Face Lift/Neck Lift

A face lift, or rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure designed to remove excess fat, tighten muscles and redrape the skin of your face and neck, giving you a more youthful look.

Most face-lift patients are in their 40s, 50s and 60s, but Augusta Plastic Surgery can also perform the procedure on men and women in their 70s and 80s. You may be a good candidate if you have a strong, well-defined bone structure and if your skin still has some elasticity.

Where the incisions are made depends on your facial structure, but they usually start above the hairline at your temples, continue down in front of your ear and curve up behind your earlobe and to your lower scalp. If a necklift is part of the procedure, a small incision is usually made under your chin.

Once an incision is made, your surgeon will trim or suction the fat below the skin, tighten the muscle and membrane, then pull the skin back in place and remove the excess. The surgeon will close the incisions with stitches and may use metal clips on your scalp.

A Facelift can be done in conjunction with other procedures.

The discomfort after the surgery is usually minor and can be treated with prescribed pain medication. You should be ready for minimal activity in a day or two, but avoid strenuous activity the first two weeks after surgery. Patients typically return to work 10-14 days after their procedure.

Your bandages, if you have them, should be removed within a week, as should most of your stitches. You will probably experience some numbness of the skin for a few weeks or months, but that will disappear. There will be some scars, but these are usually concealed by your hair and will fade with time until nearly invisible.