Facelift
Facelift and neck lift surgery are safe, effective methods of rejuvenating the face and neck. Advanced treatment techniques offer a beautiful, natural, radiant appearance which enhances the natural contours of the face. Selecting a procedure at the right time can prevent visible signs of ageing simply by correcting skin issues before lines and wrinkles develop. Your youthful complexion will be preserved and the benefits will be visible for many years.
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The Procedure
Dr Warwick Nettle offers a variety of facelift and neck lift options and each treatment is modified to the patient’s specific needs. Dr Nettle specialises in facelift, neck lift, eyelid surgery, hairline lowering, and facial rejuvenation surgery. Dr Nettle is renowned for his artistic skill and his eye for harmony and beauty to customise procedures to each patient’s unique needs. We also offer special techniques designed for men.
A facelift can help you look up to 10 years younger. The results you achieve will be influenced by skin texture, bone structure, and heredity. All aspects of the face, including the brows, eyelids, chin and neck are assessed in order to maintain facial harmony with surgery and to avoid an unnatural or ‘lifted’ look.
In the early days of cosmetic plastic surgery, facelift procedures often stretched the wrinkled surface of the skin. Modern techniques reshape the underlying layer of connective tissue, called the SMAS. The way the SMAS is manipulated, the direction in which it is moved, the amount it is trimmed or folded, and the way it is fixed in place is unique to each surgeon. Dr Nettle mostly uses the Lateral SMAS-ectomy at Dr Warwick Nettle in Bondi Junction, Sydney, to ensure a natural, harmonious appearance. During a facelift, discreet incisions are made within the hairline or natural creases around the ears to minimise scarring. These subtle incisions can be concealed by the hair and light makeup. Sometimes incisions are placed within the hair or inside the mouth. A facelift is performed under general anaesthetic in an accredited hospital with a qualified anaesthetist.
The Recovery
You should be up and about in a day or two, but plan to take it easy for the first week after surgery. Most people are back at work about two to three weeks after surgery, however, one month is preferable. Many patients report a sense of tightness or numbness of the face and neck; the intensity of this and how long it lasts varies according to each person and the extent of the procedure.
The Results
FAQS
Facelift surgery performed slightly earlier rather than a little later will produce a better, more natural and longer-lasting result. Facelift surgery can be performed from the age of 35, although the 40s and 50s are ideal for facial surgery. At this age, the facial tissues still have a natural elastic tone which can minimise the extent of the surgery required for rejuvenation. However, good results can be achieved at any age it is more person dependent than age dependent. Dr Nettle has performed facelifts on several patients in their 80s, who enjoyed their experience and were very pleased with the results.
Facelifts are performed in a private, accredited hospital under general anaesthetic with a qualified anaesthetist and usually take up to 4 hours. You will need to stay overnight and have someone pick you up the next day to care for you for a few days and to take you to your post-op appointments. Mini facelifts take less than 4 hours and can be done as a day stay procedure without the need to stay in hospital overnight.
Facelift surgery is usually a one-time event, although around a third of patients will choose to return for another one in around ten years. The first facelift defines the options for future treatments. If the incisions have been well chosen, the hairline has not been significantly altered and facial expression has not been changed, multiple facelifts are possible.
During a facelift, discreet incisions are made within the hairline or natural creases around the ears to minimise scarring. These subtle incisions can be concealed by the hair and light makeup.
There are no Medicare rebates as a facelift is a cosmetic procedure.
Facelift techniques have evolved to support the underlying layers of the face instead of just supporting the superficial top layer of the skin. This creates a more natural, long-lasting result that doesn’t look stretched. A good facelift is one you can’t tell was done.
Our treatment menu offers many facial procedure options. Some people are content with gentle improvements through injectable dermal fillers and stimulants. If you require neckline, jowl or general sag improvement, you will require surgery. Mini facelift procedures and small-incision forehead lifts are frequently performed at our practice, as there is a strong demand for quick recovery and minimally invasive surgery.
You will be seen by Dr Nettle the day following your surgery.
Regular appointments are made in the following two weeks to check your healing and to remove stitches.
