Facelift

With age, certain characteristic changes begin to occur in the face. The skin begins to lose its elasticity and can droop. Areas of youthful fat begin to descend and hollow areas develop where there was once fullness. As the skin and soft tissue drop, new rolls and creases develop and can impart an old, tired appearance. When these changes are mild, Botox and dermal fillers may bring a satisfactory improvement. As these changes progress, however, surgery may be required to sufficiently correct these problems.

A facelift procedure focuses on the lower face, jowls, neck, and jawline to improve the appearance of sagging skin and elevate the drooping fat to bring back a more youthful contour to the neck and jaw, alowing the naturally beautiful neck musculature to show. This is done through incisions hidden inside the ear, around the earlobe, behind the ear, and in the hairline. These incisions are very difficult to see after healing. The procedure is performed in the Surgery Center with the assistance of an Anesthesiologist.

The patient is seen frequently during the postoperative period. Initially bruising and swelling is present but this resolves over time and can normally be camouflaged with cosmetics after seven to ten days.

Question:
I heard about a facelift that is done in the office with only numbing medicine. How does that work?

Answer:
Like many surgeries, not all face-lifts are the same. Certain techniques are best done with the patient deeply sedated, or under general anesthesia. In the right patient, however, a wonderful, long lasting result can be achieved without using these techniques and possibly can be done using only mild sedation and numbing medicine. This will depend on the anatomy and desires of the particular patient, and can be discussed during a facelift consult.


Question:
What is the difference between a facelift and necklift?

Answer:
Both procedures focus on improving the sagging skin and muscles of the neck and face, but a necklift is limited to the soft tissue around the jawline and down into the neck, while a facelift does this and also rejuvenates the lower cheek area. A facelift incision is in the hairline above the ear, around and inside the ear canal, along the front of the ear lobe, and behind the ear in the hairline of the neck. In a necklift, the incision stops at the top of the ear canal. A necklift takes less time and typically has less swelling during the postoperative period.


Question:
My doctor suggested a chin implant. Why do I need this?

Answer:
The outcome of the face or neck lift is in part limited by your anatomy. In some patients with small chins, an implant can allow for a more favorable draping and tightening of the skin under the chin. These can be put in through the same small incision needed to perform the central component of the face or neck lift.