Facelift (Meloplasty)

Based in Melbourne, Dr. Breidahl has pioneered the use of Tisseel Glue for facelift procedures in Australia. Tisseel glue reduces the bruising and swelling, shortening the recovery period and improving long-term results.

A facelift is one of the procedures that may be used to assist patients with their concerns.

It should be viewed as part of a program, including skin care to improve the quality and lustre of the skin, treatments to relax the face, and restore volume. Often these more conservative measures will be sufficient, making surgery unneccesary. For some patients the treatment will will be optimal with surgery as well.

Facelift surgery may be performed as a combined total procedure, or it may be broken up into its principle parts: Brow lift surgery, eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), midface lift and neck lift. If surgery is to be broken into its independent parts, then it is best to start at the top, ie with the brow lift.

The surgery usually involves the tightening and removal of skin on the face and neck, and the removal or repositioning of fat. Facial muscles may be surgically tightened. The outcome of surgery depends on the person’s age, the degrees of ageing, facial skin looseness, lifestyle and the procedure undertaken.

The results of a facelift usually last between five and 12 years. Most people can have two to three facelifts in a lifetime.

As people age facial skin loses tone and elasticity. Because the skin is not as resilient as it once was, the wrinkles that occur with smiling and frowning do not smooth out. A groove often appears from the corner of the mouth to the chin. Fatty deposits, which give the face its shape and contour, may decrease in some areas and increase in others. While facelift surgery can be effective in improving facial contours, it doesn’t stop the clock. The natural ageing process will continue after the surgery. 

In assessing whether a facelift is an option for you, Dr. Breidahl will consider:

• The elasticity and thickness of the facial skin
• Subcutaneous tissues and fatty deposits
• Bone structure and the shape of your face
• Degree of wrinkles and folds
• Your hairline, to see where incisions can be best-placed and hidden as much as possible.

Dr. Breidahl will discuss the benefits and risks of having a facelift. When making a decision, keep in mind that we cannot guarantee that the surgery will meet all your expectations, or that the surgery bears no risks.

A facelift is performed under general anaesthesia, which carries some risks. Rarely, side effects from an anaesthetic can be life threatening. You will be informed of all risks prior to surgery.

Dr. Breidahl makes an incision in or behind the hairline and then just in front of the ear between the ear and the cheek, ending behind the ear and within the hairline. The skin is carefully separated from the muscle and fat layers that lie below it. The muscles and deeper tissues are tightened using sutures. This is sometimes called the SMAS lift. The facial skin is then pulled backwards towards the incisions, and skin is removed. The wound is closed with sutures (stitches). In some patients, skin and fat from the front of the neck is removed at the same time as the facelift. This requires an additional incision that is made below the chin. Facelift surgery usually takes between two and four hours to complete.

The incisions for facelift surgery are placed, as much as possible, in the hairline, in the creases of the face, and behind the ears. All surgery leaves a scar to some degree.

Some facelift surgery may be performed using an instrument called an endoscope. It is a tube with a light on the end, which is connected to a video camera. Dr. Breidahl will discuss the most appropriate procedures with you.

Facelift surgery may be undertaken in a hospital. It usually involves two nights in hospital. You should arrange for a relative or friend to drive you home after the surgery. Arrange for someone to stay with you at least for the first day after you go home and preferably for a few days. You can usually drink fluids and eat a light meal two to three hours after surgery. You can resume your normal activities a few days after surgery but do not smoke, undertake strenuous activity or consume large amounts of alcohol during the healing period. Smoking and heavy exposure to tobacco smoke can slow down the healing process.

Most people take between two and three weeks off work. Healing is usually completed within a few months. You may have some pain and discomfort, particularly around the incisions. Dr. Breidahl will prescribe pain medication. To see the final results of the surgery, a few months of healing is required.