A face lift is one of the classic forms of plastic surgery, in fact for many people it is synonymous with the term. The idea behind a face lift is to tighten up your face so that you can get rid of the wrinkles and look younger. While it is generally successful at this task it is major surgery and does come with some very real risks that you need to keep in mind.

A face lift is designed to make you look younger by removing the wrinkles from your face. It should be pointed out that a face lift only covers the lower two thirds of your face, it does not cover the areas around the eyes or the forehead. There are separate procedures that can be used to address wrinkles in these areas and they are often done at the same time as the face lift but these are separate procedures and need to be discussed separately with your doctor.

The actual procedure of a face lift is fairly simple, the doctor will make an incision and remove any excess fat and skin and then pull the skin that remains tight so that any wrinkles are removed. In the past it used to be pretty obvious when somebody had a face lift however with new techniques being used this is far less of an issue. There are several incisions involved with a face lift and the surgeon will do his best to hide them but they will be there so you need to be aware of that if you are considering having the procedure done.

A face lift is a major surgical procedure that comes with quite a lengthy recovery time. It normally takes at least three or four weeks to recover from the procedure and for the first few days after it is done you will likely need to wear a face bandage. After the procedure it can take up to eighteen months for the scarring to completely heal. During this time it will be necessary to make sure that you protect the area from the sun as this will discolor the scarred area making them much more obvious. This is clearly a major inconvenience but most people are willing to put up with it because of the good results that they get from the procedure.

Like all major surgeries there are a few risks involved in having a face lift, the most likely is that you will experience numbness in your face as a result of the surgery. There is also a possibility that you will suffer nerve damage to your face. As with all surgeries there is always a chance that you will develop an infection. If you are considering a face lift you are going to need to talk to a plastic surgeon to assess whether you are a good candidate.