What is Face and Neck Lift?

Although face and neck lift surgery are basically two different operations, they are usually performed together and recommended together. The main purpose of this operation is to lift and tighten the saggy and wrinkled facial tissues and to make the face look naturally young. Wrinkles, sagging and loss of elasticity in the skin are seen mainly due to reasons such as gravity, aging, and overexposure to sunlight. It is aimed to rejuvenate the face and have a more aesthetic appearance by processes such as smoothing the skin, removing excess fat tissues, and tightening the tissues and muscles.

With facelift aesthetics, in addition to sagging, loose skin, problem areas such as wrinkles and accumulation in fat tissues in places such as nose, mouth and eyelids are healed, and a younger face appearance appears. In the classical face lift operation, an incision extending from the front of the ear to the scalp is applied to the stretched face and skin stretching.

Neck lift surgery, on the other hand, is an operation in which the entire neck skin and underlying fat and muscle tissues are stretched, starting from the jowl area under the chin, in order to correct conditions such as wrinkles, loosening and sagging in the neck region, and excess tissues are removed. Although these two procedures can be done alone, it is generally recommended to do them together. In this way, more successful results emerge.

Thanks to the developing technology and medical applications that are renewed every day, the face and neck lift process is performed very easily and reliably.

Preparations Before Face and Neck Lift

It is important that you first consult with your doctor about this operation, which can be preferred by both women and men, and get information about which operations are suitable, whether you meet the necessary conditions, and the healing process and risk before deciding on the operation. The pre-operative process basically starts with the patient's request for the operation to the physician.

The most principal issues that we face in the next process are:

Surgeon selection

Since face and neck lift is a meticulous procedure, experienced surgeons should perform it to obtain a successful result and to prevent unnecessary correction operations. You can also get information about the technique to be used by interviewing your doctor before the operation.

Things to consider

In this process, there are some rules recommended by your doctor, which you must follow and obey. These are:

• Do not consume anything, including water, the night before the surgery.
• If you smoke, you should stop or reduce smoking a while before the surgery by consulting your doctor.
• Pay attention to a healthy diet and not to consume alcohol in the last week before the operation.
• Inform your physician of the medicines, herbs and supplements you have been using recently. For example, some drugs (such as aspirin) may cause post-operative bleeding. For this reason, you should strictly follow your doctor's recommendations.
• You should not do heavy exercises the day before the face and neck lift.
• Take care to brush your teeth without swallowing any water on the day of surgery. If you need to drink a medicine recommended by your doctor, do so by drinking a minimum of water.
• Wearing wide and comfortable clothes and shoes on the day of the face and neck lift, will make the post-operative process more comfortable.

Extra precautions

You may need to be accompanied by a relative or friend who will stay with you for the first 24 hours after the surgery and drive for you.

You may need to minimize your responsibilities at home and at work. For this, you can prepare a meal in advance, complete your heavy work (e.g., cleaning chores) a few days in advance, or ask someone close to you to help for a brief time.

You can make a small list in advance of what you may need extra on the day of surgery. Entering the surgery by providing all of them will facilitate the post-operative process.

How Long Does Face and Neck Lift Take?

Although the face and neck lift surgery varies depending on which of the operations is performed and which operation is combined with it, it is completed in an average of 3-5 hours.

After Face and Neck Lift

Recovery time after face and neck lift surgery varies depending on the person and the type of surgery. The recovery time of the patients after the operation varies according to the technique applied by the surgeon and how qualified your surgeon is. 

Face and neck lift surgery has various side effects and complications just like other surgical procedures. After the procedure, swelling and bruising may occur in the operated area. Complications that can be seen after the operation include numbness, infection, hair loss in the incision areas, pain and facial nerve damage or fluid accumulation in the area. However, the likelihood of these complications is incredibly low.

After the face and neck lift surgery, the patient starts to feed and is carried out within 4-6 hours. Drains placed during surgery are usually removed after 1 or 2 days. The bandages made after the operation stay for an average of one week. Although mild pain may be felt after the surgery, these pains can be managed with painkillers.

The healing process of the bruises and swellings seen after the surgery is directly related to the skin structure of the person. Ice treatment should be applied as recommended by your doctor in order for these swellings, which last for an average of 1 week and then slowly decrease and disappear, to pass more quickly.

Since the scars formed after the surgery will be hidden in the front and back of the ears, they are not very obvious. Within 6-12 months, these scars become almost invisible.

Here are some recommendations for patients who want to recover in a brief time and continue their daily lives:

What to Do After the Surgery

• Listen carefully to the advice your doctor will give you. Instructions about your recovery process are explained in detail by your doctor. Your doctor will tell you what is inconvenient for you to do for a few weeks after the surgery, depending on your age, health status and physical characteristics.
• Exhausting activities should be avoided for a certain period of time.
• Reducing cigarette consumption or not consuming cigarettes will make the results more permanent.

Face and Neck Lift Results

As a result of the face and neck lift operation, you will have a long-lasting and youthful appearance and you will get final results regarding the problems in your face and neck area.

In Which Situations Can Face and Neck Lift Be Done?

The young and healthy appearance of the face and neck area can be lost due to certain reasons over time, and as a result, sagging, wrinkles, loss of elasticity and volume can be seen in the skin and subcutaneous soft tissues. These reasons:

• Genetic factors
• Environmental conditions
• Aging
• Gravity
• Cigarette consumption
• Frequent weight gain and loss
• Stress

Face and neck lift surgeries can be performed on people who have these conditions and who want a dramatic improvement in the face area and the person's appearance.

Who Can Be Performed Face and Neck Lift?

Face and neck lift aesthetics is one of the most widely applied surgical operations in the world, especially for the reasons mentioned above.

All patients over the age of 18, who do not have any health problems that prevent surgery, who have aesthetic concerns, who have functional disorders with aesthetics and who have functional problems can have this surgery.

Who Cannot Have Face and Face and Neck Lift?

The factor determining the upper age limit in face and neck lift surgeries is the person's suitability for surgery. Anyone who does not have any health problems preventing the operation can have this operation. But

• Those with chronic and serious diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes,
• Smokers,
• Those who have had other abdominal surgeries before. 

Face and neck lift is not recommended for patients with these conditions.

Is There an Age Limit for Face and Neck Lift?

Face and neck lift operation is not considered appropriate for patients younger than 18 years of age, due to the ongoing developmental period. It can be said that this surgery is performed more often, especially in the 40-50 age range.

Is There Any Trace Left in Face and Neck Lift?

As with any plastic surgery, scars remain in face and neck lift surgery. However, these scars are hidden under the scalp, behind the ears and under the chin and fade over time. Visible scars are only in front of the ear, and they will lose their visibility in a noticeably brief time.

If you also want to have face and neck lift aesthetics or get information about the surgery process, you can consult your doctor and get an opinion from your doctor about the surgery by passing the examination.