The Procedure + Surgical Techniques

Surgery for both procedures involves tightening and removing sagging skin on the face and neck, as well as removing and repositioning excess fat. Your surgeon may also tighten facial muscles to improve their tone.

The incisions made for face lift surgery are usually just behind the hairline, in front of the ear, and end behind the ear. This placement allows for the incision sites to be neatly camouflaged in the natural contours of the face, or hidden in the hairline.

Sometimes, a neck lift will be combined with a lower face lift, as tightening in both directions may offer better results. The incision sites for a neck lift can be below and behind each ear and beneath the chin. This may differ depending on your surgical needs. There are a number of surgical approaches for a neck lift, and your surgeon will recommend the safest option to achieve your desired results.

For further information on the procedure, we highly recommend you watch the animated video on our website, which outlines this surgery in more detail.

Hospital Stay and Anaesthesia

For reasons of patient safety, these procedures are performed under a General Anaesthetic with an Anaesthetist present. Surgery can take place as a day procedure, however an overnight stay may be required, especially when combined with another procedure. Your plastic surgeon will discuss your choices in your initial consultation and determine which option is best suited for you

Your Consultation

In order to keep your consultation as smooth and efficient as possible, we ask that you please bring all relevant documentation with you on the day. This includes your referral letter, Medicare card, private health insurance details, any third party or return to work insurance information, and any relevant scans i.e. x-ray or ultrasounds.

During your initial consultation with your Specialist Plastic Surgeon, you will have extensive opportunity to discuss expectations and desired results. You will also have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have about the procedure.

You will then meet with one of our experienced nurses, where you will have clinical images taken as a before and after reference for both yourself and your surgeon (please note that all our images are confidential and are stored securely online pursuant to the current Privacy Act). During this time you may also be fitted with a compression garment if indicated by your surgeon.

The final stage involves meeting with your surgeon’s personal assistant. You will be given an in depth quote, outlining the surgeon, hospital and anaesthetist fees, along with some take home information on your procedure.

There is a lot of information to take in after your first consultation. We encourage patients to go home and discuss their procedure with loved ones and come back for a subsequent visit. We find patients almost always come back with additional questions they hadn’t previously thought of, and your second visit allows you to go into your surgery feeling confident and fully informed about your procedure.

We recommend that you allow an hour for this consultation. Please keep this in mind when organising parking so that you don’t feel the need to rush.

Before your procedure

There are a number of things you can start to implement before your procedure, to encourage a smooth recovery and ensure you are as comfortable as possible post surgery.

It is important that you:

• Exercise, having good physical health will significantly help your recovery process
• Provide a complete medical history for your specialist plastic surgeon; this should include all current medications, as some may need to be stopped prior to surgery.
• Quit smoking
• Because you’re having general anaesthesia, it is important that you pre-arrange someone to transport you to and from your surgery, as well as stay with you 48 hours after returning home.
• Ensure you follow pre-operative instructions from your surgeon, such as fasting times, or your procedure may have to be cancelled.
• You may wish to pre purchase medical grade camouflage makeup, to help cover any residual redness or bruising post surgery. Many of our facial procedure patients find this helpful when getting back to day-to-day activities. We are pleased to offer our patients the entire Jane Iredale collection, a medical grade mineral makeup range that is safe to use post operatively.

Prepare your recovery area! You’ll want to have everything you need to recover easily accessible and within arms reach. We suggest comfortable pillows, icepacks, prescribed medications, emergency contact details, a phone, as well as things to keep you entertained.

Recovery

Recovery time is highly individual, however we find many patients are able to resume non-strenuous activities after a few days and return to work after 2-3 weeks. Strenuous activity and exercise should be avoided for the first month, however gentle walking is fine after the first few days. This time frame will vary depending on your individual surgery details, the nature of your employment and your overall level of health. Your surgeon will discuss this with you prior to surgery, and it is important to allow yourself the recommended recovery time and follow all post operative instructions.  

Post-surgery it is common to have bruising and swelling over the face and neck area. The extent of the swelling will vary for each individual, and occasionally swelling can cause temporary changes in symmetry of the face. This typically resolves within the first two weeks, but can persist for up to a month. If previously indicated by your surgeon, it is important you wear your compression garment and do your best to sleep with your head elevated. This will assist in reducing swelling. Feeling of tightness in your face and neck, along with headaches and some discomfort, are all normal symptoms in your initial postoperative period.

After approximately ten days it is safe to use mineral makeup to help cover any residual redness or bruising if you wish. At this stage, we offer a complimentary camouflage lesson using Jane Iredale cosmetics, a medical grade mineral makeup range.   As a practice our philosophy is built around holistic treatment. For this reason, during your makeup consultation you will also be given the opportunity to discuss ways you can care for and protect your skin post-surgery, and in the future. This includes skincare, make up, non-surgical treatment options and most importantly – sun protection!

On discharge, you will be given specific postoperative instructions to facilitate recovery, and a follow-up appointment will be made with your plastic surgeon. These instructions will cover everything you will need to know in order to make your recovery as smooth and comfortable as possible.  

We are dedicated to supporting you to make a swift, uncomplicated recovery. A 24/7 on-call medical assistance service is available for all post-operative patients.  

View post-operation information here

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