Face-Lift (Rhytidectomy)

A face-lift is the most extensive way to remove or reduce the appearance of wrinkles and sagging of the face caused by age. In a traditional face-lift, the skin is literally lifted off the face so that the skin and the tissues beneath can be tightened and the skin can be repositioned smoothly over the face.

For the procedure, you are either given Reference general anesthesia Opens New Window or a sedative through an Reference intravenous Opens New Window line and Reference local anesthesia Opens New Window to numb your skin. Next, the surgeon makes an incision that starts in the temple area and circles around the front of the ear. The skin is raised, and the muscle and tissue underneath is tightened. The surgeon may remove some fat and skin. The skin is then redraped over the face and the incision is sutured. The incision usually falls along the hairline or in a place where the skin would naturally crease so that it does not show after the surgery.

Some people are able to have a limited-incision face-lift. This surgery uses shorter incisions at the temple and close to the ear. Sometimes an incision is made within the lower eyelid or under the upper lip.

A neck lift can tighten sagging jowls and loose skin under the chin. The incision starts in front of the ear lobe and goes behind the ear to the lower scalp.

The surgery usually takes several hours. You may be able to go home that day. But people sometimes spend one night in the hospital.

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