Oh the signs of aging....you can't stop them, but you can hold them off for awhile. You know what they are- sagging jowls, the frown face and the turkey neck. These all add years to your face. A facelift is a surgical way to refresh, tighten and reverse the years. But, before you jump face first into surgery, it is important to know what the possible risks are. Yes, this is a very common procedure that is done every day, but as with any procedure, there are risks.
Here are some of the more common ones to be aware of:

- Surgery complications- Anytime general anesthesia is used, the risks of surgery go up. It is essential that you disclose any medical conditions and prescriptions you are taking that might require additional monitoring during the procedure. An allergic reaction to the anesthesia is always possible which can lead to difficulty waking and even death.

- The formation of a hematoma at the incision site is possible which requires additional surgery to correct. Deep vein thrombosis is also a risk with any surgical procedure. This is the formation of a clot that travels to the lungs or brain.

- Numbness/Nerve damage- Anytime an incision is made, there is a chance of nerve damage. Some numbness around the incision is common and usually goes away, but it can be permanent.

- Asymmetry- It is possible for one side to look tauter than the other which throws off the symmetry of your face. It is a delicate procedure and even a centimeter's difference can change the look. Not only that, but your secret becomes obvious. If one side is higher than the other, everyone will know that you had "work done." The goal is to look natural and have people wondering what is different about you.

- Scarring- An infection or poor wound healing can result in unsightly scarring. Although the surgeon makes his incisions up in the hairline to hide them as much as possible, visible or raised scarring can occur. Be sure to follow all of your surgeon's post-facelift instructions to ensure that the healing process goes well to avoid unnecessary scarring.

- Revision surgery- If the results are not quite what you expected or if something goes wrong, revision surgery may be necessary. Perhaps you look too tight, not tight enough or lopsided. This requires additional surgery which means a repeat of all the possible risks. Choose a great surgeon to avoid this from happening.

To reduce the chance of any of these things happening, make sure you choose a board certified plastic surgeon that has experience performing facelifts. Explain to him the results you would like to see, but make sure you have realistic expectations. A facelift can take years off of your face, but it can't make you look like you did in your twenties!