Face lifting is an aesthetic surgery of rejuvenation, or a process of making a person to look younger which symbolises all the positive sides of aesthetic surgery. Facial skin is exposed to atmospheric influences and to noxious substances from the environment on a daily basis and due to that it ages the most rapidly. While other body parts are mostly covered by clothes, face is always exposed. Sadness, joy, worries, bad living habits… over the years, they all leave a trace in form of miming wrinkles, while certain external factors can in addition to that more negatively affect skin elasticity. This surgical procedure removes wrinkles on face and neck, partially removes scars caused by acne or other processes, which reduces ageing signs. Face lifting can be combined with other face rejuvenation surgeries such as blepharoplasty and double chin correction.

CANDIDATES FOR THE PROCEDURE

Face lifting need in most cases appears with the occurrence of deeper wrinkles and when face and neck skin loosen. Face lifting is preceded by a consultant examination where you are going to get the basic information about the surgery, postoperative period and further face care after the insight into your facial skin condition. We are going to inform you about other surgeries which, combined with face lifting, would give even better aesthetic results. Rejuvenation aesthetic surgeries of forehead, eyelids, face and neck are closely related and it is often preferable to combine them.

PREPARATION FOR THE PROCEDURE

For facial rejuvenation aesthetic surgery, standard blood and urine tests are required: complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, coagulogram, blood glucose levels, urea and creatinine concentration and to record electrocardiogram (ECG). All these examinations can be done in Polyclinic Arcadia on the day of surgery.

ADMISSION TO POLYCLINIC

Previously appointed admission to polyclinic is possible during the morning hours on the day of surgery, or the evening before the procedure if it suits you better. After situating you into your room, taking anamnestic data, surgeon’s examination, anaesthesiologist’s examination, agreement regarding all the surgery details and marking the places for surgical section, are about to follow.

ANAESTHESIA

Face skin tightening can be performed under the local anaesthesia or under the general anaesthesia, depending on the agreement between the patient and the doctor. Due to the fact that the surgery can last for 5 hours, in most cases it is performed under the general anaesthesia.

PROCEDURE

Depending on the surgical technique, face lifting usually lasts from 2 to 4 hours. In most cases, liftings of both face and neck are performed and if it is necessary, forehead lifting can be performed too. Place and length of surgical section depend on the fact whether it is necessary to remove wrinkles from the face, neck or forehead, but most sections are in the hair area in order to avoid their visibility later. Performance of the surgical section is followed by separation of skin from subdermal tissue, surplus skin removal and stitching. With persons that have loosely hanging face muscles and adipose tissue it is necessary to perform so called deep face lifting (SMAS lift – tightening layer of subdermal tissue). Face lifting finishes with placing elastic bandage.

IMMEDIATE POSTOPERATIVE PERIOD

Immediate postoperative care lasts up to 24 hours and during that period professional medical care is being conducted and instructions about behaviour while being at home afterwards, are given. The next day, face is swathed with sterile bandages and compression girdle is placed. Compression girdle should be worn continuously for one week after the surgery and after that it should be worn for another week, but only during night. You are going to get written instructions for facial care postoperative methods before you leave for home care. If the surgery is performed by a qualified plastic surgeon with a long-term experience in aesthetic surgery, complications are minor and negligible, but it is important to follow the instructions in order to avoid any.

FINAL RESULT

Return to public after an aesthetic surgery of face rejuvenation is 10 to 14 days after. Results are visible immediately after the surgery, but it takes approximately 3 months for the face to form its final shape and appearance. Choosing the appropriate operation method of face rejuvenation and patient’s disciplined behaviour during postoperative period, are preconditions that this aesthetic procedure would give extremely good results.