Through the facelift surgical procedure, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon creates more youthful contouring of the lower face and jawline, allowing patients to achieve a rejuvenated appearance and look years younger.
The process of aging combined with gravity causes areas of sagging skin which significantly ages the face and neck. The contouring of the lower face begins to soften, creating jowls and diminishing attractiveness.
Fortunately, cosmetic anti-aging medicine can restore a youthful appearance and vitality to the face, including:
- the forehead
- cheeks
- neck
- jawline
All the while improving the facial appearance of excess skin and displaced fat.
What is Facelift?
Facelift surgery remains one of the best ways to comprehensively revitalize the aging face from the cheeks to the neck. During the surgical procedure:
- the doctor tightens underlying facial muscles
- your facial plastic surgeon redistributes facial tissues and fat
- we trim & tighten excess skin
A specialist should always perform this classic and effective plastic surgery to help ensure a natural result. For a more complete facial rejuvenation, they can pair other procedures like eyelid surgery (also called blepharoplasty) or dermal fillers with traditional facelift surgery for the best aesthetic result.
How Facelift in Los Angeles is Performed
An anesthesiologist will put the patient into a comfortable sleep prior to the procedure. a plastic surgeon begins the surgery by skillfully concealing surgical incisions in the hairline and behind and around the ears. Through these cuts, he can gain entry to the tissues of the face.
The doctor may remove pockets of fat with facial liposuction or excision techniques. The doctor will then tighten the muscles and other structures and remove extra skin. The remaining loose skin gets pulled slightly taut and the incisions get sutured afterward. board-certified plastic surgeons have the experience and skill to achieve natural results, as he takes care not to over-modify the face which can lead to an artificial or “windswept” look.
Facelift surgery is customizable to the patient’s needs. Facelift surgery can target different areas of the face like the upper, mid, and lower face. Different surgical techniques will smooth forehead lines, create a lifting of the cheeks, and contour the jawline. The doctor can strategically alter certain areas of the face that shows signs of aging, which also promotes a realistic final aesthetic.
Facelift Recovery
Usually following a Facelift, patients can go home the same day, but should not drive themselves. Patients may require the assistance of a spouse or family member to care for them for the first 24 hours. They can aid in helping administer the appropriate amount of medications and ensuring the patient is comfortable. Avoid sun exposure. Post-operative swelling and bruising will be visible in the hours following surgery, but the majority of this should resolve within 7-10 days.
Your surgeon will prescribe pain medications to control intensity and swelling, stave away infection, and help promote healing. Recovery time shouldn’t be more than a couple of weeks. In about a week or two, patients can use approved cosmetics to conceal any discoloration or temporary irregularities that have yet to resolve. For the most part, you’ll be able to return to your regular activities within about two weeks and even to your work assuming it is not strenuous.
Our office staff will schedule follow-up visits for you with the doctor. The doctor can monitor the results and address any issues that can arise following a procedure.
A mini facelift offers similar results with quicker recovery time. Also known as the “1-hour facelift”, it’s a convenient procedure to have over the span of a weekend.
A Consultation for Facelift
We encourage patients interested in a facelift to schedule an initial consultation appointment with their preferred facelift surgeon. During the initial consultation, the doctor will:
- review the patient’s entire medical history
- learn about their goals and concerns
- perform an examination of the face
In some cases, a doctor may highly recommend an alternative or additional cosmetic procedure that will best help the patient reach his or her aesthetic goals.
The doctor will then create a treatment plan that suits the patient’s needs and provide computer imaging that will provide an approximation of the expected results. He can also show prospective patients examples of previous facelift procedures that he has performed to help them understand what is possible.
Complementary Procedures for Facelift
Eyelid Surgery
Oftentimes, the eye area is among the first to show a person’s age. This is because the eyes are constantly in motion and have delicate skin around them.
With facial aging, the upper eyelid skin may begin to crease and cause a hooded appearance. Crow’s feet may form at the corners of the eyes, while under-eye bags can cause a chronically tired appearance. During upper or lower eyelid surgery, we can address these cosmetic issues to refresh the eyes.
