Thinking about looking more youthful and feeling your best with the help of facial plastic surgery? Our experienced, highly trained team at Apex ENT has helped thousands of patients achieve their goals, and we’re here to help you.
Learn more about face-lifts — including what they are, what to expect, and what the next steps are if you’d like to further explore your options. We’re dedicated to patient education and want you to have the right information to make the best decisions for your individual needs.
Face-Lifts Explained
Face-lift surgery is a procedure that can give you a more refreshed and revitalized look. Whether the surgery comprises a face-lift, a lower face-lift, surgery in which the neck is left alone, or a surgery combined with other procedures, they’re all collectively known as a “rhytidectomy.” Choosing the type of face-lift that’s best for you depends on your age and expectations from the surgical results.
Reasons to Consider a Face-Lift
The best reason to get a face-lift is that your reflection in the mirror doesn’t align with the way you feel on the inside. It’s one of the most common reasons to seek a consultation with a plastic surgeon. Helping our patients achieve balance between their physical and emotional selves is a privilege we take seriously.
What Causes Skin Damage?
Skin is the body’s largest organ and perhaps the most essential to survival. Unfortunately it suffers a lot of neglect and abuse. The skin’s aging process is a combination of genetics but also a reflection of lifestyle. Many factors such as sun exposure, smoking and drug use, stress, cosmetics, and perfumes can affect the aging process. Proper care, a healthy lifestyle, and sun protection is the best advice for long-lasting beauty.
Types of Face-Lifts
S-Lift | For younger patients with minimal skin laxity, a short-scar face-lift or “S-Lift” is often sufficient. It’s usually offered as a “lunchtime” procedure, normally performed under local anesthesia and focused on excision of the preauricular skin. The procedure takes about 2.5 hours. Recovery is fairly rapid, taking just 5 to 7 days. Results are usually temporary, however, as facial skin continues to age and stretch.
Classic Face-Lift | The most common face-lift, this procedure addresses skin as well as a deeper fascial layer known as “SMAS.” It can be extended into the neck area and is excellent for most patients with significant skin laxity. The procedure usually takes 4-6 hours, depending on the surgeon’s skills, but may take longer. Though the surgery generally requires general anesthesia, selected cases can be done under local anesthesia with oral sedation. Some bruising is expected but not much discomfort, and the procedure us generally well tolerated. Recovery usually takes 7–14 days.
Deep Plane Face-Lift | This powerful face-lift involves repositioning of midfacial tissue and allows for the most dramatic results. It takes longer because of extensive dissection and is associated with swelling and bruising. The recovery is also longer, and swelling may take up to 2 weeks to resolve. The procedure requires general anesthesia and can take up to 8 hours to complete, even by the most skilled surgeon. There is postoperative discomfort, managed with pain medications.
Combined Procedures
Most face-lifts can be combined with a skin-resurfacing procedure to improve skin quality and eliminate superficial wrinkles. The extent of your surgery is a combination of your personal needs, ability to tolerate anesthesia, and availability of postoperative recovery time before you return to your work and social life. These issues would need to be addressed candidly during your preoperative consultation.
Computer analysis during preoperative consultation — using imaging systems such as VECTRA® H2 — is helpful to set goals for both you and your surgeon. Apex ENT offers computer analysis to our patients free of charge as a standard part of our surgical assessment.
We’re here to help you live and feel like your best self. To learn more about facial plastic procedures and specific options to meet your individual needs, please don’t wait. Schedule a comprehensive consultation with our expert team today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best type of face-lift?
There are many types of face-lifts. The best face-lift is the one that suits your goals. This would be addressed at the time of your preoperative consultation.
Can a face-lift look natural?
Properly performed by a skilled surgeon, face-lift incision is hardly noticeable, and the results can make you look years younger. There are many “tricks” to make your results look natural. At Apex Rhinology & Cosmetic Surgery Center, we pride ourselves on our technical skills to help you achieve your goals, and we have a 20-year history of providing excellent care.
Can face-lifts help acne scars?
Face-lifts are designed to reposition saggy face and neck skin rather than improve skin quality or treat any skin conditions. Fortunately there are many associated procedures addressing acne scarring — including CO2 laser resurfacing and RF microneedling — that can be done at the time of the face-lift.
How long does a face-lift last?
Everyone ages differently, and results from a face-lift greatly depend on the type of procedure performed as well as one’s genetics. With the classic face-lift — which incorporates multiple tissue layers — performed when the patient is age 45–55, the results are expected to last a decade or more.
Will a face-lift remove wrinkles?
A face-lift will reposition the deeper tissues to create a more youthful appearance. Some reduction of larger wrinkles is expected. For superficial skin wrinkles due to sun damage, however, a resurfacing procedure such as CO2 laser or RF microneedling is frequently done during the face-lift.
Where are face-lift scars or incisions?
Face-lift incisions are usually well hidden below the temporal hair tuft and incorporated in the preauricular skin. A short-scar face-lift incision stops at the earlobe. In classic face-lifts, the incision loops behind the ear. If there is redundant skin in the neck, incision is extended even further into the hairline to allow for extra skin to be lifted and removed.
Are face-lifts safe?
All surgeries have risks. Some risks are related directly to surgery, and others are related to anesthesia. The safety of surgery should be discussed during the preoperative consultation in an open and honest manner.
What is the best age for a face-lift?
People age at different rates, so the answer is different for everyone. Your individual genetics, sun exposure, smoking history, and stress can lead to your looking older than you feel. Because tolerance for aging can vary, some people begin inquiring about face-lifts in their mid-40s. The greatest number of face-lifts are performed among women in their fifth decade of life. With people taking better care of themselves, patients in their 60s, 70s, and even 80s are requesting face-lifts!