Cosmeticsurgeon.co.uk - UK Cosmetic Surgeons

Find a cosmetic surgeon for your cosmetic surgery procedure or view before and after photos for breast enlargement, liposuction
and more....

Please select your nearest location... Search by City / Town Aberdeen Ayr Barrow Basildon Bath Bedford Belfast Birmingham Blackburn Blackpool Bolton Bournemouth Bradford Brighton Bristol Cambridge Canterbury Cardiff Carlisle Caterham Cheltenham Chester Chichester Chorley Clydebank Colchester Coventry Crawley Crewe Cumbernauld Derby Droitwich Dudley Dundee Dunfermline East Grinstead East Kilbride Eastbourne Edinburgh Elland Essex Exeter Farnham Gatwick Glasgow Gloucester Halifax Hamilton Harpenden Hastings Hereford Hertfordshire High Wycombe Huddersfield Hull Huntingdon Inverness Ipswich Kilmarnock Kingston Upon Thames Kirkcaldy Lancaster Leeds Leicester Lichfield Lincoln Liverpool Livingston London Luton Macclesfield Manchester Middlesbrough Milton Keynes Newcastle Newport Northampton Norwich Nottingham Nuneaton Oldham Oxford Paisley Perth Peterborough Plymouth Poole Portsmouth Preston Princes Risborough Reading Ripon Rochdale Rotherham Salford Salisbury Sheffield Slough Solihull Southampton Southend St Albans St Helens Stafford Stevenage Stirling Stockport Stoke-on-Trent Sunderland Sutton Sutton Coldfield Swansea Swindon Telford Torquay Tunbridge Wells Wakefield Walsall Warrington Washington Watford West Bromwich Wigan Wimbledon Winchester Wolverhampton Worcester Wrexham York ------------------ Search by County ------------------ Aberdeenshire Ayrshire Avon Bedfordshire Berkshire Buckinghamshire Cambridgeshire Cheshire Cornwall Cumbria Derbyshire Devon Dorset Dunbartonshire Durham East Sussex Essex Fife Glamorgan Gloucestershire Hampshire Herefordshire Hertfordshire Kent Lancashire Leicestershire Lincolnshire Merseyside Middlesex Norfolk Northamptonshire Northumberland North Yorkshire Nottinghamshire Oxfordshire Shropshire Somerset South Yorkshire Staffordshire Suffolk Surrey Sussex Tyne and Wear Warwickshire West Midlands West Sussex West Yorkshire Wiltshire Worcestershire Yorkshire

Guide To Cosmetic Surgery - Face and Neck Lift

Face and Neck Lift

In medical parlance this is known as a ‘rhytidectomy’. It is the third most popular cosmetic procedure for women and is seen as a great way of removing signs of the ageing process. Lines and wrinkles can be removed and the skin tightened to give a youthful appearance.

Over time the skin starts to show its age. Environmental factors such as sun, wind, air pollution etc can take their toll as can lifestyle, genetics and nature.

This procedure can restore a youthful appearance but it is important to remember that this cannot stop the ageing process. Further surgery may be required at some point in the future.

This procedure can be performed on its own or in conjunction with other procedures such as eyelid surgery or blepharoplasty.

Suitability for face/neck lift surgery

There are a variety of factors to be taken into account when determining a patient’s suitability for surgery. Age, state of health and mental wellbeing are all important factors.

Those patients who achieve the most from cosmetic surgery are those who are in good health, realistic about the results and are prepared to follow the pre and post-surgery guidelines.

As this is primarily a surgery to correct signs of ageing, it attracts those patients aged 40 upwards. The usual age range is 40 to 70 although surgery has been performed on patients aged over 70. They too have reported good results from this procedure.

It will help your case if you have skin which has some elasticity and a strong underlying bone structure. If you have clearly defined features then this will help. If your facial structure is weak then facial implants may be recommended along with a facelift.

The main reason for wanting surgery is to correct loose, sagging skin around the face and neck. Sagging folds, wrinkles and lines are undesirable for both men and women although more women than men undergo this procedure.

Note: Men face a greater risk of blood clotting after surgery because they contain more blood cells in their faces than women.

This will be discussed at your initial consultation. These reasons along with your medical history and other factors, such as lifestyle will be taken into account.

If you are advised against surgery then there will be a very good reason for this refusal. You will have been refused because the surgeon felt that the risks outweighed the benefits. If this does happen then he or she may be able to suggest an alternative.

These include chemical peels and anti-wrinkle injections.

Preparation for surgery

The surgeon will be able to advise you on how to prepare for your procedure. These instructions will include what you can eat and drink before surgery – and the time of your last meal. What medications you can or cannot take. For example, aspirin,
anti-inflammatory medicines, Vitamin E and various homeopathic remedies are considered unwise to take as they can interfere with the healing process. They can slow this down or cause bleeding, during or after surgery.

This preparation can last over a period of months. It will include arranging time off work from your employer, asking a friend or family member/partner to help you out at home after your surgery and packing things in readiness for your procedure.

Once you have had your surgery then you are into a period of recovery at home. This will mean plenty of rest and allowing yourself time to heal. It is a good idea to prepare for this in advance by adopting the following plan:

• Doing all the normal household jobs in advance so they don’t need doing for the first week after surgery.
  
• Having enough painkillers and/or essential medications.
  
• Asking someone to drive you to the hospital and pick you up the next day.
  
