facelift / necklift

As you age, your face is stressed by gravity, sun, use, and stress. Wrinkles form, and skin loses its elasticity. The four areas helped by a facelift are: the cheek, the nasolabial fold (a deep line that runs from the corner of the nose to the corner of the mouth), the jaw line, and the neck. Be aware, however, a facelift does not stop the natural aging process. A facelift restores a youthful appearance by removing excess skin and fat. The incisions are hidden as much as possible in the hairline and natural creases in front of and behind the ear. There is a second layer below the skin, called the SMAS. This facial layer is the key to tightening the underlying tissue for a long lasting effect. Sometimes additional procedures will be needed to meet your appearance goals, so your face appears in sync and ages together. Facelift surgery is frequently combined with a browlift, eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), soft tissue fillers around the mouth, or skin resurfacing procedures.

Choosing Your Facelift Surgeon

When choosing a surgeon for a facelift, the most important decision (other than the surgeon being a safe, board certified plastic surgeon), is to look at the before and after pictures. Do you like their aesthetic? A facelift can reverse the signs of aging to return you to a younger version of you, or a facelift can dramatically alter the way you look. This difference is dependent on the technique of the surgeon. I favor a natural aesthetic, the return to a younger version of you, so my patients do not look “operated on.” Beware of the gimmicks. Procedures promising no downtime and long lasting results usually are not accurate. Also, I believe in units of the face. These units age together, and for a natural look, they should be corrected together as a unit. For this reason, I don’t like to operate just on the cheek or just on the neck. The common aging is to age in both areas, so both should be treated. I shy away from mini facelifts, necklifts, and thread lifts, as a full facelift has a longer lasting, seamless result. To achieve smooth, natural facial aging, in addition to a facelift you may require addressing other areas such as the brow and eyelid. I find most of my patient base in the Bay Area and Palo Alto want this natural look.

Facelift Procedure and Recovery

Cosmetic facelift surgery lasts around four hours. Recovery takes from 1-2 weeks, depending on the amount of swelling and bruising. I recommend an herbal regimen to assist with this healing. When doing multiple procedures, an overnight stay may be recommended and is available at the Menlo Park surgical facility.