Face Lift Surgery Bangkok & Phuket Thailand
1.Face Lifts by Type
Generally face lifts differ by:
- Forehead Lift
- Mid Face, Mini Face Lift, Short Scar Facelift
- Lower Face Lift
- Neck Lift
- Full Face Lift
2.What you need to know about Face Lifts
| forehead lift | mini face lift | lower face lift | neck lift | full face lift |
Forehead Lift
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In preparation for the procedure the hair is tied back in front of and behind the incision area. An incision is usually made across the top of the head, just behind the hairline so that the scar won't be visible.
The forehead skin is gently lifted and portions of facial muscle and excess skin are removed to create a tighter and smoother forehead. The incision is then closed with stitches or clips.
In case of a high hairline the incision may be placed just at the hairline to avoid adding even more height to the forehead. For patients who are bald or losing hair a mid-scalp incision that follows the natural pattern of the skull bones is sometimes recommended. By wearing your hair down on your forehead most of these scars become relatively hidden. Special planning is sometimes necessary for concealing the scar in male patients whose hairstyles often don't lend them so well to incision coverage. The duration of the operation is usually 1 hour.
The problem unique to this operation is the possible damage to nerves on the scalp, resulting in numbness behind the incision. This risk is reduced but not eliminated with endoscopic forehead lifting.
The recovery takes one to two weeks. Most people are back to work within a week or two. One night admission into hospital and General Anesthesia (you are asleep).
| forehead lift | mini face lift | lower face lift | neck lift | full face lift |
Mini Facelift
...also called Mid Facelift, Short Scar Facelift or S-Lift
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The MACS (the Minimal Access Cranial Suspension lift) technique is an example of the short scar facelift. During the MACS lift the incision stops right at the ear lobe.
Mini facelifts are generally appropriate for people between 35 and 50 who show aging in the mid-face and do not have a severe amount of excess skin around their jaw line and neck. It will achieve a refreshed look for the face and profile. This procedure is also ideal for someone who wants to minimize scars.
The more limited surgery means less swelling and bruising and a shorter recovery time. Bonus: People who have short scar lifts can wear their hair pulled up in the back without anyone seeing a scar. This may be so with other techniques but is not always the case.The downside is that the surgeon may not be able to eliminate loose, sagging skin in the lower face and neck.
The duration of the operation is one hour. The recovery takes one week. Most patients would like to stay in the hospital overnight. General Anesthesia (you are asleep) or Local Anesthesia.
| forehead lift | mini face lift | lower face lift | neck lift | full face lift |
Lower Face Lift
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There are several lower facelift techniques that can be employed by the surgeon to perform the procedure. Your surgeon will choose the approach based on your anatomy and patterns of aging. Quite often it is combined with a neck lift and/or liposuction of the chin/neck area.
| forehead lift | mini face lift | lower face lift | neck lift | full face lift |
Neck Lift
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During neck-lift plastic surgery a variety of procedures may be performed depending on the individual. If you suffer from a double chin because of fat deposits Liposuction is the first step. This will be done with a very thin fine liposuction needle. This procedure is very often combined with a surgical procedure to tighten the skin and the muscles. An endoscopic operation with all its advantages might be possible. Your surgeon will evaluate the situation.
Usually the neck muscle will be realigned at the side or in the middle to achieve a harmonious neck contour. Sometimes an additional horizontal incision (3 - 4 cm) under the chin is necessary to correct the horizontal lines around the middle of the neck. This results in an even slimmer neck contour.
A neck lift can be done under general Anesthesia or under local Anesthesia. Most of the patients stay in Hospital for one night. Scarring is minimal. If the procedure is done endoscopic some of the small incisions will be made on the scalp and any residual scars will be covered by hair.
| forehead lift | mini face lift | lower face lift | neck lift | full face lift |
Full Face Lift
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The Incisions usually start above the hairline at the temples, follow the natural line in front of the ear and curve behind the earlobe into the crease behind the ear and into or along the lower scalp to make the scars nearly invisible. The exact placement of incisions and the sequence of events depend on your facial structure.
In general the surgeon separates the skin from the fat and muscle below. This will be done in the standard SMAS technique. Fat may be trimmed or suctioned from around the neck and chin to improve the contour. The surgeon then tightens the underlying muscle and membrane, pulls the skin back and removes the excess. Stitches secure the layers of tissue and close the incisions. With a full face lift the face will be tightened altogether, you will look years younger. The duration of Operation is about three Hours. The recovery takes about two weeks. One night admission to hospital and general anesthesia (you are asleep) will be given.
2. What you need to know about Face Lifts
2.1 Preparation before the operation:
For almost all of the described procedures the following preparations are necessary:
Inform us about any allergies, any serious medical condition(s) and all medications you are taking (both prescription and non-prescription).
Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, etc), and vitamin E and some other herbal remedies (your doctor will give you a list) for 2 weeks prior to the operation because they are thinning the blood and increase the bleeding risk during or after the operation.
Refrain from smoking at least 2 weeks before and 4 weeks after surgery or better even longer. Smoking contracts the blood vessels und interferes with healing.
Surgical consultation
To choose the right procedure and method for your individual case the counseling by your doctor is essential. There are a wide variety of different methods available to improve the facial contours and quite often two or three of them are combined to achieve the desired results such as a face lift and eyelid surgery or a face lift and cheek implants, etc. There are also different types of face lifts according to the facial areas they mainly aim at and the depth of tissue layers they move. Today the SMAS lift technique is almost exclusively used. The term refers to the depth of tissue layers treated and means SUPERFICIAL MUSCULOAPONEUROTIC SYSTEM LIFT. Contrary to the older techniques used in face lift operations it not only tightens the surface skin but also treats the deeper levels of tissue like muscles and connective tissue which grow lax and sag with advancing age.
The SMAS technique is the gold standard of facelifts in terms of correction and longevity balanced with safety today.
In the following text we will give you an overview of the most common procedures but only your surgeon has the experience to recommend what will work best in your individual case and what is necessary to fulfill your expectations after examining and talking to you.
After the operation
Usually there is some discomfort afterward; it can be managed with either over-the-counter or prescription pain medications. Also you may experience moderate swelling of the eyelids and other areas. A dressing is usually applied immediately after surgery. Typically this dressing is removed and may be replaced with an elastic wrap within a day. In the first 24 hours many facelift patients are black and blue. They often have drainage tubes in place to reduce swelling and remove any excess blood. Sometimes these stay only for 24 hours but are sometimes left in place for several days. You should avoid strenuous activity until the swelling has subsided. This may take four to six weeks, however, within two weeks the swelling should be reduced enough so you can engage in some social activities. Some numbness of the skin is quite normal; it will disappear in a few weeks or months. However, normal healing is a gradual process with final results not fully realized for at least four weeks. You should keep your head slightly elevated for a few days after the operation to minimize swelling.
It is important to follow a careful plan on return to strenuous activity in order to avoid tension on the wound (which could lead to worse scarring).
Just keep in mind that in a few weeks you'll be looking normal.
Most of your stitches will be removed after about five days. Your scalp may take longer to heal and the stitches or metal clips in your hairline could be left in a few days longer.
Avoid strenuous activity, including sex and heavy housework (walking and mild stretching are fine).
Avoid alcohol, steam baths and saunas for several months. Get plenty of rest and allow your body to spend its energy on healing.
Using make-up is permitted after the sutures have been removed. Exposure to the sun should be limited for a few months following surgery and accompanied by a sun screen with a high protection factor.
The severity and duration of any side effects may vary, especially if another cosmetic procedure was performed at the same time.
