Question:
I want to get a facelift, but I want to be under as short of a time as possible. I’ve heard that a facelift can take between one and three hours. What are some individual factors that could slow down the procedure?
Answer:
Certainly skill and efficiency play a role in how long a facelift takes, but more importantly is the type of lift performed. That depends on what type of facelift the patient needs. Small “S”-lifts can take as short as an hour, but are only good for the jawline. A little more extensive lift, but still less invasive than a full lower facelift, we refer to as a limited incision facelift. This lift addresses the jawline and the neck, but is only good for patients who do not have an excessive amount of neck laxity or fatty tissue. Both the “S” lift and the limited incision lift are performed in the office with oral anesthesia and local. The limited incision lift takes about 2 hours. A full lower facelift is performed at a surgery center with IV anesthesia and takes about 2.5 to 3 hours depending on the amount of work to be performed. In any case anesthesia today is very safe and you can expect an uneventful time in all but the most rare of circumstances.
