A facelift procedure is a surgery designed to make you look younger. The goal is to turn back the clock and reduce loose and sagging skin in the facial area. Many patients call our plastic surgeon, Dr. David Durst, to inquire about what could make them look better. Often a facelift is the answer. If you would like more information about a facelift or would like to have an appointment to discuss a facelift, please call Dr. Durst at our office now.
Facelift Procedure
The facelift procedure is designed to improve the appearance of the face by dealing primarily with the cheeks, jaw line and neck area. The procedure tightens the skin in this area which will improve loose skin along the jaw line and in the anterior neck. It does not specifically remove wrinkles but removes loose skin.
When you think you might need a facelift, you should consider what it can do. Facelift procedures reposition the fat in the face, particularly in the cheek region to highlight the cheeks; removes a little fat in the jowl region; It tightens the facial musculature particularly in the neck; removes fat from underneath the chin region; and finally it will tighten the skin in all of these areas. The net result is that you look like a younger version of yourself. Dr. Durst is very careful to make sure that the procedure does not “change” who you are. Many patients think that the facelift actually involves the entire facial region. In actuality, the facelift is a somewhat limited procedure. Many patients choose to have eyelid surgery or a brow lift to accomplish their facial goals, and some consider laser skin resurfacing for the region around the mouth. Often, Dr. Durst will utilize fat grafting associated with a facelift.
The procedure is done in our surgical facility at the office. General anesthesia is used and patients stay overnight one night. Incisions are made underneath the chin and in the area around the ears to access the facial region where the fat can be repositioned, muscle and skin can be tightened. The type of facelift that Dr. Durst does, does not depend on pulling the skin extremely tight. As a result, patients do not have that over-lifted appearance that you sometimes see on TV. He specifically uses repositioning of the deep tissues to obtain a more youthful appearance for you.
Facelift Recovery
Patients are often surprised that facelift procedures have minimal postoperative pain. There are however large dressings and because of bruising and swelling, you will not look very good for the first couple of weeks. The usual situation is that you will stay out of the public for about two weeks while the facelift is healing and then you can resume your normal activities. You can resume light exercising at two weeks. At three to four weeks after a facelift, you can be out and about with your normal activities and generally will look quite good by three to six weeks after the surgery. You will need some help at home for the first day or so after the surgery, but after that you will get by just fine. Photos are taken at two months for comparison and then again at a year. Our facelift photo gallery demonstrates the type of results that Dr. Durst gets with his specific facelift procedure. Please click on the pictures if you wish to obtain more information.
Dr. Durst would love to talk to you about a facelift. If you would just like to ask some questions, call our office and our staff will be happy to explain the procedure to you in detail. If you would like to schedule an appointment, please contact our office.
