Facelift
Take Years Off with Comprehensive Facial Rejuvenation
Board-certified in both facial plastic & reconstructive surgery and in otolaryngology-head & neck surgery, Dr. David Hartman understands that a well-performed facelift or other rejuvenation procedures should not make you look stiff or different, but rather like a younger, fresher version of yourself.
Jowl Formation & Correction
To correct them during a facelift, fat pads must be precisely restored to their original location. The deeper soft tissues of the drooping cheek fat pads are first raised to the upper outer cheeks. This is followed by smoothing and trimming of the excess skin envelope in more oblique and horizontal directions.
For patients with less severe jowls, we may recommend minimally invasive options such as SculpSure® or SmartLipo™, followed by laser skin resurfacing or radiofrequency (RF) microneedling.
What Can Facelift Surgery Improve?
- A sagging appearance
- Deep creases below the lower eyelids and along with the corners of your mouth
- Hollowness or volume loss
- The appearance of jowls in the chin and jawline
- Lax skin creating the appearance of a double chin
- Addressing early-onset aging or for preventative measures
A facelift is not just about lifting and pulling the skin back – it can involve repositioning the skin, fat, and underlying tissue layers, as well as redistributing fat padding in regions with noticeable hollowing. Excess fat and/or skin are also artfully trimmed away to create a smoother profile with more youthful contours.
Facelift surgery is recommended for patients who have overall moderate to severe sagging and deeper wrinkles. For younger patients, and those with relatively mild to moderate wrinkles and folds or more specific concerns, we may recommend treatments such as BOTOX® Cosmetic, Dysport®, or dermal fillers such as Revanesse Versa®, or Restylane®.
Is There a “Right” Age for a Facelift?
Many patients might benefit from minimally invasive procedures such as laser skin resurfacing or radiofrequency microneedling. But for those seeking more dramatic rejuvenation, the sheer range of facelift techniques available has extended what the “right” age for a facelift could be.
What Might Facelift Surgery Entail?
Dr. Hartman hides incisions within the contour of the ear, around the earlobe, and/or within the hairline. For some patients, he may also make a small incision under the chin to remove fat, and tighten or smooth neck muscles and/or skin. Dr. Hartman will close sutures carefully using a microscope, and you will be given post-surgical aftercare instructions to ensure the best results.
For more effective and longer-lasting results, Dr. Hartman often employs the high-SMAS technique. SMAS is an acronym for the superficial muscular aponeurotic system, a sheath or layer of tissue below the skin and fat, resting just above glands and facial muscle. By carefully raising a flap in this layer to lift and support the underlying soft tissue of the face and neck, Dr. Hartman restores natural-looking, long-lasting facial rejuvenation.
Because the face and neck tend to age at a similar rate, it is rare for one area to show signs of aging while the other is free from them. This is why a neck lift is often incorporated into a facelift to create more natural-looking and seamless results.
Many facelift patients also choose to receive a forehead or brow lift and eyelid surgery to rejuvenate the upper portions of their faces simultaneously. For patients in their 40’s and above, a customized combination of procedures provides comprehensive facial rejuvenation.
We are very proud to offer fully customized, high-quality facelift/browlift/eyelid lift packages in the $9,000 – $15,000 range. Mini facelifts and “extended mini” facelifts can be customized at lower prices when applicable. Quotes we provide individual patients generally include all surgery, as well as multiple laser applications.
– Dr. Hartman
Recovery & Results
We encourage our facelift patients to get out of the house early and even take a walk the next day. Bruising and swelling is highly variable, but generally, expect at least some to be present for one to two weeks or longer.
Ninety percent of swelling is resolved by the end of the first week in most cases. Numbness around the ears is not uncommon, and this may last anywhere between a couple of days to even a few months or longer. Fortunately, concerns of numbness minimally bother most facelift patients. Depending on one’s public exposure at work, return to work can be as early as just a few days after surgery. On the other hand, some patients choose to take up to two weeks or longer. At our practice, average return-to-work time is about one week.
A well-performed facelift package can “turn back the clock” by about seven to 15 years. While these gains do not “wear off,” they will not stop the aging process. The question is not, “how long does a facelift last?” but rather: how long is it before some facelift patients decide to have some sort of subsequent lifting procedure after their first one? In many cases, this is in about eight to 15 years.
Maintenance is key in ensuring facelift results last, so staying committed to a solid skincare regimen, and always protecting your skin from sun damage and eating and exercising healthily can certainly reduce the need for subsequent treatments. Routine laser treatments, peels, and radiofrequency procedures may also benefit some patients.
Such commitments are not as difficult to maintain as most patients may believe. Almost without exception, patients find themselves exercising more, eating better, using better skincare, and getting out socially more than they were before the procedure. According to post-surgical quality of life research, facelift patients report significant improvements in self-esteem and life satisfaction after their rejuvenation procedures.
