A facelift can be used to treat problem areas around the face such as jowls and hanging skin. The goal is to make you look ten to fifteen years younger without changing your overall appearance. In order to maintain a natural look, your surgeon may prefer to use endoscopic techniques that limit incision size and visibility.
Facelifts are often combined with a brow lift to create better harmony of the facial structures. For the same reason, laser resurfacing is often offered to reduce fine wrinkles around the mouth; a facelift corrects sagging and deep wrinkles.
For several days after surgery, you may experience tightness of the neck, numbness of the skin, and swelling. Home care, which we can help you arrange, is often recommended after surgery.
Surgery time is around five hours long. IV sedation (twilight sedation) or general anesthesia is often used, and the patient can usually return home the same day as the procedure. Recovery time from the procedure will last between two and three weeks before it is complete and the patient can return to work. Most will be able to walk around within 1-2 days. Avoid vigorous activity for 2-3 weeks. Theraputic massage and herbal medications applied topically can be used. Ensure that your head is elevated, with no bending over or lifting for one week.
Frequently Asked Questions about Facelifts
Q: Can laser resurfacing or chemical peels be done at the same time as a facelift?
A: Yes, but resurfacing can only be done on areas where the skin has not been freed from the underlying tissues (i.e. the area of the mouth). Resurfacing around the mouth is a nice addition to a facelift, because the wrinkles around the mouth are not addressed by a facelift.
Q: How long does a facelift last?
A: A facelift that places sutures in the SMAS (subcutaneous muscular aponeurotic system) will last eight to ten years.
Q: Am I too young for a facelift?
A: Everyone ages differently and this is very dependent on your inherited skeletal structure. The trend is towards less aggressive surgery at a younger age to maintain a more natural appearance. I have a large number of patients who have facelifts in their mid 40's for this reason.
Q: Do you do facelifts, brow lifts, and eyelid lifts all at the same time?
A: Yes. Doing all three at once creates better harmony between all areas of the face, because no one area appears much younger than others that have not received treatment.
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