With the passage of time, skin loses smoothness of youth and wrinkles begin to appear, especially around the eyes, mouth and neck.

Why do we age? First symptoms

The action of the time and the law of gravity cause a gradual loss of muscle tone which results in flaccidity. There is also a loss of resistance and elasticity of the skin due to a decrease in the fatty tissue and collagen. The skin is thinner and gets dry, it loses luminosity and stains. The blood vessels become weak and get ruptured with greater ease, causing the appearance of red marks. Lips lose color and become thinner. There is an excess of skin in eyelids and these could fall on the eye. The jaw loses bone tissue. Forehead, nose and ears become more prominent. The tip of the nose and the lip corners drop. From 30 years old onwards, the first signs of aging become visible on the face, which goes on increasing gradually and continuously. Sometimes this happens very soon in women who gesticulate in excess or sunbathe too much. However, the face chronology is also affected by other factors such as health, sun exposure, muscle tone and the elasticity of the skin; also its care, changes in nutrition, extreme fluctuations of weight and abuse of tobacco, alcohol and drugs are relevant. When we age, we usually lose a layer of fat that supports and fills the skin of the face. This, together with the loss of elastic support, creates a tired and sad look.

How to improve the most visible signs of aging?

The best way to stop the passage of time is through one of the blue-ribbon plastic surgery: lifting or facelift, also known as rhytidectomy or rhytidoplasty.

What does facial lifting involve?

It is a surgical operation through which a facelift is carried out in order to reduce the folds and wrinkles and, in this way, get a greater rejuvenation of the patient. The result is achieved by tightening the muscles of the face, eliminating the excess of fat and redistributing the skin of the face and the neck. Through lifting one can improve the most visible signs of aging. In a simple way it could be explained that the plastic surgeon makes some incisions on the hair line, in the temples, behind the earlobes and in the low area of the scalp. After that, he extracts the fat tissue, stretches the skin and, finally, sutures the incisions.

Are there any different types of lifting?

Yes, there are. You can talk about the forehead-temple lifting (or the upper third) that allows to correct the fall of the eyebrows and forehead wrinkles, and the space between the eyebrows. The lifting of the facial middle third, which recovers the flaccidity of the cheeks, attenuates the nasolabial furrows and replaces the drop of fat of the cheekbone. And the cervical-facial or total lifting encompasses all of them, and therefore, is the most complete.

Is lifting effective for small wrinkles?

It is better to use other methods (Anti-Age Treatments) to deal with small wrinkles. The lifting solves the great folds and furrows.

What type of anesthesia and admission to clinic is necessary?

It depends on the area to be treated. If it is only necessary partial stretching, you may use local anesthesia and sedation. In the case of a cervical-facial stretch, or if it is accompanied with another surgery, it is recommended that you take general anesthesia, and therefore, the admission to clinic at least for one night.

Is it safe to undergo this type of operation?

With the current medical checks, pre-surgical tests prior to the operation and a full history of each patient, it may be said that it is a safe operation.

What about scars and what are the possible complications?

Most of the scars are hidden in the scalp above the temple and toward the neck, and also in the back of the ear. Hypertrophic scars are rarely seen as they are solved with the treatment, and you can also have the facial nerve affected in a temporary way, subsiding in a few weeks. The bruise usually disappears after seven or ten days and all the stitches are also removed in the same period. To improve the swelling and the bruising, a compressive bandage is placed on the patient being removed after a few days.

What discomfort and subsequent care are needed?

During the first hours after the operation one can feel somewhat sleepy by the anesthesia, but it rarely shows any pain. There may be a strange sensation due to the bandage and because the area will be semi-sensitive, but it is often tolerated without any problems.
The inflammation becomes progressively visible over the next 48 hours, and its intensity depends on each patient. The bandage, the anti-inflammatory, the maintenance of the blood pressure and tranquility help curb the swelling, but this is a normal response of the organism to the operation. Usually, it will start to decrease from the third day onwards. Above all, it is recommended a relative rest throughout the first week, until the sutures have been removed. But one can walk, read, watch television, etc. ..., but we must avoid situations of effort or nervous tension.

It is normal for the patient to feel alterations in the sensitivity in the first weeks, this is quite normal, as the small nerves that supply the skin also need to heal. The operation in itself is not in any way painful. In general, patients undergoing a lifting are well after two days (if there is a mild discomfort, you can always take some analgesic, never aspirins). Before removing the sutures, it is convenient to shower without getting the head wet, to avoid the steam baths and saunas, to limit one’s sun exposure for a few months, or with a very high sunscreen, to have the head of the bed higher than the rest and use towels or cold ice gel to help bring down the inflammation. To avoid problems of scarring, the best thing to do is to advise the patient not to smoke either before or after 15 days of the operation. The effect of nicotine is clear. Each cigarette means a few minutes of constriction in the blood vessels and this affects the tiny arteries that nourish the skin. During the facelift, the skin is thinner and stretches, with what you need to maximize the more superficial circulation to nurture, to protect and assist in the scarring. If necessary, it is preferable to eliminate the anxiety with some substitute of tobacco that do not contain nicotine or with a mild tranquilizer.

At what age is it advisable to have a facelift done?

Ten years ago the average age was from 60 years old. Now there are many women and men who resort to lifting from 40 or 45 years old. The results are even better, as the skin is more elastic and smoother.

How many years do we rejuvenate and how long does its effect last?

The patient, after undergoing a facelift, generally appears to have 10 or 15 years less, depending on the age when he had the operation done.
From then on, the patient grows older, but will always appear to be younger.

Does one feel a strange aspect in the face?

Absolutely not. With the current progress in the techniques of cosmetic surgery, there is no longer any change of expression or the feeling of excessive facelift. Nowadays, the results are totally natural.

Is there any auxiliary operation that is carried out simultaneously with the facelift?

Yes, there is. In order to get a greater facial rejuvenation, it is recommended that patients with flaccidity in the eyelids and bags in the eyes make a blepharoplasty together with the lifting.