Face lift surgery is especially applied in patients with increased sagging in the jaw line and deepening of the fold, which we call the nasolabial groove, between the cheek and lips. There is a name confusion in face lift surgeries and patients are often confused. In this section, face lift techniques are divided into 2 and explained.
With a facelift, the sagging parts of the facial skin are stretched and the excess skin parts are removed. In addition, the connective tissue under the skin is tightened. As a result, patients’ faces are aimed to look decades younger than their biological age.
Before the surgery, the following are done to prepare the patients:
This method is especially applied to correct and stretch sagging in the lower face area. The facial skin is removed by stretching the anterior border of the ear and behind the ear. Stitches that will tighten the connective tissue under the skin are removed and the results are better and take longer. The skin sutures are sutured with absorbable sutures and the sutures do not need to be removed again.
It is decided to have a full facelift instead of a mini facelift in patients who will find that the mini facelift is insufficient and there is a difference between the lower face and the middle face that will disturb after the operation. In a full facelift, after the surgery, the scar starts from just in front of the scalp in the temple area and extends down to the front of the ear as in the mini facelift, and then from under the earlobe to the back of the ear. Since there is a scar that is more difficult to hide on the temples, it is necessary to plan a full face lift only in cases where it is very necessary.
You will be able to start oral feeding 5-6 hours after the surgery. After you start feeding orally, you will be asked to be mobilized, that is, to stand up. Facelift is not a very painful surgery. However, you will still be given pain relievers after the surgery. After the surgery, there will be a bandage on the face and this bandage will be changed the day after the surgery. The vast majority of patients can be discharged the day after surgery. If necessary, your hospital stay can be extended for 1 more day by your doctor. You will have a bandage for 3-5 days after the operation. In the following days, your doctor may advise you to wear a corset. It is requested that water should not touch your wounds for 5 days after the operation. After 5 days, you will be asked to use creams containing antibiotics before and after contact with water for 1 week.
In the first 3 weeks, the swelling will go away to a large extent and you will be able to see the positive effects of the surgery on you. You will see the full result in the 6th month after the operation. If bruising has occurred, the bruises will usually go away within 7 days.
Thread suspension methods are a good alternative for patients who do not want a facelift, as well as a treatment method that can be considered before facelift in some patients. It can be offered to the patient as the first choice, especially in very young patients or in patients whose general health does not allow surgery. The ropes used for hanging with a rope are of 2 types in the most coarse way. Suspension processes with absorbable ropes
Although both are used, the procedures performed with absorbable threads are procedures that last 6-12 months. On the other hand, the procedures performed with non-absorbable threads have a duration of 2-3 years or even longer in some patients. Since the absorbable threads melt on their own, after a while, there will be no thread on your face anymore. In non-absorbable threads, the threads will continue to be on your face even if the effect of the treatment wears off. In cases where it is not desired, it may be difficult to remove the non-absorbable threads. Such applications can be performed under local anesthesia and patients do not need to be hospitalized.