Face lifts
Cervico-facial lifting is the surgical correction of ageing in the neck and face, from the temples to the jowls and neck.
Presentation
A facelift can be considered from the age of 40 or 45. It can be combined with aesthetic eyelid surgery or aesthetic medicine:
- TCA peel
- Treatment of wrinkles with hyaluronic acid, Botox injections, etc.
The patient’s motivations and requests will be analysed during this consultation. The face and neck will be carefully studied, along with photos of the patient taken when they were aged between 20 and 30. The cervico-facial lift will treat sagging and slackening of the skin and muscles of the face (temples and eyebrows, cheeks, jowls, oval of the face) and neck.
Procedure
The skin incisions of the cervico-facial lift are mostly hidden in the hair (at the temples and nape of the neck) and around the ear. From the incisions, the skin is slightly detached; the extent of this detachment depends on how much the tissues have slackened.
The muscles are then re-tensioned to correct the sagging, while preserving the facial expressions.
In the case of localised excess fat, liposuction is performed at the same time as the operation: it can be performed on the neck, chin and jowls.
The skin is then naturally reattached, and the excess skin removed. The cervico-facial lift sutures are performed without tension. If the face is emaciated, this aspect can be corrected at the same time by re-injection of autologous fat (lipostructure).
The patient is generally discharged the day after the facelift. During the first few days, you should rest as much as possible and avoid any intense exertion. During these first few days, the patient should not worry about the minor bruising or oedema that will appear – it will wane within about 2 weeks. Basically, you will be able to meet close friends and family from the 7th day. But you should hold on for up to 2 weeks after the facelift to meet people whom you do not want to know about the operation.
Results
Thanks to the progress made and great technical meticulousness, a cervico-facial lift usually achieves a very visible rejuvenation effect, which remains natural: the face does not look “surgically altered” and has regained the features it had eight or twelve years ago, giving an overall rested, relaxed and refreshed appearance.
This physical improvement generally leads to a psychological improvement. In the long term, a face and neck lift makes it possible to combat the ravages of time, but ageing continues to take its toll and a new facelift procedure may be considered about ten years down the road. Post-operative recovery is generally straightforward after a properly performed cervico-facial lift, and actual complications are rare. By choosing a surgeon qualified as a Specialist in Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery by the French Medical Council and graduate of a DESC (Diploma of Advanced Specialised Studies) in Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, you limit these risks as much as possible.
