For people who care about how their face looks, age is their worst enemy. Their major concerns are facial lines, wrinkles and age spots. Although aging is inevitable, dermatologists have been working constantly to ensure these individuals can prolong their youthful appearance, resulting in the development of face lift procedures and other common cosmetic surgery methods.

Dr. Algie LaBrasca is an experienced plastic surgery and anesthetic specialist based in Brookville, Pennsylvania. He is currently affiliated with the Penn Highlands Brookville and the Penn Highlands Dubois hospitals. He also runs an independent facility, Laurel Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery, where he offers professional plastic surgery and anesthetic services. Interested individuals can book sessions by phone or online at drlabrasca.com.

LaBrasca describes a face lift as a cosmetic surgery procedure to give the patient a more youthful appearance by rectifying the saggy jowls, facial wrinkles, hollow areas, and other lines that characterize aging. A face lift removes excess skin, reshaping the lower half of the face. These procedures used to be controversial, but have now been refined with new technologies making the entire process safer and easier to conduct.

Before embarking on a face lift, the surgeon must consult with the aesthetician to determine the amounts of anesthesia needed for the entire duration of the procedure, as well as which type to use. Two types of anesthesia can be used for face lift surgery: local IV anesthesia and general anesthesia. Normally, face lift surgery can take up to five hours, with the length of time varying depending on the patient's goals.

The procedure starts with the surgeon drawing incision lines on the patient's face as close as possible to the hairline to decrease the visibility of scars. The surgeon then lifts off the deeper face muscles and fat to remove the excess skin and tighten the deeper facial tissues. The fat from the other parts of the face may be redistributed to achieve the desired goals. Other patients get a neck lift by having a small incision made under the chin to tighten the skin and the deeper neck tissues. The surgeon then has to close the cuts with sutures after ensuring they have trimmed off any excess skin, repositioned it where necessary, and re-draped it over the face's new contour.

For the recovery process, a bandage is placed around your face to prevent excess swelling and bruising, which may last for less than two days. After about five to 10 days after the surgery, the sutures can be removed with full recovery, which normally takes about two weeks. Patients may experience some common side effects, including numbness, muscle stiffness, swelling, and bruising.

Even though almost anyone can undergo a face lift, LaBrasca advises people to consider the following before embarking on the procedure:

• Avoid smoking at least eight weeks before the surgery, as smoking increases the risk of complications after the surgery.

• Avoid using blood thinners such as aspirin.

• Diabetic patients have a higher risk of complications after surgery.

• Anyone with underlying medical conditions should refrain from undergoing a face lift.