In our social lives and interpersonal relationships, our face, which reflects our personality, character, and inner world, is the area we pay the most attention to throughout our lives. Consequently, aesthetic procedures and surgeries predominantly focus on this area. From the hairline, forehead, chin and neck area, to the jawline and ears, there are various types of aesthetic treatments available for each facial region. These procedures aim to achieve facial proportions often referred to as the golden ratio, and to address sagging and wrinkles that develop over the years.
Facelift surgery is an operational method that aims to address sagging and wrinkles caused by aging on the face by lifting and tightening. As people age, factors such as years of exposure to sunlight, daily stresses, and other influences like smoking, alcohol consumption, and poor nutrition can cause the skin on the face to sag, wrinkle, and develop various spots and irregularities.
An aged face typically exhibits prominent forehead lines, drooping eyebrows, sagging eyelids with puffiness and lines underneath the eyes, deep lines around the mouth and nose area, sagging cheeks, loss of jawline contour, accumulation of fat in the neck, and the formation of skin curtains. The skin loses its vitality, develops sunspots and other moles, becomes thinner, and wrinkles.
Facelift surgeries, which are part of aesthetic and plastic surgery procedures, aim to correct sagging and irregularities in the forehead, face, and neck skin. Excess fat tissue in the cheeks and neck is removed, facial fascia and fat tissues are repositioned to their anatomical places and lifted, facial tissues are reinforced, eyelids are corrected, and other complementary procedures can also be performed.
Recovery Process in Face Lift Surgeries
Same-day discharge is possible, but staying overnight in the hospital for about 1 night is generally advisable. A head dressing is applied with the eyes, nose, and mouth left open. Silicone drains may be placed within the tissue to prevent blood accumulation, and these drains are typically removed within 2 days. The dressing is fully removed 2-3 days later, followed by a general check-up and dressing change. Hair can be washed during this period. Non-absorbable stitches, if used, are usually removed within 5-7 days. Patients can start getting up and performing household activities from the second day after surgery.
They can return to work and apply makeup after 1 week. It’s important to avoid heavy exercise, excessive sunlight, and external impacts for 2 months. The new shape given to the face and neck skin can last anywhere from 5-10 years or even a lifetime, depending on individual factors and environmental conditions. Around the third week, you’ll better appreciate the approximate new shape that the surgery has given your face and start enjoying it. The final shape settles approximately 6 months to 1 year after the operation.