Facelift

“A facelift is a procedure where we're essentially lifting the soft tissues of the face. As we get older, because of gravity and loss of elasticity, the skin and the soft tissues on the face tend to gravitate downwards. Typically, in my practice, patients who come and see me for facelift is because they want to have the rejuvenated look. They have jowls. They've started noting that they've got deeper sulcus or deeper lines around their cheeks and their chin. They've got some excess wrinkles that they don't like down the skin. And overall, they just feel a little bit that they're a little bit too young at heart to be looking that old. And therefore, with a facelift, we can help them turn back time a little bit and have a more youthful face. Typically, what we would then do in a facelift would be to perform an incision in front of the ear that goes behind the ear. We would lift the soft issues underneath into a more favourable position with some sutures, and any excess skin is excised.

People talk about many types of facelifts. We generally put all of these types under one umbrella. We call it the facelift, and we do what is necessary in order to achieve the optimal result for that particular patient. When we assess a patient for a facelift, we generally assess the entire face and what we can do in terms of harmony of the entire appearance. For that reason, we may be talking about other procedures that we can combine with the facelift, and those can include rejuvenation of the eyelids in the form of a blepharoplasty, a brow lift if there is one needed, or lip lift.

A facelift is what I'd like to think of as a bit like a facial time machine. We can turn the dial and go back in time. However, there's a certain limit as to how far we can go back. In the meantime, we can use adjuncts and other procedures to complement the benefits of a facelift.

An age limit is not particularly applicable. It can be quite useful in cases of facial palsy, for example. It can be useful in people with congenital differences, and it can really change their life around.

I'm often asked when is the right time for having a facelift, and in my experience, there's usually not a right time to do so. It depends on the function and the aesthetic needs of the patient. As one gets older, we have the effects of ageing, and that would be when a facelift would be more appropriate. However, there are certain cases where using a facelift-type technique can be used to improve the function of a patient. I most recently had a patient who had a bit of extra drooling from the side of the mouth following multiple surgeries. In using a facelift-type technique, I was able to correct the side of the mouth, give her a more regimented look, and that helped with her function. Typically, a facelift would last between 5-10 years. However, this is dependent on the patient's lifestyle. If you use sunscreen, you look after yourself, you keep yourself well-hydrated, and you have a very healthy lifestyle, the effects of a facelift will probably last longer.

Should you wish to discuss any aesthetic or reconstructive procedure with us, please get in touch.”