How is a face-lift done?
During a face lift incisions are made in the hair line, temple region extending down in front of the ear and then around the back of the ear into the hairline. These incisions vary depending on the technique used by your plastic surgeon. Many plastic surgeons are well trained in more than one face lift technique. The skin of the face and neck is dissected into the cheeks and neck allowing it to be mobilized upward producing a tightening and smoothing result. Many plastic surgeons can now also tighten the muscular layers underneath the skin as well during a face lift procedure. Years of specialized training are necessary to safely perform this procedure. The results can be subtle or drastic depending on the condition of the facial area prior to the surgery and the desired results.
Incisions are made in the hairline at the temples and extend down in front of the ear, around the lobe and up behind the ear, ending in the hair at the back of the head. The type of incision varies according to the surgeon’s preference and with the problem presented by the individual case. Then the skin of the face and neck is undercut, forward into the cheeks, downward and backward into the neck, thereby freeing it so it can be drawn up, tightened and smoothed. The excess is cut away. The skin edges are carefully tailored to fit smoothly into the scalp and around the ear. Some surgeons now tighten the facial tissues in two layers, first elevating and tightening the platysma muscles and a layer of tissue called the SMAS, then tighten the skin separately. Others remove the fat from beneath the jaw and in the neck to improve their contours.
