be reported to your surgeon immediately.) Some numbness of the skin is quite normal; it will disappear in a
few weeks or months.
Your doctor may tell you to keep your head elevated and as still as possible for a couple of days after surgery,
to keep the swelling down.
If you've had a drainage tube inserted, it will be removed one or two days after surgery. Bandages, when used,
are usually removed after one to five days. Don't be surprised at the pale, bruised, and puffy face you see.
Just keep in mind that in a few weeks you'll be looking normal.
Most of your stitches will be removed after about five days. Your scalp may take longer to heal, and the stitches
or metal clips in your hairline could be left in a few days longer.
Getting back to normal after a facelift surgery
You should be up and about in a day or two, but plan on taking it easy for the first week after surgery. Be
especially gentle with your face and hair, since your skin will be both tender and numb, and may not respond
normally at first.
Your Dallas plastic surgeon will give more specific guidelines for gradually resuming your normal activities.
They're likely to include these suggestions: Avoid strenuous activity, including sex and heavy housework, for
at least two weeks (walking and mild stretching are fine); avoid alcohol, steam baths, and saunas for several
months. Above all, get plenty of rest and allow your body to spend its energy on healing.
At the beginning, your face may look and feel rather strange. Your features may be distorted from the swelling,
your facial movements may be slightly stiff and you'll probably be self-conscious about your scars. Some bruising
may persist for two or three weeks, and you may tire easily. It's not surprising that some patients are
disappointed and depressed at first.
By the third week, you'll look and feel much better. Most patients are back at work about ten days to two weeks
after surgery. If you need it, special camouflage makeup can mask most bruising that remains.
Your new look - post facelift surgery in Dallas, TX
The chances are excellent that you'll be happy with your facelift-especially if you realize that the results
may not be immediately apparent. Even after the swelling and bruises are gone, the hair around your temples
may be thin and your skin may feel dry and rough for several months. Men may find they have to shave in new
places-behind the neck and ears-where areas of beard- growing skin have been repositioned.
You'll have some scars from your facelift, but they're usually hidden by your hair or in the natural creases
of your face and ears. In any case, they'll fade within time and should be scarcely visible.
Having a facelift doesn't stop the clock. Your face will continue to age with time, and you may want to repeat
the procedure one or more times-perhaps five or ten years down the line. But in another sense, the effects of
even one facelift are lasting; years later, you'll continue to look better than if you'd never had a facelift
at all.
Reference: American Society of Plastic Surgeons
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