Aging of the face is inevitable, and as the years go by, the skin begins to loosen on the face and neck. Heredity, personal habits, gravity and sun exposure contribute to these processes. Crow's feet develop at the corner of the eyes, the eyelid skin becomes lax and crinkled, fine forehead lines become deeper, and frown lines develop into creases. In some cases, the jawline becomes prematurely jowly, and the neck line can sag.

The weekend facelift is designed to rejuvenate the lower face and neck, by defining the jaw line, and reducing jowling. It will help your face look its best, and give you a more youthful and healthy appearance. The recovery process takes only a few days, and there is usually minimal discomfort and bruising. The procedure may also be combined with laser skin resurfacing, or chemical peels, to improve the texture of the skin, or with other procedures to correct other flaws. It is easy to see why this has become one the most desired cosmetic surgery procedures, suitable for men and women.

Special points of interest

• Look younger

• Improve heavy lines

• Reduce jowls

• Tighten jaw line

• Lighten heavy neck and chin areas

Understanding the procedure

A small incision is made around the lower ear. Special local anaesthetic fluid is then carefully placed into both tissues. The skin in front of the ear, extending into the jowls is released from the muscles beneath, and the muscles are then tightened- assisting in the tightening of the neck and jowls. Some careful liposuction is carried out to the jowls and neck. And the incision is then closed with special dissolving sutures.

Where necessary as an extension to the procedure, a small opening is made under the chin, where sagging neck muscles can be seen and tightened.

The weekend lift is usually performed under a sedation type of anaesthetic, supervised by an anaesthetist, combined with local anaesthetic. Depending on the procedure, the operative time will vary from 2-4 hours. As with any surgery, there are general and specific possible unexpected events. These are uncommon, and will be discussed with you during your consultation.

Recovery

Afterwards, there is usually minimal discomfort. Dressings will be applied for one or two days, and the sutures do not need to be removed. Patients receive a "care pack'' which includes detailed instructions, analgesics, antibiotics, and other medications to help ensure a smooth recovery, and we will be in touch with you often. There is an elastic garment that needs to be worn for about a week. This procedure usually allows a return to normal activities after 3-7 days. Naturally, final results may vary according to your skin type and elasticity, location of fatty deposits, and bone structure etc.

Every year, many thousands of patients undergo successful facelift surgery, with very pleasing results. If you consider that you might be a candidate for this procedure, arrange a consultation with Dr Rosenbaum. Together with images from cases, and computer imaging, he can show you the very worthwhile benefits of facial rejuvenation.