Albany Facelift
Facelift (Rhytidectomy) Overview
You can't help but notice it every time you see yourself in a mirror - your face has aged. It's sagging. Your neckline isn't as defined. You see the effects of aging around your eyes, and your cheekbones aren't as defined. You see more wrinkles. There are lines around your mouth. Creases in your neck. You've thought about having a facelift. You've talked to people who have. Men and women. And now's the time to give yourself greater confidence and a refreshed, more youthful appearance by calling the plastic surgeons at The Plastic Surgery Group in Albany, New York and scheduling a complimentary cosmetic consultation to discuss and schedule your own facelift surgery (rhytidectomy).
Maybe you're in your forties, fifties or sixties. Your skin still has good tone but it's looser than it used to be and you can see sagging and wrinkles. A facelift at The Plastic Surgery Group can take away years from your appearance. Even if you're older than your sixties, the plastic surgeons at The Plastic Surgery Group in Albany, New York can make your seventy or eighty year old face look more refreshed, less tired and more attractive.
The first step towards a more refreshed, more youthful appearance is to have a facelift consultation with one of the plastic surgeons at The Plastic Surgery Group in Albany, New York. The plastic surgeons at The Plastic Surgery Group have years of experience taking away the years, and they have been helping residents of the Capital Region and throughout the northeast enjoy greater confidence and peace of mind for generations. Call The Plastic Surgery Group at 518-438-0505 and schedule your facelift consultation or send us an email.
The Procedure
Just as everybody's face is unique, everybody's facelift surgery is, too. Your facelift procedure will be carefully determined by your plastic surgeon at The Plastic Surgery Group in Albany, New York to best suit your own facial dimensions, skin type, bone structure and your own personal goals.
The procedure normally takes a few hours to complete and may take longer if there are going to be more than one procedure performed. Again, the placement of incisions, length of surgery and the actual methods of surgical procedures will vary depending on the plastic surgeon. You will want to discuss with your Albany plastic surgeon at The Plastic Surgery Group these different approaches and which he or she believes will meet your individual goals best.
Facelift surgery involves incisions around the perimeter of the face, close to the hairline and the front of the ear as well as behind the ear and along the scalp line in the back of the head. In some cases, if the facelift surgery includes tightening the skin under the neck, incisions will be made in the area below the chin. Your plastic surgeon will then remove the fatty tissue that has accumulated in particular areas. This fatty tissue is either cut away or removed by suction from the neck and chin areas and a new contour is shaped. The muscle and tissue under the loosened skin are then tightened, the loosened skin is repositioned and any excess skin is removed. The incisions are closed by stitches and special clips are used to secure the incisions around the scalp line.
When the surgery is complete, your plastic surgeon may place a temporary drainage tube behind your ear to assist with the elimination of any collected blood from the surgery. This will be removed soon into your recovery process.
Recovering
In most cases, men and women have relatively little discomfort after facelift surgery, and any discomfort that may occur can be quite effectively managed through prescribed medications from your plastic surgeon. There is often some loss of sensitivity of the skin after the surgery, but this normally disappears within just a short period of time.
Your plastic surgeon at The Plastic Surgery Group in Albany, New York may advise you to try to keep your head at an elevated position for a few days following your surgery to help minimize swelling. If you have had bandages placed after your surgery, you can expect them to be removed within a week's time, and the better part of your stitches will most likely come out within the same time period. The special clips around your scalp might have to remain slightly longer than your stitches because that area may take a little longer to begin to heal.
One of the most important ways to promote the healing process after facelift surgery is to have ample rest and allow your body to focus on the healing process. You'll be active in just a few days, but you should count on relaxing for at least a week after your facelift surgery. Take special care to skip all activity that is arduous, put off sex, don't do heavy cleaning around the house for a couple of weeks and refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages and taking hot, steamy baths. You will also want to avoid exposing yourself to strong, direct sunlight for a few months.
Keep in mind that your face has undergone a strenuous surgery and it will take some time for it to regain its normal appearance. In the first days and even weeks of your recovery process you may have a feeling of disappointment and even feelings of sadness about the way you look when you see yourself in the mirror. Your face may feel numb in areas. It may look and feel stiff. Your facial movements may be awkward. You will have bruising for a couple of weeks.
But all of these conditions will gradually lessen and your new, freshened appearance will begin to appear. This usually occurs after three week's time.
Potential Risks and Complications
Rarely are there serious or long-lasting complications from facelift surgery. But, as with all surgeries, there are potential complications that may occur. In rare cases, blood may collect under a certain area of the skin that will have to be removed by your plastic surgeon. Also in rare instances, facial muscle nerves may be affected and cause temporary stiffness or awkward movements.
You should follow the directions your plastic surgeon at The Plastic Surgery Group in Albany, New York gives you before and after your facelift surgery to minimize the occurrence of complications and to promote the healing process.
Common Questions About Facelifts
Where will my facelift surgery be performed?
In most cases, facelift surgery is performed on an outpatient basis in a hospital or surgical center. Some plastic surgeons may decide to have a patient stay in the hospital overnight, depending on the type of anesthesia that is used for the surgery. Other medical conditions may necessitate an overnight hospital stay. Your plastic surgeon will discuss these options with you during your consultation.
How soon will I be able to return to work?
In most cases, facelift surgery patients are able to return to their jobs within a two-week period. This depends on the individual's healing process and physical stamina.
How will my face look right after my surgery?
When you first see your face after your surgery, you may be disappointed at how it looks. You may seem extremely wan, you'll see some bruising and you'll notice that your face looks swollen. Keep in mind that during your healing process these will all fade and you will soon be seeing the benefits of your facelift surgery.
How long will my facelift last?
Don't expect your face to never age again after facelift surgery. It will. That's a fact of life. However, you will still look more refreshed and younger than if you hadn't had your surgery. Some patients have more than one facelift over a period of years to maintain their freshened appearances.
Will the scars be noticeable?
There is no way not to have permanent scars after having facelift surgery. But, the good news is these scars will be virtually invisible because they will be hidden behind your hairline or in the folds of the skin in your face and around your ears.
To find out more about facelifts in Albany and Schenectady, contact The Plastic Surgery Group at 518-438-0505 or send us an email today. Fill our our online form for a complimentary cosmetic consultation.
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