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Facelift

Facial surgery

The facelift, or rhytidectomy improves the effects of aging in the face in the temporal area up to the neck.

There are several lift techniques, whose choice will depend on the anatomy of each patient and on his requests.

The jugo-cervical lift aims to treat the cheeks, the jowls and the neck.
It enables to redefine the facial contours and to treat loose neck skin.

Dr. Petit will listen to you in order to understand your discomfort and your expectations relating to your face. In front of the mirror, he will determine with you the areas on your face that you wish to rejuvenate.
He will analyse your face as a whole in order to suggest the best possible strategy, which will ensure a natural and harmonious result.
Dr. Petit will sometimes advise you to combine your lift with an upper and/or lower eyelid surgery, even if these ones do not constitute your main unease. Indeed, the beautification of a tired look will sublimate the result of the facelift. However, performing a lift without treating the bags under the eyes will lead up to an undesirable dysharmony between the lower and the upper areas of the face.
Dr. Petit will provide information on the scar positioning, treatment process and procedure limits, post-operative recoveries as well as main risks, so as to make an informed decision.

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Procedure limits
Facelift
Pre-operative instructions
Procedure steps
After surgery
Procedure risks
Long-term outcome

Procedure limits

The facelift softens but does not erase the cutaneous furrows (nasogenien furrows, bitterness folds).

The facelift does not correct the intrinsic ageing of the skin (wrinkles and little wrinkles) and does not act upon the facial fat reduction, which will require specific surgeries (techniques of filling, Botox, peeling, dermabrasion, laser surgery).

The facelift does not enable to lift cheekbones sagging with age.

Good candidates for a facelift are those

Wishing to improve facial contour and to tighten the skin of their neck.
Wishing a natural result, which provides a healthy glow effect preserving identity.
And having understood the procedure limits.

General pre-operative instructions relating to aesthetic surgery

Smoking cessation 1 month before and after the procedure.
Discontinuation of medicines which increase bleeding 10 days before and after the procedure: aspirin, anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant medicines, vitamin E.

Procedure steps

Pre-operative markings are performed by Dr Petit before the procedure.

The surgery can be performed under local anesthesia together with an intravenous sedation (administering of a tranquilizer) or under general anesthesia according to your choice or the associated gestures planned.

The hospitalization of one night at the Surgical Center is the most common option but the out-patient basis is possible according to the cases.

The procedure starts with a neck liposuction thanks to a thin canula introduced by a micro-incision concealed under the chin. It consists in tightening muscles and the face skin in order to treat the jowls and to obtain a clearly defined angle between the lower area of the face and the neck. The scars begin at the temples area, go down in front of the ears, then get around the ear lobe before ending in the hairline. It is not necessary to shave one’s head.

The skin closure is performed with thin resorbable sutures.

A dressing modeling the face is performed at the end of the procedure.

What to expect after surgery

The face lift is a little painful procedure. Pains are soothed by analgesics.

Ecchymosis (bruises) and oedema in the face (swelling) depend from one patient to another, during a fortnight. Makeup is authorized from the seventh day in order to conceal these ecchymosis.

The shower and the shampoo with a soft soap are possible the day following the procedure and the dressing is not necessary.

It’s not necessary to remove sutures.

The progressive resumption of daily activities is possible the day following the procedure.

The resumption of professional activities can be done within 10 to 15 days after the procedure.

The resumption of sports activities is authorized within 3 to 4 weeks after the procedure.

Perms and hair colorings are authorized 1 month after the procedure.

Procedure risks

The complications of a facelift are rare and will be mentionned by Dr. Petit during the consultation.

The main risk is a haematoma (blood pooling) in the first post-operative hours, which may require a secondary surgical revision.

Long-term outcome

The final result of the facelift is obtained 6 months after the surgery.

The definitive aspect of your scars will be known at the end of the cicatricial maturation (one year after the procedure). These ones are almost invisible full-term.

The facelift is an efficient procedure of rejuvenation creating a toned and youthful contour during 8 to 10 years. However, it unfortunately cannot deter the aging process as time goes by.