Facelift surgery is currently the most effective and long-lasting treatment to correct facial aging and sagging skin. After all, your face may not necessarily reflect your age or how you feel. And you may want to do something to change that situation. Looking young and beautiful never gets old!
There are different types of facelifts depending on the areas of the face to be treated:
Depending on your problematic areas and expectations, your doctor will choose the best treatment for you. Other popular face lift options are:
Even facial surgery in men has its own characteristics and techniques.
Although the surgical faceliftprice is higher than non-surgical treatments, the cost is offset by the duration of the treatment results. So, in the end, it is very cost-effective and worthwhile.
However, this surgical procedure requires an experienced surgeon. Top-notch surgical skills are a definite must to avoid at all costs frozen and expressionless faces. The idea is to bring out the best version of yourself.
So, are you the right candidate for a facelift? Want to get rid of annoying double chins and sagging cheeks? Is a traditional facelift the same as a mid-face lift? Keep reading to put all your doubts to rest.
Medically reviewed by Dr Osama Bahsas Zaky
Written by Joaquín Pineda
Updated on August 3, 2021
As we age, facial skin and facial muscles start to sag. Elasticity and firmness diminish slowly but surely, being more pronounced from our 40`s on.
The main goal of a facelift, also called rhytidectomy, is to achieve a rejuvenated and natural-looking face.
It is not about looking like someone else. The idea is to turn back the time, recovering a younger version of yourself.
To sum up, a facelift involves removing the excess skin after repositioning and tightening the underlying muscle layers.
The traditional facelift incision usually begins in the temple area (inside the hairline), extending down in front of your ear. Then it continues around the earlobe and behind the ear toward the scalp.
Next, the skin is carefully separated from the underlying tissues. The excess fat is removed, and the muscles are tightened. Additionally, any loose skin is cut away before stitching it up in an upwards direction.
Scars are perfectly camouflaged in the hairline to make them unnoticeable.
The intervention is performed with general anaesthesia in under 2 hours. Although, in less invasive cases, it could be done under local anaesthetic and sedation for you to feel comfortable and have a quicker recovery.
Before considering a facelift, you will have several consultations with your plastic surgeon. He should examine you and get to know your goals and expectations. The idea is to make a treatment plan specially tailored to your needs.
Your doctor must walk you through the process and answer all your questions to make an informed decision. Facelift surgery does not involve serious risks or side effects, but still.
Also, remember that you have to get clearance from your general physician and have some tests done to ensure you are healthy before undergoing surgery. Both a correct preoperative study and medical control after the intervention are of the utmost importance.
However, a critical aspect of preoperative consultations is precisely defining what procedure you are having. After all, there are different types of facelifts depending on the targeted areas.
Depending on your needs, you could have one or the other. Or maybe you could consider a combination of procedures to get an overall great result. No one wants a wrinkle-free forehead along with an unflattering double chin!
Lower face lift and neck lift is indicated to treat wrinkles in the lower face and neck area. This cosmetic surgery aims to rejuvenate the face by getting rid of jowls, double chins, and turkey necks.
The tissues are repositioned, and superficial fat is removed from the neck. Also, extra skin is cut away. As a result, the neck and the jawline are redefined, giving the face a younger appearance.
This surgery can also be combined with liposuction. The fat that accumulates in the submandibular area (dewlap) is aspirated and later injected (lipofilling) in other areas.
Indeed, even though a traditional facelift does not target the cheekbone area (mid-face), your surgeon could use other procedures, such as fat grafts or dermal fillers. Adding more volume can restore a youthful oval appearance.
In this case, the incisions are located around the ears to make them as invisible as possible.
Thanks to the mid-face lift, also called cheek lift, we can achieve natural and spectacular results. The cheeks, the under-eye area, and the eyelids get rejuvenated.
Doctor Benito is one of the few surgeons who carry out this facial rejuvenation technique in Spain.
We can lift all the cheekbone tissues through two small incisions in the scalp and inside the mouth. This allows to enhance the area without the need for implants and offering long-lasting results.
You won’t suffer from sagging cheeks anymore! Also, this technique restores the natural volume to the cheekbones improving the tear trough and nasolabial folds. If necessary, lipofilling can also be used to diminish pronounced wrinkles.
A mid-face lift is usually combined with an upper or lower blepharoplasty to eliminate droopy eyelids and get a better overall result.
The upper face lift aims to reduce or eliminate wrinkles on the forehead and between the eyebrows, known as the infamous “elevens.” You could also raise your eyebrows (brow lift).
This surgical procedure makes it possible to eliminate the sad or tired-looking faces many patients suffer from. The upper face lift can give a fresher and youthful appearance.
