How many stitches does a facelift require?

The number of stitches required for a facelift is largely unimportant. More important is having a discussion with your surgeon to discuss where the incision areas will be and what you can expect in terms of healing and long term results. For instance do you use sutures or staples that will need to be removed,... more

The number of sutures used in a facelift does not affect the result. I always tell my patients when they ask me how many sutures were used for a particular procedure, I give them the same response and that is as many as necessary to close the wound or the incision. What is most important to consider is the... more

I always find it interesting that people like to know how many stitches they get.  This is especially true in lacerations.  And yet it's the one thing that plastic surgeons never focus on.  When we do surgery we place as many sutures as is necessary to achieve the necessary result. ... more

It really depends on the type of facelift you do.  When you do a traditional facelift with an incision that goes in front of the ear and extends all the way to the back of the ear and down the hairline, you will receive 20-30 stiches or more.  If the lift you do is a minimal one and your incision... more

As you can tell from the other surgeons comments, that is like asking an artist to count the number of strokes in a painting. There are no rigid recommendations here. Generally our goal is to restore a youthful appearance by rearranging or addressing: Bony structures Reposition muscle layers (SMAS) Examine... more

Most plastic surgeons don't count the number of sutures because number itself is relatively meaningless to us.  What can be important are things like, which layers do you place sutures in.  For facelifts "plicating the SMAS" is an important concept for a lasting result.  For the... more

The number of sutures placed in any procedure is not important.  What is important is that  the appropriate number of sutures are placed in the right place, using appropiate techniques to achieve the desired result.

Most of the sutures are beneath the skin, and it will vary depending on what needs to be accomplished, and the condition of the tissues.  What is important is communication between the patient and the doctor so that expectations are realistic, and the results are what the patient wants.

Who is doing the surgery and what technique they are using will determine he number of stitches. Suffice to say, there are MANY stitches used to support the deep tissues, tighten the muscles, and close the skin. How many doesn't really matter - just that you get the result you want.

If someone is trying to sell you a facelift based on the number of stitches, I would recommend going to someone else. The number of stitches used during a facelift is individualized for each patient and judging a facelift by the number of stitches is irrelevant. Facelift surgery is very complex. It is more... more