Face

The skin of the face and neck tends to loosen with age, gradually forming wrinkles around the eyelids, on the forehead and on the sides of the mouth. Pouches or “jowls” may develop along the jawline and extra folds may form over the front part of the neck, forming a “double chin”.

Face and neck lifts are a surgeon’s way to restore what time and gravity have stolen. The skin is attached to the underlying muscle by a sheet of fibrous tissue. With time, the sheet weakens causing the overlying skin to sag. At the same time, the fat beneath the skin also becomes loosely attached, creating further droopiness. Face and neck lifts tighten this sheet, naturally recreating a more youthful profile and redistributing the loose skin.

The Surgery and Recovery

Any excess skin is removed through carefully concealed incisions in front of and behind the ears and in the hairline. Liposuction, or fat removal, is often performed at the same time to further refine your profile. The operation lasts about three hours, and is performed with you asleep under general anesthesia.

After about two weeks, most people find that they can return to work. As with any facial surgery, healing continues for six to nine months until every little irregularity settles down and sensation in the skin and ears returns to normal.