Do you feel that age is changing your face, or do you think you look older than you feel? Here we will explain what a facelift is, so you can see if it can be a solution for you.
A facelift is performed with high precision and is often combined with liposculpture (liposuction). This procedure tightens the skin on the face and neck, smoothing out deep wrinkles and pronounced furrows from the nose to the corners of the mouth.
It is also common to combine eyelid surgery with a facelift for an even better result. A well and accurately performed facelift should make you look natural, with your distinctive facial features. You should look like yourself, in a slightly younger version.
At Klinikk A, you will be well taken care of by our plastic surgery specialists and our surgical team.
Anesthesia or sedation with local anesthesia
7 days
Total 4 - 5 hours
After 2 days, 7-9 days and 3 - 6 months
In the past, facelifts were often associated with celebrities and movie stars, whereas today this is a relatively common procedure in the general population. Historically, the facelift is what many people primarily associate with plastic surgery.
The aim of a facelift is to achieve a natural and attractive result, so you don't look like you've had surgery. In recent years, the procedures surrounding this type of surgery have changed considerably in order to achieve the most natural result possible. Instead of just tightening the skin, a significant tightening of parts of the facial musculature is now also performed.
The facial muscles also sag and the skin stretches, leaving us with looser and saggier skin. A facelift therefore tightens these muscles and achieves fuller cheeks and more fullness in the mid-face. This will result in a younger appearance and the prettiest and least visible scars.
In the vast majority of people over the age of 50, the neck muscle in the middle of the neck under the chin will divide, creating the neck stripes or necklines that are classic. In these cases, the muscle is sewn together during a facelift and the neck is smoothed out again. Some people have excess fat in the neck or cheek region. These patients will be liposuctioned in addition, so that the result is optimal.
Our goal at Klinikk A is for everyone to retain their natural and typical look, but you will look like a 10-15 year younger version of yourself.
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People who have excess fat under the chin may also be good candidates for a facelift. During a facelift, it is common to perform liposuction under the chin to remove excess fat in this area and achieve better tightening of the neck.
A cosmetic operation that tightens the skin on the face and gives a more youthful appearance. There are several types of facelifts that can be performed by a plastic surgeon.
The traditional facelift is the most common form of facelift. It involves tightening the skin all over the face, including the neck and jawline. During the operation, an incision is made along the hairline and around the ears, and the skin is lifted and tightened. The muscles and soft tissues are usually tightened as well, and often excess fat under the chin is removed.
This type of facelift offers a significant change and may be suitable for people with loose skin and deep wrinkles. It is an operation that requires approximately one to two weeks of recovery time.
The mini facelift is a less extensive form of facelift. It focuses on tightening the skin in the lower part of the face, especially around the jawline. This type of surgery results in a smaller change than a traditional facelift. The disadvantage of this procedure is that the result is less permanent compared to a traditional choice.
A facelift can also be effective for people who have deep lines and wrinkles in the face, especially in the temple area, in front of the ear, on the cheek and down towards the lower jaw. A facelift will give a smoother and more youthful skin surface.
It is important to remember that a facelift is not a "quick fix" and will not change a person's basic facial features. However, a facelift can give a more youthful appearance and affect the self-confidence of the person undergoing the procedure.
After surgery, it's important to know what to expect in the time afterwards. Here are some tips and advice to make life after a facelift as easy as possible.
After the operation
Immediately after the operation, the patient will feel tired and sometimes fatigued. There will also be swelling and bruising on the face. It's important to get plenty of rest and avoid physical exertion in the early stages. Patients should also avoid smoking for the first few weeks after surgery, and should avoid drinking alcohol for the first two weeks after surgery.
Sick leave and work
Patients with a medical indication for a facelift are entitled to sick leave for one to two weeks. In most cases, patients are not entitled to sick leave after a facelift. However, how quickly you can return to work depends on how extensive the surgery was and how quickly the patient recovers. A normal office job can usually be performed after one to two weeks. It's important to follow your doctor's advice and not return to work until you're ready to do so.
Control
After the surgery, the patient will have follow-up appointments with their doctor. This is usually one week and three to six months after surgery. The doctor will check that everything has gone well and advise on further follow-up.
Guarantee
It is important to choose an experienced and qualified plastic surgeon when having facelift surgery. Many clinics also offer a guarantee on the results of the surgery. It is important to check what is included in the guarantee and what is not.
As with all surgical procedures, the outcome of facelift surgery will vary from person to person. It's important to have realistic expectations and follow your doctor's advice to get the best possible result.
Facelift costs
A facelift is a cosmetic surgical procedure that can be costly. The price varies depending on several factors, including geographical location, the surgeon's experience and qualifications, the type of facelift performed, and whether other treatments are required in addition to the facelift.
According to Health startIn 2023, a standard facelift typically costs between 60,000 and 70,000 NOK. This price normally includes treatment, anesthesia, check-ups, insurance and warranty. However, the price can vary depending on the clinic and the surgeon performing the procedure. It is important to discuss your wishes and expectations with your surgeon to find the best solution for you.
Potential risks and complications
Although a facelift is a safe and common surgical procedure, it is important to be aware of potential risks and complications that may arise. Before you decide to undergo a facelift, you should discuss these risks and complications with your plastic surgeon.
Some of the most common risks and complications of facelifts include:
It is important to remember that these risks and complications are rare and can be avoided by choosing an experienced and qualified plastic surgeon, following all instructions for pre- and post-operative care, and being realistic about expectations of the outcome.
On the day of the operation, you will first be examined by the surgeon, who will make the necessary measurements and markings on your face. Some hair above and behind the ears will be cut away before the operation begins. This is done by a doctor or nurse at the same time as some hair is put up in rubber bands. Your face is washed with disinfectant and your upper body is covered with sterile sheets. You will be given a general anesthetic and fall asleep before the surgeon starts. The operation itself takes about 2-3 hours.
