How many stitches does a facelift require?

When most patients ask how many stitches will be used, they are referring to sutures on the skin surface that need to be removed. Aside from skin sutures, there are many "deep" sutures that are not removed (which are either permanent, or dissolve with time after their temporary purpose has been... more

After a comprehensive full face/neck lift, 40-50 stitches are used to meticulously close the incision site at the hairline, in front and behind the ears. These stitches are removed at the fourth day after the surgery to avoid railroad track scars along the incision line. The incisions themselves are not... more

The number of suture or stitches depends on the length of the incision. The length of the incision is based on not only the type of facelift that is being performed but also the individual's particular anatomy. The short-scar facelifts require much smaller incisions and therefore fewer stitches. On the other... more

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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