Mother Nature and Father Time have given your face a worn look, so much so that you're considering a facelift, also known as a rhytidectomy. Your skin and soft tissue have lost their elasticity. You look tired, even when you're not. You may have deep lines around the corners of your mouth, jowls or neck laxity (looseness) that increase your aged and tired look.

healthren.com

The good news is that modern facelift techniques have evolved significantly over the past 15 years. Early facelift operations tightened only the skin, while the modern facelift removes excess skin, laxity of facial muscle and excess fat, often found in the lower face and neck. The procedure can improve the contour of your lower jaw and jowls, and soften deep lines from your nose to the corners of your mouth.

healthren.com

But a facelift is only one technique surgeons can use to restore youth and beauty. Once the loose skin, fat and muscle have been tightened, laser and other peeling techniques can improve the quality of the skin. Your surgeon can perform a facelift with other procedures, including surgery on the forehead, eyelids or nose.

Who's a Candidate For a Facelift? healthren.com

The best candidates for facelift surgery are those patients who demonstrate the above signs of facial aging but still have some skin elasticity. Generally this includes patients who are in their 40's to 70's, although older patients occasionally are candidates. healthren.com

It's extremely important that you are in good general overall physical and mental health, and it's crucial that you have realistic expectations. A facelift is not meant to completely alter your appearance or make you look like someone else. It's a way to turn back the hands of time and restore your once youthful appearance, but it is not a method to solve personal problems or psychological issues.

It's important to recognize that not every person needs or is willing to undergo a facelift operation. Younger patients may obtain significant benefit from smaller or more minimally invasive procedures. Older patients also may choose one of these smaller procedures to address a particularly bothersome area of the face or neck. Facial liposuction, a neck lift or a brow lift are examples of such procedures.