Any surgery carries with it certain risks, and a face lift is no different. Although it can radically alter your facial appearance, it can also lead to long-term problems, such as scars, infections or facial nerve damage. Many of these problems can be reversed with additional surgery or other interventions, but it is important to understand the risks before undertaking any kind of cosmetic surgery.
Short-Term Side Effects
If you have had a face lift, it is important to know the side effects that do not lead to long-term problems. For example, you might feel sick or dizzy after the surgery because of the anesthetic. You may experience some pain or bruising, and your doctor may instruct you to take over-the-counter pain relievers if necessary.
Nerve Problems
During a face lift, incisions in the skin may damage some facial nerves. This can make you feel numb in specific areas of the face, and it can lead to facial muscle weakness as well.
Scarring and Hair Loss
Although most scars from face lifts fade well and are hidden by your hairline, some scars may cause problems down the line. If you are genetically susceptible to keloid scars, you may see some at the incision site. Smoking can slow down the healing process and leave more obvious scarring. Some people also experience hair loss around the incision site. Both of these problems can be partially remedied by hair transplant surgery.
Asymmetry
After a face lift, some people find that their ears look asymmetrical. Although this may be startling at first, it can be easily corrected by an additional minor surgery.
Haemotoma
After receiving a face lift, some people experience swelling under the skin. If the swelling is painful and dark red, it is probably hematoma, which must be remedied immediately by further surgery. This additional surgery will remove the clotted blood and stop the bleeding beneath the skin.
Deep Vein Thrombosis
After any surgery, including cosmetic surgery, there is the possibility of infection. Although these infections can be controlled, they can spiral until they lead to deep vein thrombosis. This risk is very small, but discuss it with your doctor before the surgery.
Tags: face lift, additional surgery, cosmetic surgery, face lift some, incision site