There are many pros and cons to consider when undergoing facelift surgery. One group of potential “cons” are facelift procedure risks. While sagging skin on the face is certainly something most people wouldn’t mind improving, no one wants to endure a facial nerve injury or worse.
Of course, the best way to avoid a permanent nerve injury, infection, hair loss, or another complication during or after facelift surgery is to choose a board certified plastic surgeon who specializes in facelifts. Do your research, review facelift before and after photos, book consultation appointments, and choose wisely.
Beyond this, knowledge is power. The most you know about the potential complications of traditional facelift surgery, the better prepared you’ll be.
What Are the Risks of Facelift Surgery?
A facelift or rhytidectomy, aims to create a smoother, firmer facial appearance by removing excess facial fat, tightening facial muscles, and adjusting or repositioning loose skin to patients who have bone structure that is well defined. Here are a few of the risks that are often associated with this procedure:
1. Anesthesia Reaction
Rarely, patients may have an allergic reaction to anesthesia. General anesthesia is typically used to perform facelift surgery, and it’s crucial for the surgical team to monitor their patient closely in anticipation of this.
2. Bleeding
There are many blood vessels in the face, and they will be quite disturbed during most facelift procedures. Fortunately, your facelift surgeon can take steps to mitigate bleeding during surgery and prevent further bleeding and postoperative hematoma as you heal.
3. Infection
The risk of a surgical site infection after face lift surgery can be mitigated by ensuring the incision site is extremely clean and sanitized. Patients may be taking antibiotics post-surgery to further reduce this risk. Naturally, patients must take care to stay clean at home as well.
4. Facial Nerve Damage
Rarely, permanent or temporary nerve injury may occur due to facelift procedures. The facial nerves exit at the bottom of the ear, which can be a place where damage may occur.
A cervical branch injury can occur causing drooping of one side of the face and a noticeable deformity.
5. Poor Wound Healing
Enlarged wounds or skin irregularities may infrequently occur. Typically, these issues happen when patients do not carefully follow their postoperative directions. With careful wound care, it is rare to have issues.
6. Lasting Scarring
Again, facelift complications related to incision sites are rare, but they do sometimes occur. For this reason, scarring along the incision lines is a concern, but meticulous surgical techniques minimize this risk. You will have facelift scars, but nearly all of the time, those scars will be small and will heal flat and faded.
7. Hair Loss
Forehead lift surgery and other facial lifts often require incisions along the hairline. Typically, this presents no problem, and the scars heal well within the hair covered area of the scalp. Rarely, hair loss may occur, but even if it does, it is typically temporary. Permanent hair loss does not occur often, and patients who do experience this often have preoperative risk factors.
8. Hematomas
If a pool of clotted blood occurs in the body after surgery, this is called a hematoma. Peak blood pressure evaluation and monitoring during surgery and post-surgery can help avoid this issue, but it is sometimes a risk in certain patients.
9. Eye Issues
Temporary or permanent changes in vision is another rare, but possible risk of facial surgery. Eyelid surgery (typically, removal of excess skin on the upper or lower lids), most of all, poses this risk. Sometimes, this amounts to trouble closing the eye completely, or it might be actual changes in vision.
10. Emotional Effects
Lastly, emotional distress or dissatisfaction may potentially arise if the surgical outcomes do not meet the patient’s expectations. Naturally, we always do our best to achieve your desired results based on your consultation appointment and the extensive preoperative planning phase.
We also want to ensure the healing process goes as smoothly as possible after this invasive procedure. If patients have any concerns or questions at all, it is important to contact assistance as soon as possible. Many complications of facelift surgery can be safely taken care of, especially when caught in time, so it’s never a problem to contact your plastic surgeon with questions or concerns.
FAQ: Risks of Facelift Surgery
What is the best age to have a facelift?
There is no “correct age” to undergo facelift surgery. The same goes for brow lift surgery, neck lift surgery, and other facelift surgeries.
With that said, most facelift patients are between the ages of 35 and 65 and in good physical health. The facial skin tends to sag more and become more crepey and wrinkly at this point. So, this is typically when patients consider cosmetic surgery.
Are there any mini facelift risks?
Even though a mini facelift is a less invasive surgery, mini facelift surgery risks are basically the same as the risks of a traditional facelift: reaction to anesthesia, infection, bleeding, poor wound healing, scarring, vision loss, hair loss, nerve damage, severe pain, or poor outcome, etc.
Arrange for a Personal Consultation in Las Vegas Today
All cosmetic surgery procedures come with risks. But ensuring you choose an experienced board certified plastic surgeon will significantly improve the likelihood of a complication-free surgical procedure.
With extensive experience and expertise, Dr. Rachel Mason is a board certified plastic surgeon performing facelifts and other facial cosmetic surgery at her Las Vegas practice.
To learn more about potential facelift surgery complications, what facelift recovery is like, and whether or not you are a good candidate for this procedure, please contact our office today and book your consultation appointment with Dr. Mason.
References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/face-lift/about/pac-20394059