If you are disappointed every time you look in the mirror due to sags and folds in your face, you may be a good candidate for a facelift (rhytidectomy). A facelift is a cosmetic surgical procedure that helps you look younger by reducing the sagging areas and folds on your face, which typically occurs around your cheeks and jawline – literally “lifting” your face.
If you are apprehensive about surgical procedures that target the face, here’s a preview of what to expect for your facelift.
What Happens During Facelift Surgery?
A facelift is an outpatient procedure that takes anywhere between two and five hours. You can go home later that day after the surgery.
Facelift surgery entails the use of local or general anesthesia, depending on what and how much you’re having done. The plastic surgeon will surgically alter the tissues under the skin, making the muscles and tissues tighter, to give better contour to the shape of your face.
If the surgeon is performing multiple cosmetic procedures on your face and neck, the doctor may sculpt and reshape the fat in both areas or redistribute them to achieve a contoured effect. Afterward, the surgeon will proceed to trim excess skin before he closes the wound and sutures it.
Recovery After a Facelift
You will need to have a friend or family member drive you home after the surgery, because you will not be alert enough to drive. (And for liability purposes, it cannot be a stranger.) After having a facelift or virtually any kind of surgery, it’s perfectly normal to feel sleepy and lethargic as the anesthesia wears off.
Moreover, it’s also normal to experience pain. You will be given a prescription pain medication to ease the pain and discomfort while your face heals.
Swelling, bruising, and numbness are also normal during post-surgery recovery. Be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions for postoperative care of your wounds. Prevention of infection is paramount during this time.
You will likely have a follow-up visit with the surgeon on the second day after surgery, at which point the physician will change your dressing. The doctor will also check for signs of infection and any other abnormal progression.
Early in your recovery, it is recommended that you rest as much as possible. After a few days, you should notice the swelling going down.
After about four weeks, you should begin to notice the positive results of your facelift surgery with almost no noticeable signs left. You can spend time with people without them noticing anything at all.
Facelift Surgery in Rapid City, South Dakota
The board-certified plastic surgeons at Black Hills Plastic Surgery have the training, technology, and experience to enhance the natural beauty of your face using various facial procedures, including a facelift.
To find out more about our cosmetic surgical procedures and other techniques to bring out your outer beauty, contact us today at Black Hills Plastic Surgery by calling us at (605) 343-7208 or request an appointment online now. We look forward to seeing you at our Rapid City, Gillette, or Spearfish locations.
