Facelift & Necklift

The most important goal of facial rejuvenation surgeries is to correct the sagging facial and neck skin to remove the excess skin. During consultation, patients who apply for this surgery often pull their faces back and up in the mirror and say, “I want to look like this, doctor”. However, it is important to plan the most appropriate combination of operations for the patient by evaluating the current facial anatomy, deformations, sagging tissues, excess skin, eye contour, eyebrows condition, and skin quality.

 

What is a Facelift Surgery?

Facelift and necklift surgeries are not very difficult operations. However, one needs to be aware of the seriousness of the surgery. You can return to your home the next day after surgery, even back to work in some cases. There may not be any swelling and soreness on your face. Nevertheless, it is not correct to underestimate these surgeries.

Facelift and necklift surgeries are the most effective way to correct the wrinkles and sagging of face that occur due to aging. In these operations, the skin of face and neck are removed and the underlying SMAS tissue platysma muscle (superficial muscle of the neck) are stretched. Occasionally, SMAS tissue is plicated on its own, sometimes a part is removed (SMASectomy), and sometimes SMAS tissue is loosened from deeper tissues and stretched (SMAS flap). What is important for a successful and lasting result is not stretching the skin on the face and neck, but rather the underlying SMAS and platysma tissues. Skin-only surgeries are inadequate in terms of rejuvenation and always comes with the consequence of inevitable bad scars.

 

How Many Types Of Facelifts Are There?

Facial rejuvenation surgeries have a wide range of operations. While a short mini-facelift is the best option for one patient, the comprehensive combination of a full-facelift, necklift, brow lift, eyelid surgery and fat injection may be the best option for another patient.

 

Mini-Facelift: The mini-facelift results in a short scar in front of ear and no incision behind the ear. The healing process is also fast. This operation usually lasts 1.5-2 hours.

Full Facelift / Necklift: This operation usually covers the entire face, temple and neck area. The incision may extend to the back of the ear and the temple area and all zones are intervened with. SMAS tissue can be stretched by plication method or SMAS flap. This operation usually takes 3-5 hours.

Composite (Deep-Plane) Facelift: In this technique, skin dissection is very minimal and SMAS dissection is more extensive. This technique, which is a SMAS lifting technique, provides a very effective and permanent lower face lift, and due to minimal skin dissection, the healing is very rapid and almost no edema occurs. This operation usually takes 3-3.5 hours.

High-SMAS Facelift: In this technique, which involves elevation of SMAS tissue on the eye level, the entire face can be stretched together with the middle face. Thus, an appropriate facial rejuvenation option can be achieved for patients with lower-face sagging and mid-face sagging. This operation usually takes 3-5 hours.

Midface Lift: For patients who are generally younger, with high mid-face sagging, it is occasionally possible to do an isolated midface lift. In this technique, while skin is not removed, the midface can be lifted as a whole. This operation, which is often combined with eyebrows and temple stretching with the help of an endoscope, usually takes 2-3 hours.

 

Facial Lift Combinations

For an effective facial rejuvenation, it is absolutely necessary to evaluate all the aging components of the face together and to intervene if necessary. Sometimes this is possible with a single operation, at other times it needs to be done in two different operative operations, considering the general condition of the patient and the difficulty of the surgeries (ex. eyelid aesthetic and fat graft surgery a few days / weeks after facial and neck stretching surgery). It is important to remember, however, that in order to obtain a natural and beautiful result, it is necessary to evaluate the aging components of the face together and plan the treatment accordingly.

 

How Is a Necklift Done?

The necklift is usually combined with the facelift, however it can also be done alone, depending on the situation. Depending on the muscle laxity and fat proportion in the neck, frontal approach (incision under the jaw), lateral approach (incision behind the ear), liposuction (superficial subcutaneous fat excess), or a combination of these procedures may be required.

 

Facelift Recovery Period

The facelift recovery process may vary depending on the surgical technique and the additional procedures performed. While the mini-facelift and composite facelift surgeries have a very short healing time, the recovery period is usually longer in cases in which full facelifts are combined with fat grafting.

 

How Young Will I Get?

The most popular question asked at the end of the facial rejuvenation consultations is, “How young will I get?” It is not possible to give an objective answer to this question. According to some, with a total facial rejuvenation operation the patient appears 20 years younger. According to others, 10 years. What is more important than how many years you will go back is to be aware that this operation is the most effective and lasting procedure for the aging of face.

 

Facelift and Necklift Prices

The cost of the mini-facelift, total facelift, necklift, and other combined operations will vary, depending on the length of surgery to be performed, the material to be used, and the hospital where the surgery is to be performed. Physical examination is required for a correct price evaluation.