Some of the most visible signs of aging first appear on the face. Although the changes appear gradually, there may come a day when you look in the mirror and decide that the face you see doesn't reflect the way you feel about yourself. Id you would like to look as good as you feel, a facelift can help. Also known as rhytidectomy, a facelift smoothes the loose skin on your face and neck, tightens underlying tissues and removes excess fat. As a result, your face will appear firmer and fresher.
Facelifts are more commonly performed on patients in the 40-60 age range. However, the procedure can produce good results for people in their 60s, 70s, and 80s as well.

You may be a good candidate for a facelift if you have any of the following conditions:
• A deep line that runs from the corner of your nose to the corner of your mouth.
• Loss of a well-defined jaw line
• Deep wrinkles in the cheeks and sagging skin near the cheekbones.

Facelift surgery needs to be approached with extra caution if you have any of the following medical conditions:
• Uncontrolled high blood pressure
• Blood-clotting problems
• The tendency to form excessive scars

How is a facelift performed?
The technique chosen for your surgery depends on your features, your surgeon's preferences and your desired result. There are many variations to the facelift procedure. However, the incision is typically hidden in the natural contour of your ear, and then extends around the earlobe into the hairline. Following surgery, the incisions are bestially concealed by your hair or with makeup. There also maybe a small incision hidden beneath your chin.
Working through these incisions, your plastic surgeon frees the facial skin from its underlying tissues and pulls it upward and back. The excess skin is then removed. In some cases, the deeper tissues may also be repositioned to restore a more youthful contour to your face. If necessary, an incision under the chin allows your surgeon to remove fatty tissue in that area and smooth the cord-like structures of the underlying muscle in the neck.