The truth behind a facelift procedure
September 19, 2019Hello everyone, this article is about something very popular nowadays. It is a medical procedure in huge demand lately. The procedure is a face lift with a neck lift.
In the last 4 years, more and more people are coming to Costa Rica looking for a fresh and youthful look either for personal and relationship reasons or sometimes just to appear more youthful in their job as they enter their senior years. A face lift is very desirable after 50 years of age.
Interestingly, in the last four years, the percentage of men having plastic surgery vs. women has increased to 50/50. This is a marked increase in male facelifts as cosmetic surgery has become more popular, and as prices remain much lower than the U.S. in modern countries such as Costa Rica.
Most patients also choose an eyelid lift along with a face lift and neck lift in order to have an overall refreshed appearance, and even sometimes combined with abdomen liposuction to trim down the body for a slimmer profile.
My article today is about this popular facelift procedure.
What is a facelift?
A facelift is a surgical procedure that repositions and tightens lax skin and muscle of the face and neck. It can address sagging, deep folds, jowls, muscle laxity, and banding of the neck.
From what I have seen in our patients, depending on the amount of work they had done, incisions may be hidden in front of and behind the ears, oftentimes extending up into the hairline. If the neck requires additional tightening or fat removal, a separate incision will be made in the natural crease under the chin. The resulting scar is minimal and generally imperceptible once fully healed.
Patient also tell me the level of pain is minimal after the surgery. This is an outpatient procedure and most patients come back to the recovery inn either the same day or the following day.
A facelift procedure alone doesn’t include any work to the eyelids or brow. Brow lifts and upper and eyelid surgeries are separate procedures that patients can tack on at a small additional cost. The average downtime is about one week before returning home from Costa Rica.
What are the variations of the facelift?
You may have read reviews that mentioned a “SMAS lift” or a “deep plane facelift,” and wondered, ‘What’s the difference?’ The SMAS, which stands for superficial musculoaponeurotic system, is a natural sheet of firm tissue which covers the muscle layer of the face.
The SMAS and deep plane lifts are two distinct techniques that deal with this layer in slightly different ways. During a SMAS lift, the skin is lifted off the SMAS and muscle layer. The SMAS can be tightened or even reduced (a SMASectomy, which involves removing some of the SMAS).
With a deep plane facelift, the skin and SMAS are lifted together as one unit, and tightened. Proponents of deep plane say the results are more natural-looking and longer lasting, but multiple studies have found no major differences between the two approaches in patients over 50 years old, even when comparing the results of the two types of facelifts over a 10-year period.
The type of facelift your surgeon performs will come down to preference—the technique they’re trained in and feel most confident delivering—as well as your skin thickness and quality, the angles of your neck, and your expectations. For example, when someone has thick skin and a very full face, a deep plane lift may provide better support. For a very thin person, a SMAS procedure may be a better option.
What happens after the treatment?
You’ll return to the recovery inn in bandages, which are typically removed after the first day. Once the bandages come off, you’ll have to care for the incisions, cleaning them with saline solution and applying a thick ointment provided by your doctor. You can’t shower for one day, or until the drains are removed. Personal care of this type is provided by registered nurses in Costa Rica surgery recovery inns.
Expect to be swollen and bruised for short time. Your swelling should peak at 48 or 72 hours. That means you may look more swollen on day two or three than you did on day one. You should also avoid bending over or doing any heavy lifting for two weeks.
If you follow these guidelines, you will see a substantial reduction of swelling between day seven and day 10. The stitches are removed around seven days afterward surgery. As you begin to heal, you may experience itchiness, swelling, and some tightness, which is completely normal and, for most, subsides within the first two weeks.
You’ll also have to avoid anything that elevates your heart rate for two weeks, so no cardio or weight lifting. But light walking is okay. You should avoid strenuous exercise, including activities such as golf and yoga, until approximately four weeks after surgery.
Occasionally, a patient will develop a hematoma, which is a collection of blood under the skin. It usually stems from too much activity while healing or elevated blood pressure. If you develop one, your doctor will need to perform a small surgical procedure to drain the blood.
When will you see results and how long will they last?
Once the bandages come off on day one, you’ll be able to see some of the results even with all the swelling and bruising. You should be restaurant-ready by two weeks and back to social events and exercise by six weeks, but full results may take up to a year.
The results may not be permanent depending on your natural aging process but your skin will be tighter and have a more lifted and youthful appearance lasting 10 years or more. You may also have touchups as you age. Maintaining good health and taking good care of your skin definitely make the results of a facelift last longer. Wearing sunblock, eating right, getting enough sleep, and trying to minimize stress are wonderful ways to keep your skin and the results of your facelift looking their best.
How much does a facelift cost?
The cost of a facelift can vary widely, depending on your surgeon’s level of reputation, their practice location, and the type of facelift you get.
Facelifts in the U.S. can be expensive with an average price of more than $12,000, which includes the surgeon’s fee plus hospital and anesthesia costs—none of which is covered by insurance.
That is why many patients seek this procedure abroad because the price difference is huge. The average price in Costa Rica is around $4000 and Mexico is about the same price.
As I always say for those undergoing this procedure, please research the plastic surgeon’s skills, experience and reviews to make sure you will be in good hands. It is also important to eat well so that you can heal well. That means a diet high in protein immediately following surgery, and also avoiding fish oil, alcohol, ginkgo biloba, vitamin E, and other blood thinners, which can prolong bruising.
As a disclaimer, nothing in this article should be taken as medical advice, It is only general observations, so please be sure to ask your surgeon all of your questions and follow his/her advice.
I will leave you with these good resources to continue your research about this subject and I wish you all the best in your upcoming surgery!
Medical Association of Guadalajara
