Facelift Surgeries

Men and women of different ages with different issues come to me in consultation to discuss facial rejuvenation. There is no “just right” time to do something and there is no critical threshold beyond which all of a sudden your tissues need to be lifted. It is all in what you see. I have a great respect for all the different concerns, impressions, and complaints that more than justify seeking consultation, and I am pleased and privileged to be help you with this.

Patients have a variety of issues and a variety of different anatomic features that make evaluation and planning for facial rejuvenation a completely personalized and customized process for each patient. There is no one basic intervention that should be promoted to “fit all”. Patients notice fine wrinkle lines, sagging eyebrows, folds and furrows between the eyebrows; folds and furrows at the laugh lines. Bigger issues become loose hanging skin in the neck (turkey neck) or in the jowls. The complaint of fat in the face and neck associated with hanging skin is often cited. The cheeks may droop and the corners of the mouth droop and look sad. Others say that “I just look old” or “My face is falling”, or “I am begging to look like my parents and I hate that”. The anatomy of the face that I systematically evaluate with each patient may be thought of in layers; first there is the bony foundation which gives structure to cheek bones, the width and the height of the face and jawline. Second, the overlying muscles and ligaments are above the bony layer. Third, separating this from the overlying skin is a fatty layer of variable thickness. Fourth, there is a complex network of ligaments (called the SMAS) that connects the muscle system to the skin to modulate and impart the extremely fine and subtle movements that makes our expressions and features so particular. Fifth, there is the skin layer with its dermis (layer containing collagen and elastic fibers) with its inherent elasticity, or lack thereof. Rejuvenation occurs at any of these layers, and to various extents. These interrelated areas in addition to your hair, hairline, hairstyle, and ears are all so intimately associated with each other that there are many different anatomic features here that must be analyzed and addressed prior to your surgery. I will coordinate the features of your anatomy with your expectations, formulate a plan with you, and guide you through this. There is a well defined spectrum of specific techniques for facelift surgery that address the anatomy and the actions to be taken on each layer mentioned above, and I will explain and illustrate all of these to you. Surgery involves a light general anesthetic, performed where I do surgery, which is in a hospital setting and using an expert MD anesthesiologist. There is an incision customized to your features and what we want to achieve that is just hidden in your temporal hairline and sideburn, in and out of the ear, and behind the ear for a tailored length. The surgery is safe and predictable. All the stitches are small and removed in 4-7 days with return to work in as little as 5-7 days, and to some physical exercise in the second week. The spectrum of facial rejuvenation and surgery that I offer in my practice is:

• Facelift Surgery. This is the standard and latest state of the art technique of addressing your bony foundation if needed, removing and repositioning any excess or displaced fat, tightening the muscles and ligaments, and removing excess skin. Fat grafting may occur if needed.
• Mini Facelift Surgery. This is same as the above but less and through a shorter incision.
• Suture Facelift. This occurs in those patients that need only a certain lift along certain vectors. Here the only incision is in the hairline where a special suture is placed down to the sagging tissues and this is lifted.
• Other Facelifts. Depending on your specific anatomy we may want to consider the Vertical Facelift and the Midface Lift and the Weekend Lift. These depend on your vectors of laxity and features involves.
• Other. The entire spectrum of treating wrinkles with skin care and peels, injectables, the use of radiofrequency non-surgical tightening (Thermage) are also employed. Please review these in their corresponding sections.

I have great expertise in facelift surgery and have performed hundreds of these operations over the years. The great skill in facelift surgery and my great results stem from listening to you, together forming the right plan, and impeccable technique. My reputation speaks to the consistent goal of very natural results so you do not look different or like a different person, but rather, youthful and bright and refreshed. I spend a great deal of time discussing your anatomy, listening to your expectations, and interpreting for you what your anatomy and tissues will allow me to do in a safe and predictable way. In addition, I consider your body as a whole when I build a system into every facial surgery that, initially, allows you to recover much quicker and, secondly, it serves to preserve your surgical results. This system includes a special diet, special attention to blood clotting, vitamins, supplements, skin products, special garments, physical training and knowing what to avoid. Together, all of this allows me to create results that are consistently very beautiful, quick to heal, exceptionally natural, and with minimal incisions, especially in the face; an area of such major importance. I am delighted to surgically provide you with such profound yet natural facial image changes, and ones that have consistently so pleased my patients and changed their lives.

Please review my article on Facelift Surgery in the Articles Section of the website.
 

For before and after images of this procedure click here

Please call or contact the office for any further information or to schedule an appointment.