SMAS lifting

If you are interested in correcting your facial contours with the innovative SMAS facelift, we would like to invite you to a personal consultation at our practice in Frankfurt. During the personal appointment, Dr. Nichlos will take a look at your face, talk to you about your wishes and explain to you what results can realistically be achieved with the SMAS method. He will then inform you about the exact procedure and the risks and possible complications involved. Of course, you can ask your own questions at any time.

If there are no more questions and you decide to have the operation, we will make an appointment. In most cases, some tests (blood, ECG) and possibly the discontinuation of certain medication (e.g. blood thinners) are necessary beforehand. However, we will explain this to you in more detail during the consultation, as well as how to prepare for the operation (e.g. no nicotine for two weeks beforehand).

On the day of the procedure, you will come to the Berger Clinic in Frankfurt. Here, Dr. Nichlos will perform the SMAS facelift in a state-of-the-art operating room. The operation takes about 2 to 4 hours.

After a brief preliminary consultation and preparation, the anesthetist will begin with the induction of anesthesia. Dr. Nichlos uses a general anaesthetic for the face lift. This makes the procedure stress- and pain-free for you and allows the specialist to work very precisely.

As soon as you are asleep, Dr. Nichlos begins to make the incisions to access the SMAS tissue. The incision is made almost invisibly from the hair-covered temple area, runs along the natural crease in front of the ear and ends concealed behind the ear in the hairline. In the next step, he carefully detaches the skin to access the SMAS layer. He then mobilizes it, lifts it and moves it to its original, youthful position, where he then fixes it. If the lifting process results in excess skin or tissue, Dr. Nichlos removes it.

Finally, the specialist sutures the edges of the wound without any tension. This is important so that the result of the lift later looks very natural and not “pulled”. In addition, less tension on the wound results in less pronounced scarring. You will then be given a soft head bandage and taken to the recovery room for observation.

For your safety, Dr. Nichlos plans a one-night stay at the clinic for the SMAS lift. You are in good hands at the Berger Clinic. If the night passes without complications and there is nothing to prevent it after a check-up, you can go home the next day.

When you return home after your stay in hospital, you should first allow yourself plenty of rest. Swelling and bruising are completely normal in the first week. Acute pain is rare. As a rule, patients tend to report a feeling of tension around the ears.

After 5 to 7 days, you will come to our practice for a follow-up examination. Dr. Nichlos will take a look at the healing process and take this opportunity to remove the first stitches in front of the ears. The remaining stitches in the hair area will follow after two weeks. This helps to prevent scarring.

Experience shows that you will be socially acceptable 2 to 3 weeks after the facelift. Any remaining bruising will usually have faded to such an extent that it can be easily concealed with make-up. Should any problems arise during this entire period, Dr. Nichlos is always there for you. Simply call our practice or send us a short e-mail.

Important behavioral tips after the SMAS facelift:

• Sleep with your upper body elevated for the first day. This promotes the drainage of lymphatic fluid and reduces swelling in the face.
• Cool the cheek area carefully and regularly. However, please do not place cold packs directly on the skin, always with a cloth in between.
• Avoid sport, sauna and heavy lifting for 4 to 6 weeks. Any exertion that increases blood pressure has a negative effect on the healing process.
• Strictly protect the fresh scars from sunlight. If there is no other option, you should always use a sunscreen with a high sun protection factor (50+) outdoors.

Regardless of the method, facelift surgery is always a complex surgical procedure. Even with the utmost care, the expertise of an experienced doctor like Dr. Nichlos and high standards of hygiene and safety, there is no surgery without risk.

Very rare, but theoretically possible, are complications such as

• Post-bleeding
• Wound healing disorders
• Nerve injuries (e.g. facial nerve)

Normal and harmless side effects of the operation are:

• Bruising
• Swelling
• Tension & numbness

However, these only occur temporarily and subside on their own.