Also known as a rhytidectomy, the face lift is among the top five most popular plastic surgery operations. Involving the tightening of skin on the face, which is achieved by ironing out excess wrinkles or folds of skin, the procedure is aimed at giving the patient a more youthful appearance. A face lift is also sometimes applied to the neck. Often the procedure is done alongside other facial plastic surgeries such as forehead lift, rhinoplasty (nose reshaping) or blepharoplasty (eye-lift).

Procedure information
The standard face lift generally means making an incision behind each ear so that the skin can be separated from the deeper tissues before it is pulled tighter across the cheek bones. This will result in excess skin at the incision point which is then cut away before the wounds are closed, often with stitches.

Patients are put under general anesthetic, with most operations taking between 3 and 6 hours. The procedure has been repeatedly improved over the years, with the top surgeons now able to create a natural appearance that lasts longer.

Recovery time
Most patients will require at least 4 months to fully heal following a face lift, given that the skin is separated from the deeper tissue. Often the patient will be able to return to work a week after, with some patients unable to work for up to 1 month. Complications related to excess bleeding from the incision point can delay the recovery process.

Swelling and bruising of the face are inevitable following the surgery, but generally improve drastically within the first week. Wounds behind the ears should be in much better condition within the same time period or a little longer, although scarring is common. Most scars are difficult to notice without close inspection, as the incision points are mostly hidden behind the ears.