At The Karri Clinic, we believe in being completely honest and upfront about all our procedures, including cost, recovery time, benefits, risks and surgery options. We have created this blog post for anyone who is considering a facelift but wants to know more about the procedure before going further.
If you would like to arrange a consultation to see Mr Karri about a possible facelift, or indeed any other facial rejuvenation procedures, please email enquiries@thekarriclinic.co.uk or call us directly on 01482 976 980.
How much does a facelift cost?
The cost of a facelift at The Karri Clinic starts from £6600. For patients who also require further facial rejuvenation procedures such as a neck lift, facial fat grafting or a deep chemical peel, there will be additional costs.
If you come to The Karri Clinic having had a facelift elsewhere for a ‘redo facelift’ this may also attract a higher cost.
The cost of a facelift includes the surgeon fee, anaesthetic fee, clinic fee, post-surgery garments, post-surgery care and follow-up appointments with your surgeon.
We realise that cost is a huge factor when it comes to deciding whether to have cosmetic or plastic surgery, and at The Karri Clinic we endeavour to be as open as possible from the outset about the cost of all our procedures.
An initial consultation fee of £100 allows you time with Mr Karri to discuss your facial rejuvenation options. He will answer any questions or concerns you might have an will assess your face to work out the best procedure or procedures for you.
After your consultation with Mr Karri, you will be sent a quote specific to your requirements. You can then take your time to decide if you want to go ahead with your facelift.
What are the different types of facelift?
There are several different types of facelifts and as a general rule, they vary by the type of incision, number of tissue layers treated, the area of the face that is targeted, and their degree of invasiveness.
Some of the more popular facelift types are:
Midface Facelift or Cheek Lift
The midface lift is very effective in treating the mid-face (cheek) area. During this procedure, an incision is made in the lower eyelid, just below the eyelashes. Through this incision, the fat pad is repositioned over the cheekbone.
Mr Karri also performs a minimal-access midface lift in which a small incision is made into the hairline above the ears and sutures are used to elevate the cheek fat pad.
Short Scar Facelift
The short scar facelift is an umbrella term for facelifts that involve a short incision that does not extend beyond the ear (the incision stops at the earlobe).
Via this precise incision, the jowls and loose skin can be tightened.
Two examples of a short scar facelift are the S-lift and Minimal-Access Cranial Suspension (MACS) lift. These lifts are ideally suited for patients in their 40s and 50s with mild to moderate loose skin and who have minimal or no signs of ageing in the neck.
SMAS Facelift
With a SMAS lift, the incision starts in the temple hairline and extends downwards in front of the ear and behind the ear. The deeper tissues of the face and neck are tightened using sutures and the excess skin removed.
SMAS facelifts work well for patients with midface sagging, mild skin laxity and jowls.
The SMAS lift differs from a deep plane lift in that no attachments underneath the SMAS are released.
Deep-Plane Lift
Mr Karri’s favoured technique is the deep plane facelift, which is considered the gold standard of facelifts.
This ‘lift’ involves two essential steps.
First, the skin is separated from the deeper tissue of the face known as the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS). The SMAS is a layer of strong tissue that envelopes the muscles of the face and is also attached to the muscular layer in the neck.
Secondly, Mr Karri lifts, releases and repositioning the SMAS. It is this second step that gives rise to the term ‘deep plane,’ as the surgeon enters the ‘deep-plane’ under the SMAS and releases the attachments. After the SMAS is repositioned, excess skin is removed and the wound closed.
The deep-plane facelift has been shown through scientific studies to offer a long-lasting result with fewer revisions.
It is ideally suited for patients with severe facial sagging and ageing of the neck.
With any of the above facelifts, Mr Karri often performs additional procedures such as upper eyelid lift (blepharoplasty), facial fat grafting and phenol peel – all this will be discussed during your initial consultation with Mr Karri.
What can I expect from a facelift consultation?
Mr Karri’s facelift consultation consists of two parts. The first part is focussed on your motivation for surgery and your general health status. This includes:
- Features of your face and neck you are unhappy with
- The change you want to achieve
- Your general health status and medications
- Any previous surgery
With regard to the surgery specifically, Mr Karri will discuss:
- Your facelift options
- Non-surgical treatments that may be more appropriate
- The outcome of a facelift and any potential risks
- Options for anaesthesia
- Recovery from a facelift
Mr Karri places great emphasis on your consultation, as it is important you understand all aspects of your facelift surgery. It is entirely natural to be nervous at this time and forget to ask questions that are important to you. As such, Mr Karri encourages all his facelift patients to have a second consultation at no extra cost.
What is the recovery time following a facelift?
Recovery after Mr Karri’s facelift surgery is generally quite short. After 7 days sutures are removed and make-up can be applied. Bruising and swelling has normally resolved and subsided after around 10 days.
What sort of anaesthesia is used for a facelift?
Mr Karri performs many of his facelifts under twilight sedation. With this type of anaesthesia,you are essentially asleep, have little memory of surgery and return home the same day.
All anaesthesia options will be discussed with you during your consultation.
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Are there any limitations as to what a facelift can achieve?
The purpose of a facelift is to restore a youthful facial shape by softening the jowls, improving jawline definition and neck contour. It is important to understand that a facelift does not restore volume to the face or eliminate fine wrinkles. These issues can be addressed through other facial rejuvenation techniques including facial fat grafting and chemical peels.
All facial rejuvenation options will be discussed during your consultation. If Mr Karri believes a number of smaller procedures will give you the result you are looking for, then he will suggest this in place of a full facelift.
Where will my scar be if I choose to have a facelift?
We know how important it is that your surgery is as imperceptible as possible, which is why Mr Karri places great emphasis on hiding your facelift scar. Depending on facial skin colour and ear anatomy, the scar is placed just in front of the ear or inside the ear.
How soon will I be able to go home after a facelift?
The vast majority of Karri Clinic patients go home the same day after their facelift.
How quickly will I be able to return to exercising after a facelift?
Patients are able to resume full exercise at 4 weeks post facelift.
What are the risks or complications of a facelift?
Any type of surgery carries risks and facelift is no exception. Potential complications includes:
- Unfavourable scarring
- Infection
- Delayed healing
- Bleeding/haematoma
- Asymmetry
- Facial nerve injury with weakness
- Persistent pain
- Skin irregularities
- Numbness/changes in skin sensation
- Skin necrosis
- Risks of anaesthesia
These risks and others will be fully discussed during your consultation.
How long will facelift surgery take?
A facelift and neck lift typically takes 3 hours.
Are the results from a facelift permanent?
It is important to understand a facelift serves to ‘reset the clock’, giving you a refreshed, more youthful look.
No facelift is permanent and your face will continue to age. The rate of ageing varies between patients and is dependent on many factors such as general health, sun exposure, change in weight, smoking history and genetics. To enjoy the benefits of a facelift, patients are strongly advised to look after their skin and general health.
We hope this post has given you the information you need to take the next step in deciding if a facelift is right for you. If you would like to arrange a consultation to see Mr Karri about a possible facelift, or indeed any other facial rejuvenation procedures, please email enquiries@thekarriclinic.co.uk or call us directly on 01482 976 980.
