he facelift procedure both improves wrinkling caused by loose skin, and also lifts and tightens the face and neck tissues, which tend to sag increasingly with advancing years.

As medical advances, better nutrition, and exercise increase the life span, many aging women and men find that they look older than they feel. The popularity of the facelift stems from its ability to turn back the clock on jowls and wrinkles.

The amount of improvement from surgery depends on the degree of wrinkling. If wrinkling is significant, results may be dramatic. If sagging is just starting and the operation is performed to keep the patient looking young, the improvement may be more subtle, causing friends to remark that the patient "just looks better".

A commonly asked question is: "how long will my facelift last?" The answer is that there will always be some positive effect: the patient should always look better than he or she would have at any given age. The facelift sets the clock back, but the clock continues to run. Another great benefit of the facelift - one that often justifies it being done as early as the patient's 40s as part of a preventive maintenance program -

is that the patient can maintain a youthful appearance for the rest of his or her life, simply by having periodic "tuck-ups" every few years. These relatively minor procedures are usually followed by very little swelling and discoloration. However, they cannot be done without the initial facelift.

The facelift operation is usually performed in the hospital. Patients spend one night in a private room with a nurse on hand to maintain comfort during the initial recovery.

In some people, fat gradually develops below the chin to make a "double-chin." The mound of fat obliterates the ideal chin-neck line and contributes to the appearance of aging. Other people have a "turkey-gobbler" deformity, consisting of several vertical bands which run from the chin to the base of the neck. Both problems can be addressed during the facelift procedure.

The patient is able to wear makeup one week after the procedure and by two weeks is usually presentable enough to go to any occasion. Sutures are removed during the first week after surgery. In a short time, the scars, most of which are hidden in the hair and behind the ears, become inconspicuous except upon close scrutiny.