4 Things You Need To Know About Jowl Lifts
Posted on: 4 April 2016
Face lifts are very popular procedures. According to the American Academy of Plastic Surgeons, face lifts are the most common cosmetic surgical procedure performed on people 55 years and older. While face lifts are very common, you may not know that there are many different types of face lifts, including jowl lifts. Jowl lifts, also known as lower face lifts, only target the lower portion of your face. Here are four things you need to know about jowl lifts.
Who are good candidates for jowl lifts?
Traditional face lifts tighten and lift your entire face, from your forehead down to your chin. Since everyone ages differently, you may not think that your entire face needs this procedure. Your forehead and cheeks may remain reasonably smooth and tight, while the lower portion of your face betrays your age. You may notice lots of wrinkles around your mouth or the development of jowls.
If this happens, you don't need to undergo a traditional face lift. Your surgeon can tighten just the lower portion of your face, and leave the upper portion of your face—the part that you're already happy with—in its original condition.
How are jowl lifts performed?
Your plastic surgeon will make incisions in your hairline—where scars are easily hidden—and in front of your ears. Excess fat can be suctioned out of your jowls and lower face to give your face a slimmer, less droopy appearance, and then your skin will be draped across your lower face. The surgeon will gently position the skin to determine the proper amount of tightness, and then excess skin will be trimmed from the edges of your face. The incisions will then be closed with either tape or stitches.
This procedure can take between two and four hours, but if you want to get other procedures done at the same time (like lip augmentation or a chin implant), your surgery will take longer. Your surgeon will let you know how long you surgery should take based on any additional procedures that you've opted for.
What is the recovery period like?
Your surgeon will prescribe appropriate pain killers for you to take during your recovery period. Make sure to take these pain killers as directed; if the pain is too severe to be controlled with your medication, let your surgeon know.
Immediately after your surgery, the lower part of your face will be covered in bandages. While you're wearing these bandages, you won't be able to do things like wash your hair, take a shower or wear clothes that need to be pulled over your head. You'll also need to keep your head elevated while you're resting, so you may find sleeping difficult. Within a couple of days, your surgeon will take these bandages off and replace them with a sling.
Your incisions will be red or bruised at first, and you won't be able to cover this discoloration with makeup for the first week after your surgery. Since your incisions will be quite noticeable, you may want to stay home from work during this first week to avoid unwanted questions from your coworkers. It can take up to six weeks for your incisions to completely heal.
How long do the results last?
Face lifts don't last forever. They temporarily tighten your skin, but as you age, gravity will once again begin to take its toll. In the future, the wrinkles around your mouth or your sagging jowls will return. Exactly when this will happen is hard to predict because there haven't been a lot of studies done to evaluate the long-term results of face lifts. One study of patients who received traditional face-lifts found that jowl correction was still intact 5.5 years after the surgery.
Once the results of your surgery eventually wear off, you can return to your surgeon for a follow-up procedure. Depending on your needs at this time, the jowl lift may be repeated or a full face lift may be performed.
If your forehead and cheeks are still youthful, but you're starting to develop jowls, a jowl lift may be right for you. For more information, talk to a company like My Plastic Surgery Group.
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