Type of Surgery
Information

Last updated: 11/24/2009
The purpose of face-lift surgery is to improve the appearance of the face by repositioning the skin and tightening some of the underlying muscle and tissue. The procedure is designed to counter sagging and looseness in skin and muscle tissue that becomes...
more pronounced as individuals age. Face-lift surgery will not eliminate all facial wrinkles. For example, wrinkles around the mouth and eyes may benefit little from face-lift surgery. Also, additional procedures including blepharoplasty, chemical peel, botox injections, or dermabrasion may be necessary to achieve desired results.
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Three dimensional animation is used to show what takes place during a standard face lift. Photos of patients before and after face lift surgery are provided.
For a face lift, an incision is made around the ear at the base of the hairline (A). The skin is removed from underlying tissues in a procedure called undermining (B and C). The skin is pulled up to tighten it (D). The skin is stitched into place and excess is removed (E). (Illustration by GGS Inc.)
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Other Information
A facelift, technically known as a rhytidectomy (literally, surgical removal of wrinkles), is a type of cosmetic surgery procedure used to give a more youthful appearance. It usually involves the removal of excess facial skin, with or without the tightening of underlying tissues, and the redraping of the skin on the patient's face and neck. The first facelift was performed in Berlin in 1901 by Eugene Hollander. According to the most recent 2007 statistics from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, facelifts were the seventh most popular aesthetic surgery performed after liposuction, breast augmentation, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), breast reduction, and rhinoplasty.
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