facelift neck lift

Facelift – Synonyms & Principle

synonyms: the term facelift is often used in the sense of a complete forehead, eyebrow, cheek and neck lift. In fact, a facelift only means tightening the cheek region - and can be supplemented in the direction of the middle face (front), eyebrow/forehead (top) and chin line/neck (bottom)

principle: permanent skin removal and optimization/tightening of the soft tissue in the cheek area – and as an extension towards the middle face (front), brow/forehead (top) and chin line/neck (bottom)

is often combined with…

• eyelid surgery: Upper eyelid lift & lower eyelid lift
• Botox & Hyaluron: Lower side of the eye & brow area
• autologous fat
• blood plasma

efficiency

For the cheek area, an (almost) maximum degree of effectiveness is possible. However, beyond a certain degree of tightening, it becomes unnatural and there is increasing tension on the scar - which in turn worsens the quality of the scar. It is then better to supplement it with other effects, e.g. hyaluronic acid or blood plasma, etc.

100% effectiveness in the sense of the maximum possible overall effect is not possible with just a facelift, although the proportion in some faces can be up to 70-80-90%. However, the remainder is distributed across moisture, collagen, volume, skin surface, etc. - and can therefore also be supplemented in this direction.

When pushing the maximum possible effect, it is often useful to tighten the adjacent regions upwards (brow region) and downwards (neck region) as a supplement and for maximum effect. Otherwise, the transition to the neighboring region of the effect is too strong - and can then form horizontal wrinkles or look unnatural.

duration of surgery

facelift about 120 minutes

facelift & neck lift about 180 minutes

neck lift about 120 minutes

repetition of the treatment

Any excess skin that has been removed will not grow back. But of course the tissue gives way with age. This can lead to new excess skin - which is sometimes removed again by surgery. This can be the case after a few years or even decades. A certain amount of easing of the tightening can also be noticed in the first few months when the initial swelling (which also causes a slight increase in volume) goes down.

Application in which body region

face/cheek/neck/middle face

alternatives

Alternatives are not equivalent.

These include:

• volume lift with hyaluronic acid, autologous fat, etc.
• tightening with heat such as radio frequency or ultrasound (e.g. HIFU) or laser
• Needling medically about collagen formation and tightening of existing collagen
• thread lift

decision-making aids

Essentially, these are fundamental decisionsthat constitute a facelift.

Should I have a facelift do it at all? – Sometimes it is the better decision not to do something.

A facelift in particular is an operation for which one should be psychologically stable. The decision should be well considered. Even if as a surgeon you repeatedly see overjoyed patients after a facelift, a facelift is not the solution to all problems. And it is not right for everyone. Every patient should set their expectations at a realistic level.

Once a certain amount of excess skin has been reached, it can only be improved to the maximum extent by surgery. Even if all other methods are repeated and combined (volume, heat, etc.), only a certain effect can be achieved without surgery.

Good advice highlights all the advantages and disadvantages of an operation – and thus helps you make the right decision.

Excess skin:

while improvements with volume or heat are in the range of a few mm – the effect of a facelift is 2-3-4cm (at least in some places). It is mainly about redistributing and tightening the subcutaneous tissue (SMAS) and adjusting the excess skin around the ear. As little tension as possible should be applied to the earlobe in order to lengthen the earlobe as little as possible (which can sometimes be a problem)

cut=scar

An incision always means a scar. This is no different, especially with a facelift. Anyone who is known to have poor scarring should think carefully about this procedure.

However, if the wound heals normally, the scars that remain (after a healing phase of up to one year) can be very inconspicuous. It is always important to make the incision individually tailored.

In the area of tragus (cartilage in front of the ear canal) can, depending on the ear/cheek transition, anatomy and skin condition, cut before or after be more suitable.

Depending on hairstyle, hair thickness and anatomy, a Incision in front of or within the hairy temple region be better.

Minimum or maximum variant?

Incision = scar. This applies to all operations. In principle, the shorter the incision, the better. However, a longer incision can produce a better and more natural result. So it is important to find a suitable compromise.

how many regions at once?

The following applies here: since a certain incision length is actually always sensible or necessary, you should always consider whether to combine both parts if you want to improve a neighboring region (for example the middle face during a facelift). Improving the middle face at a later date actually means the same effort and the same cost.

What should you have heard/read before a facelift?

scarring - there is usually no such thing as an "invisible scar"! - that's a fairy tale. Even if in many cases the scar is very inconspicuous and can usually be easily covered by hair and make-up, no surgeon in the world can guarantee that a scar will not become wide, thick and ugly - in other words, noticeable. This can have to do with the compatibility of the thread material, the looseness of the tissue and, above all, with individual predisposition. If you can't live with a scar, you shouldn't choose a facelift for yourself! And if you are prone to keloid formation (scar growth), you should also think very carefully about a facelift!

postoperative bleeding – is more common with facelifts than with other plastic surgery procedures. The face has a good blood supply and is therefore more susceptible. Even if we try a lot to avoid post-operative bleeding after a facelift (assessment before the operation, pressure monitoring after the operation, protecting the head area in the first few days, administering bleeding-reducing medication, etc.), we can never rule out post-operative bleeding, especially with a facelift. It is important to recognize and treat it early, in the sense of reopening, carefully stopping the bleeding and sewing it back up again. If this happens, post-operative bleeding is additional work that is necessary, but usually has no effect on the result.

necrosis (Death of parts of the tissue) – this risk arises from the method: several centimeters of tissue are cut under and separated from the direct blood supply. The (sensible) bandage puts a certain amount of pressure on the tissue. Even if necrosis is very rare, it can never be ruled out.

