Facelift (Rhytidectomy)

At Brisbane Aesthetic & Plastic Surgery Centre, facelift & blepharoplasty are performed by Dr Cheng, a qualified plastic surgeon with a special interest in both cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. He performs cosmetic surgery such as facelift, blepharoplasty, browlift, breast augmentation, breast reduction and breast lift, for patients desiring to enhance their appearance.

What Can A Facelift Do For Me?
Facelifts rejuvenate the mid- to lower face and neck. Facelifts are most effective for patients who want to correct:

1. Midface sagging
2. Deep creases between the nose and mouth (nasolabial folds)
3. Jowls due to loss of muscle tone
4. Loose skin and fat under the chin and jaw

What Won't A Facelift Correct?
Facelifts can produce a dramatic improvement in appearance for patients with the problems mentioned above. However, facelifts do not stop the ageing process; in time, signs of ageing will gradually appear once again.

Further, facelifts will not rejuvenate the brow, eyelids, nose, and some of the midface. Patients who want to improve these areas may consider combining a facelift with a brow lift or eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty).

How Is A Facelift Performed?
Facelifts are typically day surgery procedures. The procedure takes about 2-3 hours under general anesthesia.

The way a facelift is performed varies depending on your facial structure, and the extent of correction desired. Traditional facelift rejuvenates the face, jowls and neck, including fat sculpting, lifting and repositioning of muscle and deeper tissues, and skin trimming and redraping. The incision begins at the temples and travels down to the front of the ear, around the earlobe, and behind the ear to the lower scalp at the hairline. Sometimes, another incision is made under the chin. Incisions are closed with stitches. Scars are hidden in the hairline and natural contours of the face.

What Is The Recovery From A Facelift Like?
After your facelift, Dr. Cheng will wrap the incisions in bandages. Drainage tubes will be placed on each side of the face and will be taken out the next day. Your stitches will be removed one week after the facelift.

At first, you may experience swelling, numbness, bruising, and a feeling of tightness or tension in the face and neck. Your face may look uneven or distorted, and your facial muscles may feel stiff. Most of these symptoms usually resolve within 3-6 weeks, and sensation typically returns to normal within a few months. Scars become less red, raised, lumpy or itchy in time.

Many patients return to work by the third week. Camouflage cosmetics can be used to minimize the appearance of bruising.

You should be gentle with your skin and hair as you recover. Men may need to shave behind the neck and ears where areas of beard-growing skin have moved.