Facelift or rhytidectomy is the cosmetic procedure for tightening the sagging skin and muscles underneath to give a youthful appearance.

This is the process that can not stall the aging process or bring back the elasticity of your skin, what it does is render a fresher and energetic look.

If you are considering facelift, go through the top ten frequently asked questions below to know more about facelift.

1. What are the objectives of facelift?

The chief objective of facelift is to remove excess skin and fat from face and neck and to tighten the remaining tissue and muscles.

In the process it helps to remove big sags on the face, drooping jaw line and double chin.

However, it does not remove fine lines, wrinkles or crow’s feet from the corners of lips or eyes. The facelift also has nothing to do with the improvement of skin texture. 

• 2. What is the basic procedure of Facelift?

The basic process of facelift involves removal of excess fat from the affected site of the face. The tissues and muscles underneath are pulled tightly and remaining skin is spread over them smoothly and evenly.

The whole process is done through an incision near hairline or area behind the ears and finally the incisions are stitched up carefully.

There are various types of facelift which involve the same basic technique in addition to few little variations to suit the needs of individual patients.

The three main types of facelift are The Subcutaneous Facelift, SACS lift and SMAS lift.

• 3. What type of anesthesia is used?

General or local both kinds of anesthesia can be used depending on the condition of the patient.

On your initial consultation, you can discuss with the surgeon as to what kind of anesthesia will be suitable for you or with what kind of anesthesia you will feel most comfortable.

If the patient is applied general anesthesia, he or she will be sleeping all through the operation, but it will require him to stay in hospital for one day.

In case of local anesthesia, the patient will remain awake, but unconscious to any kind of pain.

• 4. Where does the operation take place?

Facelift is done as an outpatient operation in a surgical center. In some cases the surgery is performed in a hospital which requires a stay there for a day or two.

• 5. What is the estimated cost?

The fees of the cosmetic surgeons for performing a facelift surgery are approximately 5,300 in various parts of the USA.

Add to it the surgery facility fees and anesthesia costs and the total cost reaches anywhere from 6,000 and 12,000.

In an average, you should be prepared to shed at least 8,000 to have your facelift performed.

6. What risk factors are involved?

The facelift comes with the same risk factors like any other major operation. These factors include adverse effects of anesthesia, infection or blood clot.

Nerve or skin damage, loss of hair, long lasting scar and tissue loss are some of the possibilities of facelift. These possibilities are however rare to happen.

7.  Who is the right candidate?

Male and female alike with normal physical and mental health typically in the    age group of 30s to 40s are ideal candidates for facelift.

Those who smoke are cautioned against the complications that may arise in their cases and those under the medication of Botox, Restylane, Radiance, or others are recommended to wait till the completion of the course.

8.  What are the time and conditions of recovery?

It takes two days to remove the bandage and within seven to ten days stitches are removed. For two days you have to keep your face in an elevated position.

9.  What type of pain involved?

Pain associated with a face lift surgery is moderate to minimal that can be   controlled with pain killer.

10.     What are the expected results?

Like any other cosmetic procedure, the patients should be reasonable in their expectations.

Generally, facelift brings about highly individualistic results that vary with the features and amount of skin sagging of each patient.