Prejudices

A facelift always looks unnatural: As a surgeon, you hear this statement again and again. But I can't confirm this from experience - on the contrary: if the volume is exaggerated, it often leads to extremely unnatural results. A well-done facelift should not change your character in any way - it should simply provide more freshness and create a friendly, younger facial expression.

facts

While there has been a temporary decline in facelifts in recent years due to the promotion of alternatives such as ultrasound, the opposite effect is currently being seen. The number of facelifts is increasing significantly again. And for good reason: there is simply no comparable alternative!

most common possible side effects/complications

• Post-operative bleeding – slightly more common in the face than in other areas, men are more often affected
• Asymmetry (always present on two sides to a certain extent)
• scar
• infection
• (if usually temporary) nerve weakness, but theoretically also permanent facial nerve paralysis

details Information on possible complications can be found in the information documents

In summary, good preparation (information, explanation, preliminary examinations, analysis, etc.) and the surgeon’s experience are the most important factors for a successful facelift

You should avoid…

• removal of too much skin
  
• skin tightening alone
• short cuts at any price:
  • After surgery, a good shape is always more important than the length of the incision
  • a slightly longer scar can lead to better transitions and therefore more naturalness

anesthesia

Possible anesthesiaforms for a facelift

• twilight sleep
• Local anesthesia – only possible with minilift
• gentle general anesthesia

the operation

Deadlines must be met in Austria (surgical information and anesthesia information) – this means that there is a waiting period of at least 3-4 weeks from the decision to undergo breast enlargement, but often longer.

We will inform you if a psychological report may be necessary before your surgery.

THINKING POSITIVELY – helps. It not only prolongs life, but is also always a good first step towards any treatment or operation.

Extreme nervousness, for example, increases blood pressure and thus increases the risk of post-operative bleeding.

the operation

Rest for 3 weeks in the sense of:

• do not lift more than 5-6kg
• nothing jerky
• don't work headfirst

Wearing a bandage for about 5-6 weeks (especially at night)

our preferred technique/recommendation

• SMAS face-neck lift with mid-face lift and autologous fat – a combined procedure creates the most effect with maximum naturalness
• Anesthesia: twilight sleep

Cost

Guidelines:

approx. 4500 mini lifts in LA

approx. 4900 mini lift with mid-face lift in LA

from 6300 SMAS Contour Facelift including anesthesia

from 6900 SMAS Contour Facelift with mid-face (or 1 region of autologous fat) and chin line including anesthesia

from 2900 direct neck lift in LA

approx. 4500 direct neck lift including anesthesia

from 6900 Neck lift with chin line lift including anesthesia

from 7900 Neck lift with chin line lift including medial platysma tightening including anesthesia

8950 SMAS Contour facelift with neck lift including anesthesia

9950 SMAS Contour Facelift with neck lift including medial platysma tightening including anesthesia

11350 extended SMAS Contour Facelift with mid-face lift (or 1 region of autologous fat) and neck lift including anesthesia

13950 extended SMAS Contour Facelift with mid-face lift (or 1 region of autologous fat) autologous fat eyebrow and neck lift including anesthesia

15950 extended SMAS Contour Facelift with mid-face lift (or 1 region of own fat) Eyebrow lift & neck lift including anesthesia

13950 Deep Plane Facelift including anesthesia

17950 Deep Plane Facelift & Necklift including anesthesia

400 overnight stay at the clinic with nurse/450 for overnight stay from Friday to Saturday

100 Costs for day admission to the clinic (if no overnight stay is planned) – if necessary and reasonable

2500 Dermabrasion, optional

900-2000 Autologous fat transfer 1 region depending on extent (e.g. nasolabial, eyebrow, etc.) – in combination with 2nd operation, optional

50 Anesthesia information for planned anesthesia with an anesthetist

70 optional special price recommended scar ointment + disinfectant spray (regular after surgery 103)

minus consultation costs

The prices listed are average values and could be cheaper or more expensive. The final total price will be determined during the second consultation (=consent) depending on the individual effort/planned operation time, combinations, desired clinic/room category and other factors.

At the turn of the year, clinic prices are adjusted and may then be slightly higher.

reasonable budget

A final cost estimate is only possible and meaningful after a detailed on-site inspection and clarification of individual wishes.

Especially with a “facelift”, anything from a very small variation to the maximum variation can mean anything and may even make sense. This is precisely where good, honest advice is necessary and useful!

downtime

In general, 2-3 weeks of rest be taken into account – this means specifically:

• lifting no more than 5-6 kg
• no jerky movements
• do not perform any activities overhead

Important to know…

• A facelift also poses a challenge psyche of the patient is a big challenge – if you are not really stable, it is better to turn to alternatives
• patience after the operation is important! – especially with a facelift, it can take several weeks/months until residual swelling, residual hardening, etc., disappears
• a facelift has only very low medium/long-term effect on the corner of the mouth area & nasolabial fold…here volume (hyaluronic acid) is the main tool

Left

You can find valuable information here – facelift