Dr. Benito carries out this surgical procedure with endoscopic minimally invasive techniques. Two small cuts are made inside the scalp, making the scars almost invisible. Patient recovery is faster.
Once the lifting surgery is complete, the wounds are closed with stitches. The patient will leave the operating room with surgical dressings on the head. These bandages will stay put for two days, and the stitches will be removed during the first week.
Also, in some cases, drains could be left in place to avoid fluid build-up (including blood).
Although a facelift is treated as a day case and hospitalization is not usually necessary, we recommend that the patient be accompanied. You must get assisted in the following hours after the intervention.
The day after the intervention, the surgeon removes the bandages and evaluates the incisions. If everything is ok, he will give you additional recommendations and schedule a follow-up consultation.
The postoperative period is not very painful, although it may be uncomfortable. To reduce swelling, we use a special facial mask (hilotherapy) that provides cold at a constant temperature of 15ºC.
Sleeping the first days propped up with the head slightly elevated can help the swelling subside and ease the discomfort you may experience.
The recovery time will last around two weeks. As in other plastic surgeries, the patient will experience some bruising and swelling in the treated area. These symptoms will fade gradually.
Fifteen days after the facelift surgery, the patient can return to normal life. Before this time, you should be especially careful with sun exposure. Also, you are not allowed to engage in strenuous activities, heavy lifting, or bending down.
At first, your face will look a little puffy and swollen. Also, the skin could look and feel too tight. This usually settles down within six weeks of surgery. Although, you must wait about six to nine months to judge the final results of your facelift.
Frozen faces have long been associated with Botox and botched facelifts. But noting farther from the reality of these days.
Old-fashioned techniques with completely artificial and expressionless faces are a thing of the past. The unnatural results were not caused by the technique itself but rather by poor skin management.
Nowadays, the goal is to restore youthful features with a delicate hand. It is not just pulling the skin as tight as possible. Facelift surgery is about balance and precision.
That is why we always highlight the importance of placing yourself in the hands of specialists who have long experience in this type of technique. The right surgeon will, despite the wishes of the patient, know was is best for you and will give you wise advice.
The facelift cost depends on many factors, including the time of surgery and the costs associated with admission to the clinic.
Without knowing the patient, we do not offer approximate prices since each patient is different. But we know that the economic factor is important when making the decision.
For this reason, we offer the patient the possibility of coming to the clinic facilities for a free and no obligation first visit. You will be able to consult with the surgeon all your doubts or concerns.
The medical team will offer the best solution and the best price for your facelift.
Currently, there are many facial rejuvenation techniques.
We have several tools such as botulinum toxin, radiofrequency, dermal fillers, peelings, or laser, to delay the signs of aging.
The combination of many of these techniques allows facial aging to be treated with a speedy recovery. They are performed in consultation, so no hospitalization is needed.
These non-surgical facelift treatments are effective in situations of mild flaccidity, though. For instance, the nasolabial folds or marionette lines can be treated suitably with a combination of Botox and hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers.
Another alternative option to a surgical facelift is the thread lift. The incisions are minimal, and the post-procedure redness or bruising is easy to hide with makeup. We use 2-3 threads to help maintain the right angle of the neck.
Tightening threads can be combined with fat liposuction or Botox. In the mid-face, one or two threads help to raise the cheek tissue. The result is immediate and provides a rejuvenating effect that can last 1-2 years.
However, in severe cases where there is too much sagging skin due to dramatic weight loss or when the patient has reached a certain age, the non-surgical treatments are not effective. Hence, traditional facelift surgery stands out as the most effective technique to remove wrinkles.
The technique has evolved over the years. Currently, face lifting is practiced with different state-of-the-art techniques, including laser facelift. No other treatment can achieve the same results.
Besides all this, the cost/benefit ratio leans in favor of the surgical facelift. The duration of the treatment results offsets the cost. You can expect to enjoy the results for nearly a decade.
With more than 20 years of experience, Doctor Jesús Benito has a long experience in the application of different lifting techniques. Current facelift techniques have made the technique less invasive, with faster recovery and a longer lasting result. The scars are totally invisible.
Doctor Jesús Benito is a recognised authority in Spain in plastic, reconstructive and cosmetic surgery.
Specialist in plastic and cosmetic surgery.
If you wish, you can send us some photos to have an estimate quote. Photos will not be stored and will be treated with the utmost confidentiality. Please explain the results you wish to obtain.
Antiaging Group Barcelona
Ronda del General Mitre, 84, 08021 (Barcelona, Spain)
Nearest Metro Stations: Les Tres Torres / La Bonanova
