The facelift is perhaps the most famous procedure in plastic surgery. A facelift can reduce sagging skin on the face and neck and reduce some of the lines that appear with aging of the skin, helping these areas to appear firmer and fresher. Your underlying bone structure, "heredity" and skin texture all play a role in how much younger or refreshed the facelift will help you look.

Today's facelift is more effective and natural looking than ever, making this one of the reasons why according to recent statistics more than 100,000 people had a facelift last year alone! Most of your friends won't know about your facelift unless you let them know about it. They will mention that you look better but they won't know why.

Facelifts now last longer than ever before. With today's advanced surgical techniques the surgeon not only tightens up the skin, but he sculpts the fatty layers and tightens the sagging deep muscles as well. A facelift can also be done in conjunction with other procedures that help rejuvenate the face such as rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, or forehead lift. In the last few years many patients will have "fat grafting" done to their faces at the same time as their facelift in order to replenish the face volume that is lost as they age. Nowadays an average facelift will last anywhere from five to ten years and touch up procedures can be done to keep you looking as good as you can for as long as you can.

Ideal candidates for this procedure are men or women whose face and neck have started to sag, magnifying the aged appearance of the skin and who feel that their external "look" does not relate to their level of activity and how they truly feel "inside".

Typical facelift patients are in the 40 to 70 year range but the operation can be done safely on people into their mid 80s.

Most facelifts are performed under local anesthesia, combined with intravenous sedation to relax you. You will be awake but will not feel any pain. Other times it is performed under general anesthesia where you will be put to sleep during the procedure.

The surgeon performs a facelift operation through incisions that are placed in the hairline, in front or partially within the ears as well as behind the ears. The incisions are designed specifically for each patient in order to keep the resultant scars as inconspicuous as possible. Depending on which areas of the face and neck require correction, incisions may be placed in the lower eyelid, upper gumline, and temples or beneath the chin. Some scars are unavoidable but usually they fade gradually with time and become barely noticeable.

After surgery, you will experience temporary skin discoloration, some numbness and tightness in the face and neck areas. Sutures are removed within the first 7-10 days and the initial recovery period for the facelift takes between ten days to two weeks and in average most people get back to work at this time. The rest of the healing process is gradual, so expect to wait several months for optimal results. As with any surgery complications can occur, and it is extremely important to follow closely your surgeon's advice before and after the surgery.

Please set-up your free consultation with Dr. Guiloff to find out if this procedure is right for you.

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Please take a moment to look at some before & after pictures of this procedure and many other popular ones in the before & after gallery. To view the before (on the left) and the after (on the right).

See Before & After Photos of Facial Procedures