Facelift Alaska

Facelifts, or rhytidectomy, which is literally the removal of wrinkles, is a procedure used in cosmetic surgery to give an individual a more youthful appearance. This is usually achieved by the removal of excess skin, the tightening of the underlying muscles and a redraping of the skin around a person’s face and neck.

The aging face does not only lose elasticity, develop wrinkles and looser skin; it also loses muscle tone and fatty structures under the skin. Often, additional procedures are necessary to achieve the best results. One facelift can do wonders, but in certain circumstances more than one procedure is needed to achieve maximum results. Some of the options for cosmetic surgery in and around the face include: neck lifts, eyelifts or surgery around the eyes to repair or remove “bags” under the eyes or droopy eyelids, liposuction to remove excess fatty deposits; fat injection, to add roundness and tighten skin; removal of the cheek’s fat pad, forehead lift and brow lift. Chemical or laser peels are also available as are malar (cheek), submalar or chin implants.

As we age, gravity and exposure to the sun, wind and the day to day grind of life in general take their toll. All these external factors can be seen in the face. Creases or wrinkles form around the eyes and mouth, the cheeks droop and become jowly and fat deposits form around the neck.

A facelift cannot stop the aging process, but it can give the appearance of youthfulness by erasing the signs of aging. The loose skin is tightened up, fatty deposits are removed and wrinkles are all but erased. If you are an older person between the ages of 40 and 60, then you might be a good candidate to consider facelifts. A facelift can increase your self-confidence and make you feel better about yourself. The right kind of facelift done by a reputable surgeon can make you feel more vibrant, more confident, and help you present a better “face” to the world, both on the outside and the inside.

If you are a man or a woman and your neck has begun to sag, or your face is seeing the effects of gravity a bit too much, but your skin still has retained some of its elasticity, you may be a good candidate for a facelift. If your bone structure is strong and well defined, that helps ensure the results are good. Most facelift candidates are in their 40s or 50s, but successful facelifts can be done on people in their 70s or 80s as well.

In general, however, facelifts achieve the best results in women with thin skin and good bone structure. Facelifts are best for eliminating lose skin folds in the neck area and for smoothing out wrinkles in the cheeks. Facelifts can also help the eye area, though sometimes separate “eye lifts” are done. The areas that are often not corrected well by a facelift are the creases that people develop around the nose and mouth, the so-called "marionette lines".

A facelift can make you look younger, sometimes dramatically so. It can make you feel fresher, with more vitality and youth, but it cannot actually turn back the clock. It cannot give you a totally different look or restore your health. It is purely a cosmetic procedure. Before you decide to have this type of surgery done, it is wise to think very carefully about what it is you expect from a facelift and weigh the benefits and risks of the procedure. It is also always a good idea to talk about these factors with your surgeon beforehand.

A person who has continual or persistent health issues would not be a good candidate for a facelift, mainly due to the fact that, even though it is a fairly routine procedure these days, it is still surgery, and complications can arise with all surgeries. The risk of complications is multiplied in patients with health problems. If you have health issues associated with your heart or if you have hypertension or diabetes, then perhaps facelift surgery is not the best choice for you. The risk of complications is also higher for smokers as well. Though facelift surgery is often done on those with multiple birth defects that affect not only the face but the general health of the person, these surgeries are complicated and tedious, and can only be done by the most skilled surgeons.

All surgeries carry a certain degree of risk. When a facelift is performed by an experienced and qualified plastic surgeon, the incidences of complications are less frequent and minor. With this in mind, each individual is different and their anatomy can vary from patient to patient. Individual physical reactions and healing abilities vary as well and the outcome of any surgery is never completely predictable.

Complications can include hematoma, which is a collection of blood under the skin. This must be removed by the surgeon. Injury to the nerves controlling facial muscles is a possibility as well. These are often temporary when they do occur but can be permanent. Infections associated with the surgery or complications and reactions to the anesthesia occur as well. Smokers can experience poor healing of the skin.

The most common complication associated with facelift surgery is bleeding. This may require a return additional surgery to repair. Less common complications include the aforementioned nerve damage which can leave part of the face paralyzed. Necrosis of the skin flaps can also occur. The edges of the skin where it is reattached after the surgery fail to heal and the cells die. A return to the operating room is likely in this instance.

Although infrequent, other risks associated with surgery include bruising which may take longer to fade. Infection is a complication associated with virtually any surgery. This includes facelift surgery, even though it is usually fairly risk-reduced. Scarring that is widened or thickened is another complication that can occur. In some individuals who scar easily, scars develop that are thicker and wider than normal. Loss of hair around the incision site can occur. Another possible complication is asymmetry. Sometimes due to the healing process or the type of procedure performed, there remains an unevenness between the two sides of your face.