About 100 years ago, there was no way to rejuvenate the aging face. Even if you were a princess who lived in the last half of the 1800s, you had no choice but to make peace with your aging face. Man is a creature who wants to surpass himself in every subject. In the last century, we have surpassed ourselves in every field from transport to communication, from science to art. We have defied the constraints of nature on us.

Facial aesthetics has made great progress in the last 100 years. Although it is still not possible to rejuvenate the face genetically or biologically, plastic surgery and medical (medical) aesthetic techniques that give the face a younger appearance are now at our service.

There are surgical and non-surgical approaches to facial rejuvenation. As of today, surgical interventions still produce much more effective, permanent and natural results than non-surgical facial rejuvenation applications. Maybe 30-40 years from now, we will take a pill and turn 25 years old. I hope we will see those days and I will retire as an 80-year-old young man and settle in a coastal town. However, until then, the best option for rejuvenating the face is aesthetic surgeries and the most prominent among them is facelift surgery (facelift, rhytidectomy). Facelift surgery is the basic building block of facial rejuvenation surgery.

What is facelift surgery?

Facelift surgery is a surgical operation that tightens the soft tissues of the face by moving them to a more ideal anatomical position and improves the signs of aging.

What is the purpose of facelift surgery?

The purpose of facelift surgery is to restore the cheeks and surrounding soft tissues to a visual appearance closer to that of youth. Our goal in facelift surgery is for the person to be the best version of himself/herself. Another aim of facelift surgery is for people to be in the top 10%-20% of the top 10%-20% of the individuals in their age category in the society they live in.

How is facelift surgery performed?

Facelift surgery often begins with an incision around the ear. This is called incision.

The tissues are then lifted from the floor like a leaf, following the anatomical planes. This step is called dissection.

Subsequently, the tissues are moved to their new position with an appropriate direction. The direction of movement of the tissues is called vector and the process of moving them is called reposition.

After the tissues are moved to their new location, they are fixed to the solid structures on the ground in order to maintain their new position. This step is called fixation.

The excessive parts of the tissues are cut off and discarded. This step is called resection.

Finally, the skin incision is repaired by re-suturing. This step is called suturing.

What are the advantages of facelift surgery?

Facelift surgery has 3 main benefits.

1. It beautifies the face. A well-planned and performed facelift surgery offers a more beautiful facial structure by reorganising the soft tissue skeleton harmony. Wrinkles are reduced, sagging on the jaw line and neck (jowling, bulldog) improves, the details of the underlying bone skeleton become clearer, and the folds at the edge of the mouth (nasolabial and marionette) are alleviated.

2. It makes the face look younger. In photographs taken shortly after facelift surgery, you will have a younger appearance compared to before surgery. We call this early benefit.

3. It makes the face resistant to aging. After facelift surgery, you age at a slower rate than other individuals in your age category.

Who are suitable candidates for facelift surgery?

The best candidates for facelift surgery are individuals between the ages of 45-65 who are in good physical and mental health. Of course, in special cases, facelift surgery can be performed at earlier or later ages. Individuals who need facelift surgery the most and benefit the most from this surgery are those who are in the last ten percent of their age group in terms of facial aging. In other words, individuals who look older than their chronological age are the most suitable candidates for facelift surgery

What are the risks of facelift surgery?

Facelift surgery has its own risks as in every surgical procedure. In general, aesthetic surgery applications have a very low risk profile. The risks of 100 lift surgery can be grouped into three basic categories.

1. Surgical risks. These are complications such as bleeding, tissue loss, nerve injury, infection.

2. Systemic and anaesthesia-related risks. These are problems related to other parts of the body that are not directly related to the surgery but occur during the operation. Deep vein thrombosis, embolism, renal failure, diabetic crisis, hormonal imbalances, zaaturea, heart attack, allergic reactions can be counted among such complications. Systemic complications are very rare after facelift surgery. Such complications can be prevented to a great extent with a careful preoperative evaluation process.

3. Poor outcomes. These are mostly workmanship errors in the design and execution of the operation. Yes, everything made by human hands is open to error. Sometimes patient-related factors can also lead to poor cosmetic results. Smoking, diabetes, poor wound healing, circulatory disorders, bleeding disorders can complicate the process and cause poor results even in the hands of the best surgeon.

How long does facelift surgery take?

The duration of facelift surgery varies depending on the surgical technique, the surgeon's experience, care and many other factors. It usually takes between 2-4 hours. While the duration is shorter in minimally invasive approaches such as mini facelift surgery, this duration may be longer in multi-layered deep plan face and neck lift surgeries. Procedures such as eyelid aesthetics, forehead lift, mid-face lift, laser, chemical peeling, fat injection added to facelift surgery also prolong the operation time.

Which methods are used for facelift surgery?

There are more than 300 surgical techniques defined so far in facelift surgery. The most commonly known of these are classical facelift (skin lift, subcutaneous lift) surgeries in which the facial skin is lifted and stretched together with the underlying fat tissue. There are many different technical variants of facelift surgery such as deep plan facelift, HighSMAS facelift, mini facelift, endoscopic facelift, MACS lift, SMASectomy, SMAS plication.

How long do the effects of facelift surgery last?

The rejuvenating and beautifying effects of facelift surgery continue for 5-10 years, depending on the surgical technique and the biological characteristics of the person. The duration of effect is shorter in procedures such as endoscopic facelift surgery and mini facelift surgery, while the duration of effect is longer in comprehensive procedures such as deep plan facelift surgery and highSMAS facelift surgery. The anti-ageing effect of facelift surgery may continue for a lifetime. This does not mean that the person will not age, but the signs of aging will appear more slowly in the field of the effect of the surgery

Do signs of aging reappear after facelift surgery?

