All about the face lift

You often hear about celebrities undergoing face lifts in order to keep their look of youth alive. The face can become weathered to the world, with gravity, sun exposure, and the daily problems that life throws at you all beginning to show on your face. For that reason, face lifts have become a relatively common procedure in the world of plastic surgery. In this article, we'll give you an in-depth explanation of how exactly a face lift works so that you can more accurately understand what's going on with the procedure and whether or not it's right for you.

In a face lift, the surgeon's goal is to subtract some years from the face via a host of methods. They do this by trimming the excess fat that may be found amongst the face, as well as tightening the muscles of the face before draping the skin back over it. It's a procedure that is commonly undertaken in conjunction with another type of plastic surgery such as a rhinoplasty or blepharoplasty.

Face lifts are an ideal procedure to undergo for those who are in relatively good shape, seeing as the elasticity of the face has a lot to do with what type of results you achieve from the procedure. While the average face lift patient is between the ages of forty and sixty, the procedure can be performed on those of any age, with some receiving the surgery in their eighties.

As with any type of surgery, there are a few risks that are associated with getting a face lift. Hematoma may occur, which is a pooling of blood that occurs underneath the skin. A surgeon will have to remove this excess blood should it become present. Also, you face some risk of injury of the facial muscles upon which the procedure is being performed. Infection also may occur, and poor healing may result in a slow recovery process.

When you're considering a face lift, one of the first and most important things that you need to do is have a consultation with a surgeon in which you'll discuss your goals for the surgery. The surgeon will evaluate the shape of your face and be able to give you a clear answer on whether or not you are a good candidate for the surgery.

It's important to realize when you are considering getting a face lift that there will be some permanent scarring present. In order to manipulate the muscles of the face and remove the excess fat, the surgeon will need to make incisions across the length of the face. Many of these incisions are made near the hairline, allowing for them to be hidden to a certain degree. After some time goes by, most of the scars will be barely apparent, with the natural creases in the face hiding a good portion of them. Also, after the surgery, a certain degree of swelling and bruising will occur before the final results are seen. As mentioned previously, face lifts allow you a method for turning back the clock for a few years. It may make you appear to be five or even ten years younger, and some patients find that another face lift some years down the road can help to keep their youthful appearance.

Cosmetic surgery news on the Web

Benefit cheat mum had cosmetic surgery (Express and Star)
A mother who illegally claimed thousands of pounds in benefits went on to treat herself to cosmetic surgery, a court heard.

French plastic surgeon gets jail sentence for 'garage surgery' (AFP via Yahoo! News)
A French court on Monday sentenced a cosmetic surgeon to four years in prison for mutilating and endangering the lives of dozens of his patients.

Trout pout Leslie Ash says she'd have more plastic surgery (Daily Mirror)
Leslie Ash would "never say never" about more cosmetic surgery despite her botched "trout pout". The Men Behaving Badly star plunged into a "deep and dark" place when a lip job went wrong six years ago, but admits: "If I wanted a face-lift I would have it."

Local docs stay busy despite national cosmetic surgery slowdown (BizJournals)
When household incomes are squeezed, elective surgeries and procedures not covered by insurance may be more likely to be cut from people's budgets.

Ash Not Ruling Out More Surgery (SkyNews via Yahoo! UK & Ireland News)
Actress Leslie Ash has revealed she would "never say never" about having more cosmetic surgery despite her botched lip job in 2002.

French plastic surgeon gets jail sentence for 'garage surgery' (TODAYonline)
Michel Maure, a French cosmetic surgeon accused of mutilating and endangering the lives of dozens of patients, arrives for his trial at a Marseille courthouse in June 2008. A French court has sentenced Maure to four years in prison.

Ash refuses to rule out further surgery (The Scotsman)
ACTRESS Leslie Ash has said she would "never say never" about having more cosmetic surgery despite her botched "lip job" in 2002.

Jail for French 'garage surgeon' (BBC News)
A French doctor whose cosmetic surgery mutilated dozens of patients is given three years in prison.

Leslie Ash: 'Why I’ll never say never to more cosmetıc surgery' (Daily Mail)
Her 'trout pout' and a superbug may have ended her acting days, but with a new documentary about cosmetic procedures Leslie Ash has hopes of a revived TV career.

'Doctor Death' jailed for four years after butchering dozens of women during plastic surgery (Daily Mail)
A plastic surgeon dubbed Doctor Death after butchering dozens of women has been sent to prison for four years.