How Long Does a Facelift Surgery Take?

As you get older, your skin and tissues lose their natural elasticity, resulting in sagging skin and wrinkles. But with a facelift, you can get rid of these aging signs and restore a youthful appearance on your face. Also known as rhytidectomy, a facelift is an invasive procedure that helps lift and tighten the sagging facial skin and tissues.

The most common question that patients considering getting a facelift often ask is: How long does facelift surgery take? Continue reading to find out how long it might take you to have your facelift.

What Happens During a Facelift Procedure?

First of all, you need to find a professional plastic surgeon with experience in performing facelift procedures. Then, your doctor will sit down with you to discuss the procedure and what you should expect. They will also want to know if you have any underlying medical conditions that might affect the procedure and the results from the surgery. So, it’s important to be forthright with your doctor.

Once the doctor has confirmed that you are a good candidate for a facelift, they will give you anesthesia to calm your nerves and keep you comfortable during the surgery. Under normal circumstances, your surgeon will provide you with local anesthesia to numb your face. But in some cases, you might be given general anesthesia to make you unconscious.

Generally, the surgeon will make an incision along your hairline and behind your ear and then lift and tighten your skin, the underlying tissues, and muscles. Sometimes the fat in your face and neck will be shaped, removed, or restructured. Your facial skin will then be re-dressed over the newly relocated contours of your face. The excess skin will be removed, and the incision stitched or closed using tape.

How Long Does a Facelift Procedure Take?

Generally, a facelift procedure should take 2 to 4 hours, and you might be allowed to go home on the same day. However, sometimes the procedure takes longer if other related cosmetic procedures are done simultaneously. It is also important to note that the time a facelift procedure takes depends on the extent of the surgery.

For instance, a mini-facelift, which involves an incision along the hairline, can be done in less than two hours. But a complete extensive facelift (rhytidectomy), including neck lifting and tightening, can last up to 8 hours. Your plastic surgeon should be able to estimate the time it will take to complete your facelift procedure.