Rhytidectomy or Facelift: What Is It, Its Types, Procedure & Recovery

ByDr. Kiranmayi Atla

The facelift is considered a surgical procedure that reduces the appearance of ageing on the face and/or neck by relocating or removing skin, fat, and/or muscle. It is also known as rhytidectomy.

The following age signs can be improved with a facelift:

  • The facial skin is drooping and relaxed.
  • There are deep folds or creases between the nose and the corners of the lips.
  • Facial fat that is missing or has decreased.
  • Skin that is sagging on the cheeks or jaw (known as jowls).
  • Sagging skin and more neck fat resembling a “double chin.”

Dr. Kiranmayi Atla, the founder of The Beauty & The Cut Clinic, the best cosmetic surgery clinic in Faridabad, has shared some vital information about facelift surgery and its technique. To provide those worried about drooping or wrinkled skin a better understanding of the procedure. For more information, keep reading.

Facelifts are regarded as cosmetic, restorative surgeries because they don’t fundamentally alter how one looks or stop the ageing process. Additionally, they cannot address UV damage, minor wrinkles, or variations in skin tone. Facelifts are specialised surgeries specific to each patient’s face and desired outcomes.

What Types Of Facelifts Are There?

Facelift surgeries are of various types depending on the face and neck regions that are being treated. Various facelift procedures include:

  • Traditional Facelift: A facelift surgery includes incisions which are made below the chin, around the hairline, and around the ears. During the procedure the surgeon tightens the muscles and other facial and neck supporting structures after separating the skin from the underlying tissues. The surgeon removes extra fat from the neck and jowls when necessary. The surgeon cuts away any extra skin and repositions the skin over the face naturally. This procedure is generally advised for those who desire to reverse mild to considerable facial ageing effectively.
  • SMAS Facelift: The superficial musculoaponeurotic system (the muscular layer of the face) targets the lower two-thirds of the face. During this surgery, the muscles are tightened, and the excess skin and/or fat in the cheeks and lower face are removed. An alternative to a traditional facelift is a SMAS facelift.
  • Deep Plane Facelift: During a deep plane facelift, the SMAS (the facial muscles), fat, and skin are all lifted together by the surgeon. The deep plane lifts typically treat several areas of the face at once.
  • Mid-Facelift: During a mid-facelift procedure, the cheek region of the face is treated. The doctor repositions the cheek’s fat, and the skin around the cheek is tightened.
  • Mini-Facelifts: This surgery lifts the lower face and neck region. It is a speedier and less invasive procedure than other facelift treatments. Surgeons typically advise mini-facelifts to younger patients who only exhibit little facial drooping.
  • Cutaneous (skin) Facelifts: These procedures work on the skin and typically target the neck and lower face.

Many times, those who receive a facelift also get the following treatments done at the same time as their facelift surgery to get great results:

  • Blepharoplasty (eyelid lift)
  • Rhinoplasty (nose job)
  • Facial augmentation.
  • Eyebrow lift
  • Neck lift
  • Laser skin resurfacing.

Who Gets Facelift Surgery?

In general, one is an excellent candidate for a facelift if:

  • One is in good physical health and has no illnesses that would prevent the body from healing
  • One who doesn’t smoke
  • One has reasonable expectations about the outcomes of the facelift.

The ideal candidates for facelift surgery are patients with facial ageing symptoms but some skin elasticity. Patients in this category are often between the ages of 40 and 60s, while younger and older people in this range can occasionally be candidates for surgery.

What Happens During Rhytidectomy (facelift) Surgery?

A lot of processes are involved in facelift surgery. Here is a description of each stage.

Anaesthesia

While the surgeon performs the procedure, one will be put to sleep with general anaesthesia or IV sedation. The surgeon will suggest the ideal choice for one and the particular type of surgery to get the optimum results.

The Incision

Depending on the type of facelift one receives, the surgeon may make incisions in these locations during surgery:

  • At the temples, around the hairline
  • Close to the ears
  • At the back of the head
  • Beneath the chin
  • Within the mouth.

The size of the incisions will also change depending on the kind of facelift one is undergoing. Before the procedure, the surgeon will go through all of this with the patient.

The Procedure

Facelifts often entail tightening the muscles in the face, repositioning facial skin, and/or eliminating facial fat. Depending on the type of facelift one is undergoing, the surgeon might carry out only one of these procedures or all of them. The patient and the surgeon will thoroughly review the procedure before the surgery.

Closing the Incisions

Following the procedure, the surgeon will close the incision(s) using one of the following techniques:

  • Discreet stitches
  • Stitches should be taken out in a few days
  • Skin glue.

What Can One except During Recovery from the Rhytidectomy (Facelift)?

Following the facelift surgery, one will have bruising and swelling, which will linger for roughly two to three weeks. Some people recover more quickly than others do. Even though one might not want to leave the house during the initial stages of recovery, one should start to feel better within a few days of surgery.

Most of the time, the doctor will take off the bandages a few days following the facelift procedure. The surgeon will want to visit the patient In the two to three weeks following surgery to check on the swelling and bruises and to take out the stitches.

How Long Does It Take To Recover From A Facelift?

How long it will take to recuperate from facelift surgery is determined by what type of surgery one underwent and the patient’s general health. One can get bruising and swelling for a few weeks. It could take two to three months before one’s face feels “back to normal,” 

The best facelift surgery in Faridabad may be obtained by contacting Dr. Kiranmayi Atla at The Beauty & The Cut Clinic. The qualified specialist is a prominent plastic and reconstructive surgeon with more than 19 years of plastic and cosmetic surgery expertise. With her knowledge in these areas, the doctor is particularly interested in assisting her patients in dealing with psychosocial effects. Visit the clinic right away for a wonderful experience with facelift surgery.