The effects of aging of the skin, the severity of long exposure to the sun, and the stress of daily life are reflected on the face. That's the reason why we can notice so deep wrinkles, folds and relaxation tissues of the face and neck.
The surgical procedure that rectifies this situation is the face lift technically known as ritidectomy.
The ritidectomy, as all cosmetic surgerical procedures, don't stop time, but only move back the clock hands, improving the most visible signs of ageing.
The best candidates for a face lift are women or men who have clear signs of ageing, but a good skin's elasticity and strong and well defined bone structures. Most of patients who require this operation are patients of both sexes with an age between 40 and 60 years old. But the face lift is performed successfully even on patients 70 or 80 years old.

All surgeries carry with them a minimum of unpredictability and risk.

If the ritidectomy is performed by an expert plastic surgeon, complications are rare and usually minor. Anyway, every people has a personal response and difficulties in terms of healing. In addition to generic complications (valid for all surgery), should be mentioned the possibility of a facial nerve injury (usually temporary), skin numbness or changing in skin sensitivity, skin loss and a slower and difficult healing for smokers for whom it is even contraindicated this surgery.

Preparing for surgery

The week before surgery, it is forbidden to take Acetilsalicic Acid (aspirin) to prevent clotting problems. If the patient has short hairs, would better to make them grow in order to hide the scars during the healing.

The surgery

The surgical procedure requires a few hours. The location and extent of incisions varies according to individual clinical case. Generally start behind the line of hair at the temple, extending in a natural line in front of the ear and continue behind the earlobe to the lower scalp. If the neck needs work, a small incision may also be made under the chin.Even if the operation involves the neck, a small additional incision runs under the chin.
The skin and subcutaneous tissues are separated from muscles, excess fat is removed, muscles are tight, skin is then stretched and the portion in excess removed. Sometimes small drainage tube may be positioned for a couple of days. The incisions are finally closed with fine sutures.

The Anaestesia

The ritidectomy is performed in General Anesthesia.

After surgery

The pain is not excessive and is well controlled by drugs. The annoyance instead may be significant and is linked to the tissue of oedema (very important in the first 48 hours). The first day, oedema (swelling) will be of considerable magnitude, the second day will be even more impressive, then go to decrease during the following weeks.  Skin numbness may occur normally; it goes disappearing spontaneously in the space of a few weeks. The bandages are removed on the 3rd or 4th day and stirches removed between the 5th  and 14th day.

Resumption to normality activity

The patient is discharged generally after two days of hospitalisation. In the first 2 or 3 weeks, swelling, bruising, appearance obviously a little distorted of the face, the difficulty of movements and the scars, can lead to a thought of disappointment, but after the third week with the improving of the appearance, the psychological situation will tend to restore. We need, however, no less than 4 weeks in order to hide the signs of surgery. For the same period every sport activity must be completely stopped.

The new look

The changes after a facelift could be fantastic, especially if you have the patience to overcome the very first moments of post-operative.
Unfortunately, the scars are quite long, but all well hided. We must remember however that with a facelift we do not stop time and the process of skin aging, it's only putting back the clock's hands, which is the reason why it is possible that after a few years, we can repeat the intervention.

The face lift can change the appearance and restore the lost self-confidence, but not necessarily change look according to desires or change the way to interact with people around us.