Aging is an inevitable process. However, some people seem to age much faster than others. A lot of this is determined by our genetics, which helps to rule the changes that our bodies go through as we get older. One of the most definitive changes is seen in our skin. When we are young, most of us have soft supple and fairly elastic skin that keeps our complexion looking smooth and youthful. However, as we increase in age, our natural production of collagen and elastin – substances which help keep our skin in great condition – begins to slow. This causes lost volume, sagging and the development of lines and wrinkles that betray our true age, and sometimes make us look older than our biological age.

Common signs of aging

There are many different ways in which the natural aging process can affect the appearance of your face. Some of the most common changes that you may start to notice may include:

- The corners of your mouth may turn down, giving you the appearance of being unhappy.

- Your eyebrows may look heavier or seem to sit lower on your face, which can cause you to look tired.

- Your smile lines look deeper.

- Wrinkles may develop around your eyes and lips, and across your forehead.

- Your jaw looks softer and less defined, and you may develop a double chin where you didn’t have one before.

- Lines running from your nose to your lips deepen.

The effects of aging can be very frustrating, particularly when you don’t feel as old as you are starting to look. Fortunately, a cosmetic treatment called a facelift can help to reverse the aging process and leave you looking and feeling more youthful than before.

What is involved in a facelift?

A facelift is a type of cosmetic surgery that is normally always performed using a general anesthetic. This ensures that you aren't awake or in any pain during your procedure.

Once you are suitably anesthetized, our surgeon will make an incision around your ear and along your hairline. This placement helps to ensure that any scarring is minimal and as hidden in the hairline as possible. The skin is separated from the underlying tissues so that we can access any muscles that need tightening. The skin is then placed back over the muscles, pulled tighter and smoother so that it fits the contours. Once our surgeon is happy with the arrangement, the skin is secured using sutures, completing your procedure.

Recovering after a facelift

It can take a while for the effects of a general anesthetic to wear off and during this time, you could feel confused, disorientated, dizzy and nauseous. It may be a few hours before you feel up to drinking or eating anything, but once you do, you will be allowed home. Nevertheless, you will need someone to drive you and stay with you for up to 24 hours until the anesthetic has completely left your body.

You will have bandages wrapped around your incisions and you can expect your face to be bruised and swollen. This is normal, and it can take up to a month for these to fully go down. Your sutures will stay in place for around a week, after which time our team will remove them. Since facelift surgery is very invasive, you can expect to experience some discomfort for at least the first few days of the healing process. We will prescribe you with pain relief medications to ease this and they should be taken exactly as directed.

Ideally, you will take at least 7-10 days away from work. This will enable you to rest and allow your body to heal, which will help you to achieve the best possible result from your facelift procedure. You will be advised when you can start wearing makeup and when you can return to other activities that you enjoy, and it is essential that you adhere to the advice given to you by our team.