Over the years the facial skin tends to become looser, and deeper folds develop, running from the nose to the corner of the mouth (nasolabial folds) and downwards at an angle from the corner of the mouth (marionette lines).
The skin also becomes looser at the angle of the jaw and on the neck. Subcutaneous tissues weaken and sag, resulting in the loss of youthful-looking rounded cheeks.
A facelift is intended to remove the excess skin that has developed and reposition the subcutaneous tissues as far as possible.
The essence of a facelift is not lifting up the skin, but moving the skin so that it can become established in a new, higher location. To achieve this, the skin has to be released over a sufficiently large area. It is then also possible to lift up the underlying layer, to which the fatty tissue and facial muscles are attached, giving a lasting result.
In a so-called mini-lift or where stitches are used, the skin is either not moved or is certainly not moved to the same extent, which definitely does not produce such lasting results.
The incision runs around the ear.
The scar in front of the ear always heals very well because it is not under any tension. The scar behind the ear does often remain visible, but there it is naturally well hidden.
An elastic support bandage must be worn for one week to support the neck. After this time it is usually possible to mix with people again and they should not notice anything.
The stitches in front of the ear are removed after one week, and those behind the ear after two weeks.