Face Lift

As part of the ageing process which happens to all of us sooner or later, our skin progressively loses its elasticity and our muscles slacken. The stresses of daily life, effects of gravity and exposure to sun can be seen on our faces. The folds and smile lines deepen, the corners of the mouth drop, the jaw line sags and the skin of the eyelids fathers on loose folds. In the skin the first sign is fine wrinkles developing around the lips, at the outer corners of the eyes and lines of expression. The rate at which this happens varies from one person to another and is probably determined by our genes. Ageing of the skin of the face does not necessarily reflect the rate that the rest of our body and mind is ageing and many people feel frustrated that the face they see in the mirror is not the one they feel should be there. Substantial weight loss can produce similar changes in facial appearance to those of the ageing process.

The best candidate is one whose face and neck has begun to sag, but whose skin still has some elasticity and whose bone structure is strong and well defined. Most patients are in their 40's to 60's, but facelifts can be done successfully on people in their 70's or 80's.

It should not be obvious that a patient has had a facelift, but instead they look younger, more vital and cheerful. It is a procedure that technically works well but also increases morale and is well appreciated by the patient.