Here we will provide you with important information on how to act after a facelift.
The operation may cause more discomfort and pain in the first few days, along with a feeling of stiffness and numbness. This is normal to feel for one to two weeks. Swelling and bluish discoloration may occur. This will subside within 1 to 2 weeks. Numbness in front of the ear can last for many months.
How long are you swollen after surgery?
For the first two days after surgery, everyone should be at absolute rest, lying on their backs or sitting as still as possible with their upper body elevated.
The following 5 days you can get up gently, but physical and mental rest is very important until the last stitches after the facelift are taken. Don't turn your head, don't talk a lot and don't chew hard for the first 4-5 days. Finely chewed food is recommended. Preferably sleep with your upper body elevated and preferably on your back during these days.
The bandage around the head is removed 2 days after the facelift. If liposuction has also been performed, the bandage is removed after 7 days. A drain is placed on each side of the face to best reduce swelling after the facelift. These drains are removed after 2 days. The stitches in front of the ear are removed 7 days after surgery.
The stitches (staples) in the temple and behind the ear are removed 14 days after surgery.
You can gently rinse and wash your hair after a week. Bruises are often seen on the face up to two weeks after the facelift, especially around the mouth and lower neck. These can easily be covered with makeup. It is rare for there to be bruising after 3 weeks.
3 months after the operation, you will have your final check-up.
The vast majority of people are very satisfied with the result and the improvement they achieve after surgery. However, it is important to point out that it is important to have realistic expectations of a facelift. The quality of the skin itself will not change. Pores won't become smaller or smaller, fine wrinkles or creases won't be smoothed out, especially wrinkles caused by excessive sun exposure. This requires a different type of treatment.
Scars, veins and moles remain as before. The facelift will have no effect on the forehead, eyelids or lips. The facelift also has no effect on the skin at the base of the neck.
You won't have a completely new, unrecognizable face. You won't have a wide mouth or a stiff and drawn face if the surgery is performed correctly. Your personal expression will be the same as before the facelift. Typical lifts that tighten the face so much that it looks unnatural are not performed in Norway.
The result you achieve will depend a lot on how you looked before the operation.
If your skin is very lax and loose, folded along the jawline and there is a lot of sagging and wrinkling on the neck, the improvement will be significant and you will see a very big difference after a facelift. With more moderate age changes, perhaps with a combination of sun-damaged skin, the facelift will not be as great, but you will certainly experience a positive improvement.
Many people wonder how long such an operation will last in a time perspective. The ageing process continues regardless of whether you have had a facelift or not, so the difference will become less pronounced as the years go by. Some people will therefore feel the need for a new facelift after 10-15 years. So the answer is that the duration is limited. On the other hand, this may be a sign that you are satisfied with the result of the operation and know what you are doing and what a facelift entails.
We are restrictive about doing a facelift a third time, as it can lead to more prominent blood vessels in the face.
Everyone will have some red color on the scar for a few months. During this period, the scar can be covered with concealer or some hair. Scars on the face after a facelift heal so nicely that in most cases they are not visible. The scars that may be visible are those on the scalp and behind the ear. These will be hidden by hair growth and thus not visible as scars on the face.
About 1-2% of all facelifts are likely to have blood pooling under the skin. The symptoms of this are swelling and pressing pain.
The accumulation of blood can be sucked out with a syringe or removed by opening up a few stitches. Such an event will not affect the end result of a facelift. Small skin rejections can occur, especially behind the ear in smokers. This will appear as a kind of abrasion and take a few weeks to heal. In these cases, the scar may be somewhat wider, but will be well hidden by hair.
The most common side effects are decreased sensation and numbness in the skin, and some unevenness. Numbness can become permanent in areas around the scars, but larger areas without sensation are very uncommon after a facelift. As we mentioned earlier, numbness is common in the first few months after surgery. This will normally go away gradually.
Occasionally, small pigment spots may appear in the skin after this type of surgery, similar to long-term sun exposure. Some hair loss may occur above the ear, but this usually grows back after a year or so.
Unevenness under the chin can occur if a lot of fat has been removed during surgery. They can be small stripes or pits in the skin. They are usually very inconspicuous.
Damage to the nerve that controls the motor functions of the facial muscles is a very rare but serious complication. In experienced surgeons, the risk is small, but there will always be some risk of nerve damage in this type of surgery.
On average, the results of a standard facelift can last 10-15 years, while a mini facelift usually lasts around 10 years.
Cosmetic surgery does not entitle you to sick leave. This means that you have to take time off work for the time you are at home after the operation. Sometimes a facelift is combined with upper eyelid surgery, which, if medically indicated, entitles you to sick leave.
It is recommended to take 7-14 days off work after surgery. After 14 days, there will normally be minimal swelling and bruising visible after the operation.
On the second day after the operation, you will attend a check-up where the surgeon will remove the drain and compression bandage.
It is very individual how the time after the operation is experienced in terms of pain. Some people feel a little numb for a few days, while others find that the surgical wounds sting and sting a little. Reports of severe pain are rare. You will receive painkillers from the clinic when you go home, which you can take if you feel pain.
Some bleeding and bruising after surgery is normal. Major bleeding is rare. Drains are inserted on each side during the operation, for safety reasons. These are removed 2 days after the operation.
Cosmetic surgery does not entitle you to sick leave. This means that you need to adjust your work schedule for the time you are at home and take it easy after the operation. Facelifts are sometimes combined with upper eyelid surgery, which, if medically indicated, entitles you to sick leave.
Norsk Helseinformatikk (nhi.no) has good and neutral information about facelifts.