A facelift, technically known as a rhytidectomy (literally, surgical removal of wrinkles), is a type of cosmetic surgery procedure applied to provide a more youthful appearance. It always involves removing excess facial skin with or without the tightening of underlying tissues and the redraping of the skin on the patient’s experience and neck.

An incision is manufactured before the ear extends up to the hairline in the traditional facelift. The incision curves about the underside of the ear and then behind it, usually finishing close to the hairline on the rear of the neck. After the skin incision is manufactured, the skin is divided from the deeper tissues with a scalpel or scissors (also named undermining) over the cheeks and neck. Now, the deeper tissues (SMAS, the fascial suspension program of the face) can be tightened with sutures with or without removing some of the excess greater tissues. The skin is then redraped, and the amount of excess skin to be removed is set by the surgeon’s judgment and experience. The excess skin is then removed, and the skin incisions are shut with sutures and staples.

Facelifts help reduce loose skin folds in the neck and the laxity of tissues in the cheeks. A facelift needs skin incisions; however, the incisions before and behind the ear are usually inconspicuous. Reaching an all-natural appearance following surgery in men can be more difficult because of their hair-bearing preauricular skin. Facelifts are successfully combined with eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) and other facial procedures and are typically performed under general anesthesia or strong twilight sleep.

Contraindications to facelift surgery include extreme concurrent medical problems. Without absolute contraindications, the risk of postoperative complications is increased in cigarette smokers and patients with hypertension and diabetes. Patients are typically asked to abstain from using aspirin or other blood thinners for at least one week just before surgery.