Facelift, Mini Rhytidectomy in West, South, East, North London

Procedures

Face » Facelift

Why choose us for a Facelift / Necklift ?

You will be seen and operated on by a fully qualified BAAPS/ BAPRAS Consultant plastic surgeon.
Our prices are competitive and represent outstanding results.
We provide a personal and holistic service to our patients
We put your safety first!

Ageing affects all of us at some stage of our lives. However, the rate at which we age varies from one individual to another and is determined genetically although it may be accelerated by certain lifestyle factors. Exposure to the sun and the stresses of daily life can be seen in all our faces. Our skin progressively loses its elasticity and our facial muscles tend to loosen along with a loss of volume from the face. This leads to deep creases forming between the nose and mouth and the definition of the jaw disappearing. This leads to the formation of jowls and the skin of the neck appears loose with visible areas of fat. Cosmetic Surgeons London can help improve the appearance of your face and neck by addressing the most obvious signs of ageing. Your surgeon will explain in that a facelift (or rhytidectomy) and necklift tightens underling facial muscles, removes excess fat and re-drapes the skin over the face and neck in a more aesthetic manner. This will make your face look much fresher, younger and give you more confidence.

Is facelift and necklift surgery for me?

Facelift (rhytidectomy) and necklift surgery aim to provide you with a more youthful fresher face.

Do you suffer from:

Loose skin and bands in the neck
Sagging skin around the cheek and chin
Jowls
Loss of definition in your jawline
Deep wrinkles around your cheek

If this is you then Cosmetic Surgeons London can help you look much younger, fresher and give your self-confidence a boost.

What does a facelift and necklift involve?

A variety of facelift techniques have been described and the decision as to which one is the best for you depend largely on the characteristics of your face are as well as your objectives. Your surgeon will make a detailed assessment and guide you as to how best to achieve your look. Surgery requires a general anaesthetic and an overnight stay in hospital.

What types of facelift exist?

Skin Only Facelift
This was the traditional facelift and has been performed for many years. This technique involves lifting the skin from the underlying tissues and tightening it. This technique does not give a long lasting result and is not used often by Mr Sojitra
Deep Plane (SMAS) Facelift
Beneath the skin of the face lies a deeper layer to which the muscles and soft tissue is attached (Superficial Musculo-Aponeurotic System - SMAS layer). This layer can be used to elevate the soft tissues of the face to provide a longer lasting result than with the skin only facelift. This can be achieved by a number of methods. A portion of SMAS can be removed and tightened (SMASectomy Facelift) or just tightened only (SMAS plication) or by elevating a portion of the SMAS itself (the extended SMAS Facelift). All these techniques of facelift help to correct jowling and skin laxity around the neck as well as redistributing tissue volume to the cheekbone area.
Subperiosteal Facelift (Mask Lift)
This can sometimes improve facial appearance when the loss of volume is primarily in the midface and cheek regions. It involves incisions in the hairline and the fat is repositioned over the cheekbones.
The Short Scar Facelift or 'MACS' Lift (Minimal Access Cranial Suspension)
This technique involves the standard scar in front of the ear while the rest of the scar behind the ear is omitted. It is suitable for patients with mild jowls. However, this technique is limited in that it cannot correct loose skin around the neck area. Anybody with a moderate amount of loose skin in the neck will be better served with a slightly longer scar to accommodate this. However, if tightening is required mainly in the face it provides a useful alternative. The recovery is quick but the result may not be as long lasting as the SMAS type facelifts.
The Volumetric Facelift
During the ageing process there is a loss of fat in the face and a hollow appearance. This technique aims to restores a youthful appearance by the addition of volume (by injecting your own fat) into your face.

You will have seen Mr Sojitra on more than one occasion to fully answer all your questions. It is important to avoid medications, if possible, such as aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) e.g Ibuprofen (Nurofen), Sodium Diclofenac (Voltarol) for 1 week before surgery. These tablets may increase bleeding during and after surgery. It is advisable to stop smoking and no nicotine products 4 weeks before and after surgery from both a wound healing and an anaesthetic perspective.

The operation

You will be admitted to hospital on the morning of surgery and Mr Sojitra along with his consultant anaesthetist will come and discuss the surgical plan again with you and make some marks on your skin with pen. You will be required to have a general anaesthetic. The operation will take approximately 3 - 4 hours depending on whether any adjunctive procedures are carried out. Your surgeon will place pen marks on your face and while you are asleep inject local anaesthetic and adrenaline. This helps reduce bleeding during your operation as well as reducing pain and improving your post operative comfort. Cosmetic Surgeons London always puts your comfort first. The incision is made and your skin is lifted off the cheek. The SMAS layer and underlying facial muscles are tightened. The excess skin and fat you have are removed. Your skin is closed with a combination of fine dissolvable and non-dissolvable sutures. You will wake up with a light head bandage with or without eyepads depending on whether you have chosen to have adjunctive eye rejuvenating procedure (blepharoplasty) Some patients require an endoscopic browlift at the same time. Having had a restful night in hospital, the bandages will be removed the following morning. It is best you take it easy and please note that it is normal for your face to be bruised and swollen. You will need to have a friend or family member to drive you to and from the hospital and to look after you for the first 24-48 hours following surgery.

Recovery

You will experience some degree of bruising, swelling, and discomfort around your eyes and cheek all of which improve by the day. The swelling will tend to increase over the first 48 hours and then gradually subside over the next 2 weeks. You may put make-up on after a few days if you wish. Our consultant anaesthetist will prescribe you adequate medication to take home to alleviate any discomfort you may experience. You are encouraged to rest the first few nights. It is important not to get the dressings wet after surgery and you will be advised on showering. Depending on your type of work, you may return to work between 7-14 days after your procedure. No heavy lifting, straining or strenuous exercise for 6 weeks. It can take a few months before the swelling completely subsides. The fine stitches will be removed in 5-7 days. You will be seen 7-14 days after surgery. Your surgeon will closely follow your recovery.

Safety and potential complications?

Scars

Scarring on the whole is not problematic. A scar will always exist and will be in front of the ear an hidden behind the ear. Certain individuals e.g. afro-carribean races and red haired individuals are at a higher risk of forming excess scar tissue (keloid or hypertrophic scars). Should these scars develop excellent advice and treatment will be provided by your surgeon.

Bleeding

Rarely, small blood vessels that have been cauterised during surgery open up afterward. It is commoner in males and in patients who take blood thinning medications such as aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) e.g Ibuprofen (Nurofen), Sodium Diclofenac (Voltarol). This results in a collection of blood (haematoma) that needs to be removed. This involves a return to the operating theatre where the blood collection is washed out and the skin sutured back. There are no permanent side effects due to this and your ultimate facelift result will not be affected.

Numbness and nerve injury

Numbness in the face and ear area is common in the early stages following facelift surgery. This tends to be temporary and sensation starts to return to normal as the weeks go by. You may experience a sensation of "pins and needles" which is a sign of recovery. Sensation is usually normal by 3 months. Damage to the nerves supplying the facial muscle is reported in the literature but is extremely rare.

Infection

This is an uncommon problem in facelift surgery. As with any surgical procedure, if infection does occur it may be treated with antibiotics.

Hair Loss

Hair loss is uncommon and may occur in and around the scar and temple areas. No hair is cut during the procedure. Any hair loss resulting is usually temporary.

Delayed wound healing

Rarely, a small part of the scar behind the ear may take a little longer to heal. This is sometimes the case in smokers.

Useful Sources of Information for Facelifts

Cosmetic Surgeons London can improve the most visible signs of ageing by removing excess fat, tightening underlying muscles, and re-draping the skin of your face and neck.