Glossary of Cosmetic Plastic Surgery and Laser Terms

Face lift surgery can be performed on an outpatient basis with local anesthetics. Patients typically also receive "twilight anesthesia," an intravenous sedative that helps to lower their awareness of the procedure being performed.

There are a number of variations of face lift surgery. Which one is used will depend on the patient's facial structure, how much correction is needed, and the preferences of the surgeon performing the procedure. In a typical face lift surgery, the surgeon begins by making an incision within the hairline just above the ear. The incision continues down along the front edge of the ear, around the earlobe, and then up and behind the ear extending back into the hairline. The location of this incision is designed to hide any sign of the procedure later. The same procedure is repeated on the other side of the face. Using various instruments, the surgeon will then work to separate the skin of the face from its underlying tissue, moving down to the cheek and into the neck area and below the chin. Fat deposits over the cheeks and in the neck may be removed surgically or with liposuction at this time. The surgeon will then work to free up and tighten certain bands of muscle and tissue that extend up from the shoulder, below the chin, and up and behind the neck. If these muscles and tissue are not tightened, the looseness and sagging appearance of the skin will return. The surgeon then trims excess skin from the edges of the original incision, pulls the skin back, and staples or sutures it into place.