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Facelift and facial aging
UV rays from the sun, contaminants in your environment, genetics, stress, and gravity all take a toll on facial aging. Your skin loosens and begins to sag a little. Wrinkles begin to develop around your mouth and eyes due to constant muscle movement. Fat deposits start to move down towards your chin and neck. Over time, all these effects create an aged look on your face. Facelift surgery performed by Dr. Douglas Steinbrech, MD, FACS, can correct all these concerns by lifting and tightening the skin around the middle and lower half of your face.
- Facelift and facial aging
- Types of Facelift
- What Problems Can Facelift Surgery Fix?
- Issues that Facelift Can’t Fix
- The Facelift Procedure
- Facelift Surgery Recovery
- Facelift Surgery Complications
- Are You a Good Candidate for a Facelift?
- Are There Other Procedures That Could Work With a Facelift?
- The Facelift Consultation
- Facelift FAQs
Types of Facelift
Faces don’t all age in the same way, so all facelift are not done the same way. Every facelift is customized for each patient. Dr. Douglas Steinbrech, located in New York, NY can customize your facelift based on your gender, the condition of your skin, the position of any fat deposits, your age, or a variety of other considerations. Your specific facelift procedure will also depend on what your specific concerns are regarding your appearance. Patients who are more concerned about the wrinkles around their nose and mouth will have a different facelift procedure than those who are concerned loose skin around their jaw line. You have your own unique face, and so will have your own individualized facelift surgery.
What Problems Can Facelift Surgery Fix?
One of the primary concerns for facelift patients is loose skin that has begun to sag or hang looser around the middle of their face. Loose skin can also be a concern at the jaw line or under the chin, as this creates jowls around the lower half of the face and neck.
Fat deposits that have started to migrate down towards the cheeks and jaw can also be fixed with facelift surgery. The fat can be removed through incisions to get rid of a puffy appearance and unnecessary bulges around the face.
Wrinkles start forming around the mouth and at the nasolabial folds (the area between your nose and mouth) as you age. A facelift can change how these look by tightening and smoothing the skin. The wrinkles may not be eliminated completely, but their appearance will be improved significantly.
Issues that Facelift Can’t Fix
Facelift focus on the middle and lower half of your face, so any concerns about the upper half of your face will require a different procedure, such as an eyelift or a brow lift. Facelift also can’t change the shape of your nose, chin, or cheeks, which would require their own separate cosmetic procedure.
Once you get a facelift, your face won’t stop aging completely. It will continue to age along with the rest of your body. However, a facelift can take 10-15 years off your appearance and that effect will stay with you permanently. You will continue to look younger than you actually are, even as you get older.
The Facelift Procedure
Facelift are a little different from other cosmetic procedures in that there are different techniques a surgeon can use to do the surgery. For patients who need rejuvenation for most or all of their midface and lower face regions, a traditional facelift is the best option. For those who only need work around their mouth and underneath their eyes, a limited-incision facelift can be used. If the neck is more of an issue than the face, a neck lift can be used.
In a traditional facelift, the incisions made by Dr. Steinbrech start from the temple across the front of the ear and then behind the ear to your hairline. The incisions are made close to your hairline and ear to keep the scarring hidden. The incisions can also be made under the chin if there is excessive loose skin around the jaw and neck. The skin can be trimmed and then lifted back to the incision sites to tighten up the soft tissue.
In a limited-incision facelift, loose skin isn’t the primary concern for the patient, so the soft tissue doesn’t have to be tightened as much. This means that the incisions can be smaller and spaced apart. These are made along the same lines as the traditional facelift incisions. Dr. Steinbrech may also make incisions in the lower eyelids or around the mouth if necessary.
In a neck lift, the focus is shifted to the jaw line and the neck. This is geared to patients who have a problem with jowls and excess skin or fat deposits around these areas. For this procedure, the incisions are made behind the ear and around the earlobe.
All three of these facelift techniques can involve tightening loose skin, removing fat deposits, and improving the contouring of your face and neck. After the surgeon has finished fixing the appropriate areas, the incisions are closed with stitches or tissue glue.
*Each patient is unique and individual results may vary.
Facelift Surgery Recovery
After the incisions are closed and bandaged, you’ll be moved into the recovery area until you’re ready to go home. You might have drainage tubes in place to remove any excess fluid buildup over the first 24 hours. Surgical clips may also be used to keep your incisions closed, which will be removed after one week.
There will be some swelling and bruising around your face during the first stages of your recovery time. You might also experience some numbing or tightness. It might be a little disconcerting to see your face when you first get out of surgery, but your face will heal and improve with each day of your recovery. You should take it easy as much as possible in the first couple weeks and keep your head elevated while you rest. Cold compresses will also help with the worst of the bruising and swelling. It’s also important to be careful with your skin and hair while you recover so you don’t injure yourself or set back your recovery.
You should plan to take at least two to three weeks off to recover from your surgery. Some patients need a little longer before they can resume their normal routines and go back to work, while others may recover faster.
