Facelift

Our face is continuously exposed to harmful environmental effects. Above all, the exposure of our skin to UV radiation leads to aging processes and thus to fine, but also deep wrinkles. Even the long-term consumption of nicotine must be mentioned as a serious aging factor. Furthermore, genetic predispositions play an important role in determining whether the aging of the sensitive facial skin becomes visible sooner or later.

The skin and structural soft tissues of the face are anchored via connective tissue fibers and muscles on the facial and cranial bones. Aging processes lengthen and relax the connective tissue fibers and muscles that anchor the skin and structural soft tissues of the face to the cranial bone. Different anchoring fibers, such as on the chin, are stronger than others. This then leads to the well-known jowls. Modern facelift techniques aim to shift these structures back to their natural, original position.

No "tense" skin after a facelift

Today, as plastic surgeons, we have a deep understanding of the anatomical structures of the face and their functions. With this knowledge, we achieve the lifting and repositioning of the soft tissues of the face through deeper levels, such as the SMAS (Superficial Musculo-Aponeurotic System) and avoid tension in the skin and thus an "operated look" as well as a shift of the earlobe and the hairline.

No two faces are alike, and only through a combination of knowledge, aesthetics and operational skills, are we able to give you back your youthful and natural look.

After an in-depth analysis of your face and photo documentation, we can recommend the appropriate surgical method for you to achieve your desired result. A face, with its numerous subunits, must always be viewed as a complete picture. The exclusive treatment of only one subarea would always lead to an unnatural and inharmonic result in a lifting operation. For this reason, liftng operations on the cheeks are often combined with corrections to the eye area and neck, see eyelid lift, neck lift, profile correction.

Because of the visibility of the result, aesthetic facial surgery requires immense trust in your doctor. For us, as your plastic surgeons, it is particularly important to get to know you so that we can accurately grasp your wishes and expectations that you put into the surgery. Take all the time you need to be sure of your decision. You can also feel free to arrange further appointments in our office hours to clarify any questions.

For the procedure you should be in the best of physical condition and rested. If you do not feel well or are suffering from an acute infection, the operation should preferably be postponed. Intake of aspirin two weeks prior to surgery should be avoided to minimize the risk of postoperative bleeding. The consumption of alcohol and nicotine should also be reduced to a minimum.

According to the plan drawn up with you, the incision and important marking points of the face are drawn before administering the anesthetic. As a rule, the operation is performed under local anesthesia and sedation (twilight sleep) and monitored by our experienced anesthetist.

Basically, a facial lift is always broken down into measures to shift back the deeper structural fat deposits and remove excess skin. Depending on how pronounced the these things are, in some cases a particularly scar minimizing technique (mini-lifting) can be used. Here, the cut is almost only at the ear. The deep structures are then fixed per stitches to fixed anchors. On the other hand, pronounced scarring must also be tackled with a more agressive treatment. In the so-called High-SMAS-Lift, the preparation is multilayered whereby more direct access to the contour-creating tissue structures is achieved. It is particularly important that the scars are as invisible as possible. Therefore, the incision takes place at natural boundaries of so-called aesthetic units on or in the hairline of the temples, in front of the ears and possibly behind the ears back to the hairline. Via this access path, possibly sunken structural tissue is repositioned to its original location and fixed with the help of self-dissolving stitches. Excess skin is then removed without generating much tension. The skin closure takes place according to the anatomical layers in several areas. A loose bandage  then applied.

The first night after surgery, you should not be alone at home, but have someone nearby. Alternatively, stay one night in our hospital, the Dritter Orden Clinic.

For the period of four to six weeks after surgery, you should not expose yourself to more severe physical stress. When scheduling, consider the necessary recovery phase after the procedure.

Inlaid drainage as well as bandages are removed on the first day after surgery. Showering is possible again after two days. Comb and brush your hair with care for the first two weeks.

In the first few days after the operation, the most severe swelling recedes continuously. A tense feeling and numbness is normal and will continue to normalize in the subsequent days to weeks. The final result can be assessed three months after the operation at the earliest.

As with any surgery, general and surgical complications may occur. However, complications are very rare for us as experienced plastic surgeons. Our ultimate goal is to give you a youthful, natural and symmetrical look. But no face is a complete mirror image. Even after the operation, this will be the case.

Swelling, minor bruising and numbness are normal and disappear after a while. Bleeding must be surgically relieved as it would degrade the esthetic outcome. In smokers in particular, necrosis of the wound edges can occur, but this usually heals by itself. Facial nerve injury (nervus facialis) is rare and usually transient.