Are there risks or complications with the face lift?
As with all types of surgery, there are potential risks associated with the facelift. The risk of infection and bleeding are very low provided that patients follow instructions to stop taking blood thinners for two weeks prior to surgery and discontinue smoking for at least two to three before and after surgery. As with any surgery performed on the face, there is a potential risk of damaging the facial nerve. This is the nerve that helps control movement on that side of the face and there are five separate branches that can be injured individually or altogether. Because these branches happen to run along a predictable path below the SMAS and platysma layers, there is very little risk of damaging the facial nerve as long as the surgery does not extend too deep below these layers. In some cases, temporary weakness can be seen in select branches of the facial nerve due to swelling and bruising near the nerve. This recovers fully in nearly all cases and only rarely does permanent damage of