Facelift Surgery Complications
There are risks with getting a facelift, but these are minimal or very rare. Infection, bleeding, bruising, bad reactions to the local anesthesia, uneven swelling or skin discoloration, and temporary or permanent sensation loss in the face are possible issues you could encounter. If you are a smoker, you might also experience skin blistering. Any problems you encounter, whether they are big or small, should be discussed with Dr. Steinbrech.
Are You a Good Candidate for a Facelift?
The best candidates for a facelift have concerns about the midface and lower face regions or around the jaw line and neck. They can have loose or sagging skin, but it should still have some elasticity. They should also be in good overall health and be a nonsmoker. Realistic expectations about what a facelift can do for you are also important when you’re meeting with Dr. Steinbrech. Facelift surgery has many benefits for your face and overall appearance, but it also has its limits.
Only a plastic surgeon can make a decision about individual candidacy. Safety is Dr. Steinbrech’s number one priority, and if facelift is not appropriate in a patient’s situation, the doctor may suggest a less invasive option during the consultation.
Are There Other Procedures That Could Work With a Facelift?
It is common for patients to combine their facelift with another surgical procedure to give their appearance an extra boost. There are several options for additional procedures, including the eye lift, brow lift, dermal fillers like Restylane, and injectables like Botox or Kybella. Surgical and nonsurgical procedures can be mixed and matched in different combinations to complement your facelift depending on what your face needs. You can learn more about what will work best for your face during your consultation with Dr. Steinbrech.
The Facelift Consultation
Before you can get a facelift, you have to see Dr. Steinbrech for a facelift consultation. Dr. Steinbrech will examine your face to determine the best technique for the procedure and any additional procedures that could benefit your appearance. He will discuss your goals for surgery and go over the procedure, including the potential risks and complications. Dr. Steinbrech will also answer your questions and discuss any concerns you may have.
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- Real Patient
Facelift FAQs
A facelift can reduce signs of aging (wrinkles, lines, sagging skin, drooping brow) by removing excess fat, tightening the underlying muscles, and redraping the skin around the neck and face.
If your problem areas are limited to the neck, you may elect to undergo a more conservative procedure called a “necklift.”
Most facelift patients are in their 40s-60s, but facelifts can be done successfully on people in their 70s or 80s as well.
Most patients return to work about ten days to two weeks after surgery.
Facelift surgery is extremely long-lasting, and once patients get past the recovery process, they can enjoy the results for years to come. Most people find that they look at least several years younger after the surgery, and will continue to look rejuvenated for up to ten years or more.
Unfortunately, nothing can stop the march of time. Aging does not stop after a facelift, but it is slowed considerably. Patients can maintain their results and preserve a youthful look by making smart lifestyle choices and leveraging non-invasive treatments.
Eating a healthy diet, staying hydrated, avoiding smoking and excessive drinking, and protecting the skin from the sun are all ways patients can keep the results of a facelift looking good for longer. Injectable treatments or laser and radiofrequency treatments can help to maintain the results and further hold off aging.
The skin, especially that around the incisions, is very susceptible to the sun’s powerful rays after surgery. It is important to protect your skin with sunscreen of at least 30 SPF and wear protective accessories like hats and sunglasses during the first several months. Sun exposure can cause hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin) around the incisions.
All surgery produces some scarring, and a traditional facelift requires long incisions that do leave scars around the ears. However, these incisions are hidden as much as possible in discreet areas, and patients can use several different techniques to help the scars fade. Most patients find that the scarring is not very noticeable, especially after several months. Before-and-after photos of facelift patients can help you to get an idea of what to expect from the incision sites.
A facelift addresses the underlying tissues of the face, including fat and muscles, and tightens sagging skin. This can help to fix premature aging caused by excessive sun damage. However, it cannot address textural or complexion problems like dull skin or brown spots that can be caused by sun damage. Other procedures may be needed after a facelift to address these problems.
Both men and women routinely undergo facelift surgery. There are only minor differences, as the goal for the surgeries is the same. Incision placement, degree of correction, and overall aesthetic goals are often slightly different, but all of these factors will be discussed during the planning phase of the procedure.
Swelling will occur after the surgery as the body begins to heal. This can produce sensations of tightness. However, once the tissues have healed, your face should not look or feel pulled and tight. The intention of the procedure is to produce a very natural appearance, not an artificially tight facial aesthetic. Dr. Steinbrech works very hard to make sure patients experience natural-looking rejuvenation.
There is no “right” age for a facelift, since each patient ages at a different rate. Most patients are in their late forties to early sixties, as this tends to be when significant aging is apparent but some skin elasticity is still present. Because candidacy is such an individual issue, however, it is important to get an expert’s opinion by attending a consultation. This will help you determine whether or not it is the right time for you to undergo facelift surgery.
While there are some great non-surgical or minimally-invasive treatments that can improve many of the concerns a facelift addresses, no non-surgical treatment exists that can provide the dramatic results of a face lift. The facelift is one of the most comprehensive cosmetic surgeries available, and its results are unparalleled.
If you live in the states of New York or California, Facial Plastic Surgery expert Douglas S. Steinbrech, MD offers facelift among its services. For a full list of services, please visit our Locations page.
To schedule a facelift consultation with Dr. Steinbrech, call (210) 750-0070 or fill out the contact form in this page.
