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Face Lift in Los Angeles, CA

A facelift is a procedure which involves raising the facial skin in order to eliminate or make less obvious hanging folds and lines that appear as we age. Most commonly, this involves the skin of the neck, the area under the chin, cheeks and temporal regions. Sometimes, the forehead and eyebrows may be included as a separate part of this procedure.

In order to understand the procedure, it is helpful to know what causes the skin to sag as we age. Young people have few facial lines; the skin is firm and smooth, and fatty tissue lying under the skin is firm, filling out tissue contours and resulting in a smooth-appearing skin. As we get older, the fatty tissue decreases and shrinks, causing the skin to fit more loosely; much the same process occurs if an individual loses a great deal of weight. Additionally, lines become evident where facial muscles attach to the underlying portion of the skin. Most patients considering this operation often become aware of the changes in skin under the chin, upper neck and jowl areas.There are many factors which have a bearing on the way we age; for instance, genetic characteristics are important. Often, people with dry and thin skin show more profound signs of aging than others. Also, overexposure to sunlight has been known to dry the skin and produce earlier wrinkling of the skin. The basic operation has been designed to lift, stretch and remove sagging skin.

Today, a more sophisticated face lift is being performed. In addition to removing sagging skin, a layer underneath the skin called the SMAS is tightened. This softens the cheek folds around the mouth and makes the face lift last longer.

As is the case with many cosmetic procedures, the face lift can be performed under local or general anesthesia, depending upon the patient's preference. It can be performed on an out patient basis with the patient admitted to a surgi-center and discharged on the same day, barring any complications.

Post-operatively, the patient may feel a numbness or tension in the neck and cheek areas as well as around the ear as a result of separating nerve fibers in the skin during the procedure. In almost all patients, the numbness will disappear. Swelling and bruising will vary depending on the patient, but usually lasts from ten to fourteen days. Swelling around the eyelids is not uncommon after the procedure.

 


 


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