Face and Neck Lift

A face lift is surgery that reduces the signs of ageing on the face and the neck. It removes the sagging of the cheek, the jawline and the neck skin. Patients usually have it in their forties, when the sagging starts, or in their fifties, when it becomes clear.

Sun, gravity and time turn firm skin into tired and wrinkled skin. A face lift gives back part of what time took. It does not stop ageing and it does not reverse time. The aim is a younger and healthier look.

How much it changes depends on your skin type, how tight your skin still is, how fast and how strongly your tissue heals, and the bone structure underneath.

What ageing does

With age the skin and the deep tissue of the face and the neck loosen. Lines form and get deeper. The fat of the cheek slides down. The line between the face and the neck blurs, and the sharp border of the jaw disappears. Fullness under the chin makes what looks like a second chin. People often still feel young and energetic while their face looks tired.

The technique today

The technique changed greatly over the last twenty years. The old skin-pulling methods left a stretched, unnatural face that looked obviously operated on. Modern techniques rejuvenate without stretching the skin of the face, and their results are natural, lasting and predictable.

The surgeon chooses the technique for your anatomy and for what you want changed. Upper and lower eyelid surgery, a forehead lift and a brow lift are often done at the same time, because together they give a more complete result. Fat is often removed from the neck as well, so that a lifted face does not sit above an untreated neck.

The cuts follow the contours of the ear and hide inside the hairline. They are almost invisible even when the hair does not cover the ear. In men the cuts are placed differently, so that the sideburns stay where they are. Hair is not lost, and you can wear it in any style.

Before the operation

The consultation is long and detailed. Bring every expectation, worry and question. The surgeon tells you which method suits you, how far it meets what you want, what the short and long term results are, and what the risks are. The anaesthetist sees you separately and plans for pain and nausea after surgery. Photographs are taken before the operation, for reference.

The operation

A deep plane face lift is usually done under general anaesthesia. Patients who prefer it can have deep sedation instead, which feels like sleep. The operation takes two to three hours.

The surgeon rebuilds the structures under the skin and fixes them where they sat at a younger age. The skin is then laid carefully over the reshaped tissue without tension, the hairline is aligned, and the excess skin is removed. Fine stitches close the cuts, and they usually heal without a visible scar. A light face dressing goes on at the end. Most patients leave hospital the same day or the next morning.

After the operation

• The drain comes out the day after the operation. The loose dressing is replaced by an elastic bandage, which you wear for a few days.
• Keep the cuts moist with ointment for 10 days.
• Complete the antibiotic course, which lasts 7 days.
• Stitches come out after 6 to 10 days.
• Do not exert yourself for two weeks.
• Stay out of strong sun for six months.

After two weeks you can wear make-up and you are well enough to return to work. Follow-up continues until you have healed. The visits at three months and at one year complete the early follow-up.