• Making sure you have enough reading material, DVD’s and any other forms of relaxation.
  
• Cooking and preparing meals in advance (prepare in batches and freeze them), buying in bottled water and light snacks.

An important issue here is that of smoking. If you smoke then you will be asked to stop this at least 2 weeks before your surgery. Some surgeons may ask you to stop a month beforehand.

Do not resume until 2 weeks after surgery.

Smoking can affect the healing of surgical wounds which will lengthen your recovery time. It can also influence the outcome of the surgery which means that the results may not be as good as expected. Smoking causes the tissues of the body to absorb carbon monoxide and nicotine which deprive these tissues of oxygen. This can also damage the blood vessels as well.

Ideally, it would be better if you can stop altogether as this will maximise the results but we know this can be difficult. If you are wanting to stop then the surgeon can recommend a stop smoking programme.

The face lift procedure

There are three types of face lift:

1. Full or standard face lift

2. Mid face lift

3. Mini or ‘weekend’ face lift

The standard face lift is as the name says: it improves the whole of the face. Often performed on the lower face and neck.

The mid face lift concentrates on a specific area of the face, such as the area of the cheek below the eyes.

The mini face lift is known by a variety of names such as the
short-scar facelift and the S-lift. It is known for its minimised risk of scarring.

Newer techniques are being developed all the time with the aim of reducing any scarring. The aim is to give a more natural look but with little scarring.

Whichever procedure you choose will be performed under a general anaesthetic. In a few rare cases a local anaesthetic with sedation will be used. This procedure can take 3 to 4 hours on average.

There are a variety of techniques which include endoscopic or keyhole surgery (thin tube with a camera mounted upon it) and minimal access cranial suspension (MACS).

The latter technique involves smaller incisions in the temple and at the front of the ears. The fibrous tissue under the skin is pulled tight and stitched in place, to tissue close to the bone.

In general, the incision is made in the temple area and will extend in front of the ear and continue behind this to the lower scalp. Another incision may be made under the chin if a neck lift is being performed.

Skin is separated from the fat and muscle beneath. Excess fat is removed from the neck and chin which will give a smoother jaw line. The underlying tissues and muscles are tightened and the skin is lifted and re-draped. This will smooth any out wrinkles and lines.

The surgeon will close these incisions with tiny stitches and metal clips are often used to secure the skin over the scalp.

Small, drainage tubes are placed behind each ear to remove any excess fluid. These are a temporary measure only and will be removed once you go home.

Your face will be wrapped in a special compression bandage which will help to reduce any swelling and bruising.

The scars are hidden behind the ears or in the hairline and will fade after 3 to 6 months.

You can expect to stay in hospital for 1 to 2 days.

Recovery

Once the anaesthetic has worn off then you may experience some pain and discomfort. You will be given painkillers to deal with this. You can expect some bruising, soreness and swelling although these will ease after a week.

Ice packs and cold compresses can help to reduce any swelling as will keeping the head elevated for a couple of days.

You may notice some facial numbness but this is normal and will return over time.

The stitches will be removed 5 days after surgery and the metal clips 10 days afterwards. The scalp does tend to take longer to heal so the clips are left in for longer than the stitches.

Do not wash or shampoo your hair until the bandage is removed or 5 days following surgery.

It is a good idea to avoid alcohol, exposing your face to the sun and any bending, stretching or lifting. Do not use steam baths or saunas during this time.

The main thing is to rest and take things easy. Have someone wait on you for a change and relax. Read, watch television or listen to music.

Recovery from surgery is usually a smooth process but contact your surgeon if you notice any of the following:

• Chest pains
• Shortness of breath
• Irregular or racing heartbeat
• Sharp, intense pain
• Excessive bleeding
• Infection
  

You will be able to resume your normal activities after 3 weeks and sport/exercise after 5 weeks.

It can take up to a year for the scar tissue to completely heal.

The benefits of face/neck lift surgery

Most patients are happy with the results and report a sense of increased self-confidence, and a younger looking appearance.

The results last for 10 years. Further surgery may be required after that if you wish to preserve your new look.

The face will be firmer, tighter and fresher looking. Wrinkles and lines will have been removed and excess fat trimmed. The jaw line will be smooth and clearly defined. That previously flabby neck will be tighter. 

The risks of face/neck surgery

All surgery is risky. Risks are very small but they do happen. The vast majority of cases have no problems but things can wrong and do in a small minority of cases.

Bleeding, infection or even a bad reaction to anaesthesia is just some of the side effects. These are common to all forms of surgery.

Then there are risks peculiar to face/neck lift surgery. These include the following:

• Numbness around the surgical areas. These include the chin, neck and cheeks. This is usually temporary and will return after 3 to 4 months. It can take longer is some patients.
  
• Skin necrosis (skin ‘death’): this is where the skin dies as a result of a lack of oxygen. This is more of a risk for smokers.
  
• Keloids: these are thick, angry red scars which can be treated by steroid injections or a special type of tape.
  
• Broken capillaries: these can be treated with a laser.
  
• Skin discolouration: rare but does happen. The skin will return to normal after a few months.
  
• Crusting: this is where crusts or scabs can form over the incisions. It tends to be temporary.
  
• Nerve damage: facial nerves can be damaged during surgery but can repair themselves after 6 months.
  
• Skin or hair loss: this is, again, a rarity. Hair will re-grow after a few months.

If you notice any of these then contact your surgeon.