Facelift (Rhytidectomy)

What is a facelift?
Do I need a facelift?
What outcome should I expect?
Surgical Procedure
Risks and complications
Recovery and Post-op care

The face reveals more about a person than any part of your body, even your age. However, with our rejuvenating facial procedures performed by our world-class surgeons, you can now look as young as you feel.

What is a facelift?
A facelift or rhytidectomy is a type of cosmetic surgery procedure that usually involves the removal of excess facial skin, with or without the tightening of underlying tissues, and the redraping of the skin on the patient’s face and neck to give a more youthful appearance to the face.

Do I need a facelift?
If you are bothered by the signs of aging in your face, a facelift may be right for you. These signs include midface sagging, deep creases below the lower eyelids, deep creases along the nose extending to the corner of the mouth, loss of muscle tone in the lower face that may create jowls and loose skin and excess fatty deposits under the chin and jaw (double chin).

What outcome should I expect?
A healthy facelift procedure is designed to make you “look good for your age” or “younger” and provide a rejuvenated facial appearance. It is not designed to make you look different or alter your fundamental appearance. It may also boost your self-confidence and improve the way others interact with you. Itdoes not, however, improve the quality of your skin nor does it stop the skin from aging. Some degree of facial rejuvenation will be permanent, improving laxity and sagging of the face, but some wrinkles may not be resolved with surgery, in particular, more superficial wrinkles. Results will vary with age, race, sex, weight, type of skin, previous exposure to sun, and other factors. With good understanding of the surgery and reasonable expectations as well as being in the hands of a properly trained surgeon, a successful and happy outcome is likely.

Surgical Procedure
Depending on the degree of change you’d like to see, your facelift choices include a traditional facelift, short scar facelift or a neck lift.

Traditional or SMAS facelift
A traditional facelift or SMAS lift incision often begins in the hairline at the temples, continues around the ear and ends in the lower scalp. Fat may be sculpted or redistributed from the face, jowls and neck, and underlying tissue is repositioned, commonly the deeper layers of the face and the muscles are also lifted or tightened.

Skin is repositioned over the uplifted contours and excess skin is trimmed away. Sutures or skin adhesives close the incisions.

Short-scar facelift
An alternative to a traditional facelift uses shorter incisions at the temples, continuing around the ear and possibly within the lower eyelids or under the upper.

Neck lift
Sagging jowls, loose neck skin and fat accumulation under the chin may be corrected with a neck lift. The neck lift incision often begins in front of the ear lobe and wraps around behind the ear ending in the lower scalp.

Risks and complications
As with any medical treatment, there are risks and facelifts are no different. This is in no-way to scare you but it is important that you are aware of the possible risks and accept them and weigh the benefits and risks of the procedure before you decide to go ahead with the operation. We seek to minimize these risks by carefully selecting suitable candidates and also world class surgeons as well as excellent associated doctors and hospital staff. However, despite the highest standards, complications are possible. Pre-existing medical conditions such as heart, lung, diabetes and drug allergies increase the risk of anaesthetic complications and may also affect healing. For this reasons it is important that you declare any conditions that you have, may have or have had in the past as well as any family history of certain medical conditions.

General risks with surgery such as infection, excessive bleeding, poor healing, exaggerated healing (keloids) and asymmetry can occur. Risks specific to facelifts include facial nerve injury with weakness, facial asymmetry, numbness or other changes in skin sensation.

In reality, in carefully selected patients, these risks are very small and usually don’t occur. Your surgeon will explain in detail the risks associated with surgery. You will be asked to sign consent forms to ensure that you fully understand the procedure you will undergo and any risks and potential complications.

Recovery and Post-op care
Moderate swelling of the eyelids and other facial areas are common after surgery. Immediately after surgery a large fluffy dressing is usually applied and is typically removed after 1 day. You may have a small silastic tube coming out from the incision wound to drain any excess blood. This may be removed after 1-2 days. Any stitches will be removed typically after 5 days post-op. There is normally some discomfort following facelift surgery, which can be managed with medications. The skin may feel dry and feel rough for a few months.

You should be moving around in 2-3 days, but we advise you to relax for a week or so. Strenuous activity should be avoided for 4-6 weeks to allow bruising and swelling to completely dissipate. Light social activity is reasonable at around 2 weeks though some may allow 4 weeks before engaging in such.

We have excellent post-discharge support and follow-up done by our qualified doctor and personal representatives and we can recommend a healing programme for you to try. Please consult our representatives for prices.

We recommend that you stay within the Klang Valley for 2 weeks post-op to ensure that any early complications can be dealt with immediately. You will be taken care of by us throughout this period and this will also allow at least one follow-up by your surgeon before you head home or go for one of our fabulous holiday packages.

Check out our Cosmetic Surgery packages and also packages for combined procedures – further savings and no need for multiple general anaesthetic!