Facelift surgery reverses the signs of aging. It slows down the appearance of signs of aging after surgery. However, it cannot stop the aging process. Signs of aging will definitely reappear over time. Imagine two sisters. Let them be identical twins. If we perform facelift surgery on one of these sisters and follow the other sister without surgery, we can say that the sister with surgery will look younger than the sister without surgery in the first year, tenth year and thirtieth year after surgery. However, both of them will continue to age. In other words, the result of the surgery will not remain as you see in the third month after the surgery for the rest of your life.

Is there a change in facial expression after facelift surgery?

Yes, there is a positive change. A more vigorous, more rested, more fresh, more energetic appearance emerges. A well-performed facelift surgery must look natural. Approximately three months after a well-performed surgery, new people who know you cannot understand that your face has undergone any surgery. In this context, the answer to the question that patients often ask with concern is: after facelift surgery, your face will not have a surgical appearance or a strange expression.

However, after poorly planned, executed and sloppy surgeries, the expression of the face may change negatively and become artificial. In some cases, it is not possible to correct the results of bad surgeries. For this reason, it is of great importance for facelift surgery candidates to carefully review the patient samples of the doctors they are considering to undergo surgery before surgery.

What kind of anaesthesia is used for facelift surgery?

I usually perform facelift surgery under general anaesthesia for patient comfort. Minimalist forms of surgery can be performed under local anaesthesia and deep sedation anaesthesia.

What are the prices of facelift surgery?

Facelift surgery prices are constantly changing with the effect of inflation in the variable economy of our country. While I am writing this article and you are reading it, different price ranges may appear. For this reason, I can explain facelift surgery prices compared to other goods and services without giving a figure. Surgery prices may vary depending on the technique of the surgery, the experience of the doctor, the service quality of the hospital and many other factors. In state and university hospitals, you can be operated on by a research assistant or a specialist physician with a price of 2-3 minimum wages. In private hospitals and private clinics, this price range will increase to 5-10 minimum wages. If you prefer an academician who has made a special career in this field or physicians at the top of the profession for your surgery, you may have to sacrifice a price roughly close to the one-year education fee of a private school or a private university.

What is the healing process after facelift surgery?

The first 1-2 days after facelift surgery are spent in the hospital. At this stage, mild pain, swelling and bruising are normal. Afterwards, an early recovery period lasting 7-10 days begins. During this period, swelling and bruising decrease and pain disappears. Between 10-14 days, you can return to social life by camouflaging with light make-up, accessories and hairstyle. Improvement at the tissue level and naturalisation of the result continues for about 1 year.

How should care be done after facelift surgery?

I do not recommend any special care after facelift surgery. It is enough to take a bath every day in your normal routine to keep the wound clean. You should take care not to hit the incisions and not to accidentally irritate them with your hands. After the surgery, we recommend applying sunscreen creams to the entire face and on the scars. If you feel that your skin is excessively tight after facelift surgery, you can apply care with simple cosmetic moisturisers or natural oils. You can continue skin care and hairdresser treatments from the third week after the operation.

Are there any scars after facelift surgery?

After a well-planned and performed facelift surgery, the scars left behind should not be noticeable at first glance in social life. In the early postoperative period, the scars may be red, raised and large. After the sixth month of surgery, the scars begin to fade and fade. Patients should be able to wear their hair in a ponytail style after a well-performed surgery. In general, the hairline towards the nape of the neck is the place where the surgical scars heal the worst. Care should be taken not to extend the surgical scars towards this area. If the surgical scars heal poorly due to the biological healing characteristics of the person, the scars can be revised after the first year of surgery. The scars left after facelift surgery are closely related to the technique of the surgery. The scar quality of deep plan facelift surgeries, in which the load bearing of the surgery is not on the skin but on the deep tissue layers, is generally better than superficial surgical techniques and mini facelift surgeries. No matter how well it heals, a scar remains after facelift surgery. If an observer approaches near your ear and tries to visually examine the surgical scar, they will be able to see this scar.

When can I return to work, sports and social life after facelift surgery?

Social life can be resumed in about 10-14 days. Of course, this period depends on the support and tolerance that people in your social environment will show to a newly operated person. During this period, you can usually return to work life. However, some professional groups who do their job with their face may need a longer period of time than an average individual in terms of returning to work. You can start simple exercises (walking, cycling, etc.) in the third week after the operation. You can return to physical activities such as yoga and pilates as long as you do not strain the body too much, do not stand upside down, and do not enlarge your neck excessively. After the sixth week, you can lift weights without overstraining yourself. You can also return to contact sports from the third month. The return of the surgery to the social life of the boat closely affects the imitations related to sports, so it is useful to consult the doctor who performed the surgery before taking an important step.

Who should perform facelift surgery?

Facelift surgery should be performed by plastic surgeons. Unfortunately, the legal legislation in our country allows anyone who graduated from a medical faculty to perform surgery to the extent they are confident. In our country, there is a situation called self-declaration as an expert. General surgery specialists, ophthalmologists, dermatologists, internal medicine doctors, even general practitioners are eager to perform facelift surgery.

The state does not protect you against the risk of being operated on by a non-specialist or incompetent physician. Each patient is responsible for acting with his/her own consciousness and common sense. Once your face is disfigured, there will be no return whether you complain or sue. Please be a conscious patient.

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O.B.