As the face ages, the affects of gravity and the body's metabolism become more obvious: deep creases form between the nose and mouth (nasolabial folds); along the jaw line excess skin and fat deposits give a slack and jowly look ; the angle formed by the lower jaw and neck gradually flattens losing its youthful sharp angle.

The facelift is designed to remove excess skin and accumulated fat, and repair stretched out muscles, but cannot eliminate fine wrinkles or pigmentation of the skin associated with long term sun exposure. While a facelift does not stop the aging process, it is designed to "set back the clock". A facelift can be done alone or in conjunction with other procedures such as forehead (brow) lift, eyelid surgery or chin reshaping.

The best candidate is a man or woman whose face and neck soft tissues have begun to sag, but whose skin still has some elasticity and whose bone structure is well defined. A facelift can make you look younger and fresher, and enhance your self-confidence.

The usual facelift incisions begin above the hairline in the temple, extend in the natural creases of the ear, continue down around the earlobe, behind the ear and into the lower scalp. Further improvements in the neck are made through a small incision below the chin. If there is excess skin of the upper eyelids and pouches of the lower lids, they can be managed during the same surgery (blepharoplasty). The location of the facelift and blepharoplasty incisions are specifically selected to restrict scarring to less obvious areas.

The procedure usually takes two to three hours and is carried out on an outpatient basis. The dressings are removed the following day. Swelling and bruising will usually subside within a few weeks allowing you to return to your everyday life.

Example (figure 1).