Dermal Fillers
Most physicians perform cosmetic injections using trusted fillers like Restylane and Juvederm. These fillers help smooth out deep wrinkles in the skin and add lost volume, often in the lips and cheeks. They formulate these injections from a bio-compatible synthetic gel, rather than harvesting a patient’s fat or using a bovine collagen source. This means that the formulas are more readily available for regular use.
The effects of injectable fillers last for months. The physician administers the fillers again once the effects have withered. Dermal fillers are a great option for areas that need rejuvenation but may not require surgery. We can also use fillers to enhance surgical results.
Botox Cosmetic
The differences between facial fillers like Restylane and Juvederm, and the dynamic wrinkle treatment Botox confuses many people. While a doctor applies fillers to plump areas of the face, they can also administer Botox to block movements that cause lines and wrinkles or nasolabial folds. Some people fear the inability to make regular facial expressions and the loss of their signature facial features, which is understandable. But when performed by an expert, Botox treatments will improve wrinkles while still allowing for normal facial movements.
Other Non Surgical Options
Though many doctors can perform non-surgical procedures like dermal fillers alongside a facelift, fillers can also postpone the need for surgery in certain cases. Often, patients in their early 30s and 40s may begin to develop fine lines and creases in areas like the forehead, eyes, and lips.
Undergoing a facelift too early in one’s life may not be the best option, as you may require one in later years. Facelift surgery could also create results that appear too dramatic or harsh for a younger person’s age, even losing some unique facial features. By providing cosmetic injections, the doctor addresses imperfections in the skin while obtaining a naturally youthful look.
Facelift FAQS
Like many surgeries, not all facelifts are the same. Certain techniques are best done with the patient deeply sedated or under general anesthesia. In other facelift patients, long-lasting results can be achieved using only mild sedation and numbing medicine. This depends on the patient’s individual requests and anatomy and can be discussed during a facelift consult.
Surgical incisions can be placed carefully to heal into a line as thin as a strand of hair. They are typically placed in natural folds of the skin or disguised within the hairline or ears. Some patients might be eligible for endoscopic techniques, which involve fewer incisions and the doctor is assisted by the guidance of a tiny camera directed below the skin to lessen tissue disruption. Additionally, patients may undergo various scar therapies during and after healing to promote the best and most discreet outcome.
Both a facelift and neck lift focus on improving the sagging facial skin and muscles of the neck and face. A neck lift, however, is limited to the soft tissue around the jawline and down into the neck. On the other hand, a facelift combines these benefits with a rejuvenation of the lower face up to the cheek area. Facelift incisions are hidden in the following locations:
– the hairline above the ear
– around and inside the ear canal
– along with the front of the earlobe
– behind the ear in the hairline of the neck
In a neck lift, the incision stops at the top of the ear canal. This takes less time and typically produces less swelling during the postop period.
There are three primary versions of facial features rejuvenation surgery to enhance the upper, middle, or lower areas of the face that are aptly named:
– upper facelift (or endoscopic brow lift combined with eyelid surgery)
– mid-face lift
– lower facelift (traditional or “full facelift”)
During an upper facelift, corrections are focused on the forehead and brows, sometimes also affecting the upper eyelids. This surgery is performed to treat vertical lines of the forehead and the placement of the eyebrows.
Mid-face lift addresses sagging cheeks, which lower over time and can distort the contouring of the face. Because cheek laxity can cause the appearance of under-eye bags, lower eyelid surgery is a great addition to this type of facelift.
A lower facelift & neck lift may be performed to eliminate lines around the mouth, jowls, and extra tissues in the neck.
Ready to Refresh Your Appearance? Find a Qualified Provider Today
If you’re considering a facelift to rejuvenate the appearance of your face and neck, you’re not alone. With so many options to choose from, it can be overwhelming to find the right practitioner for you. We recommend doing your research, reading reviews, and speaking with multiple doctors to find the one that is the best fit for you.
