Facelift in High Point, NC
Years of environmental damage and gravity can have an adverse effect on your face. Skin becomes lax, jowls form, and wrinkles can significantly age your appearance. These facial issues aren’t easily treated with non-surgical or at-home prevention.
Facelift surgery erases years from your complexion to give you a fresher, younger look.
What Is Facelift Surgery?
A facelift is a surgical procedure that tightens lax skin and underlying facial tissues on the lower two-thirds of the face, from the cheeks to the jawline. Most often, this procedure is extended to include tightening of the neck tissues as well.
Facelift surgery is the most effective way to target the most noticeable signs of age and skin damage, including deep lines and creases and sagging tissues.
There are many misconceptions that facelift surgery makes you look like an entirely different person or produces an unnatural “windswept” appearance. Modern facelift techniques have evolved significantly over the past century and boast the most natural-looking results possible. Because facelift surgery tightens the underlying facial tissues along with the skin, the results will look natural and subtle. Facelift surgery is not designed to change your looks; it is chosen to enhance your natural beauty by restoring smoother, more youthful lines.
Am I a Candidate for Facelift Surgery?
Facelift candidates are in good health and have begun to experience laxity in the lower face. While facial droop occurs in varying degrees, this surgery targets the cheeks, jawline, mouth, and neck. Your surgeon will determine if you are a qualifying facelift candidate during your consultation. If you present with upper facial laxity at this time, then your surgeon may recommend combining blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) with your facelift.
What Are My Facelift Options?
Traditional Facelift
Incisions are placed along the ears and within the hairline. This approach provides access to the underlying structures of the face. Most patients require elevation of drooping facial muscles, which prevents the creation of a “windswept” look and prolongs the quality of your results. Fat is repositioned to restore volume in the cheeks, and excess skin is trimmed away. We carefully drape the remaining tissues so that they highlight the new facial contours.
Neck Lift
In addition to the lower face, the neck requires tightening for some patients. Laxity of the neck can obscure definition at the jawline and create the appearance of vertical banding. Tightening of the platysma muscle can help correct the impression of a turkey wattle. The process of restoring a firmer neck shape can also reduce the presence of a double chin.
How Is Facelift Surgery Performed?
The length of your procedure will vary depending on the type of correction needed, but it can take several hours. Most patients are placed under general anesthesia to ensure their safety and comfort.
While facelift surgery is an outpatient procedure, you may elect to stay overnight at the Comfort Cottage, where nurses are available to help you through your initial recovery.
Should I Combine My Facelift With Another Plastic Surgery Procedure?
While some individuals only struggle with aging in the lower face or around the eyes, most men and women experience aging in both areas. Combining facial plastic surgery maintains a facial balance between the upper face, lower face, and neck, providing a harmonious transition between the three areas.
Facelift and Eyelid Surgery
The facelift and eyelid surgery combination is common, unless patients have already undergone blepharoplasty in the past. Eyelid surgery targets laxity on the upper and lower eyelids which cause you to look tired, angry, or simply older than you are. When severe, this laxity can even interfere with your peripheral vision. If this laxity is present at the time of your facelift, you may want to combine procedures to maintain facial balance between the eyes and the lower face.
Facelift and Non-surgical Enhancement
Facelift surgery offers optimal facial rejuvenation that is not possible with non-surgical treatment. While non-surgical approaches cannot mimic the results of a facelift, they are not without their benefits (either alone or in combination with a facelift).
Injectable fillers restore volume that has been lost. Fractional laser treatments address skin tone and texture concerns while minimizing wrinkles and fine lines. Microneedling stimulates collagen that has been shown to tighten skin and minimize the appearance of acne scars.
How Much Is Facelift Surgery in High Point, NC?
The techniques used during your facelift surgery are tailored to your specific needs. This customization is reflected in the total cost of your facelift. You will be given an accurate cost estimate during your consultation that will include anesthesia fees, facility fees, surgeon’s fees, and any surgical or non-surgical procedure performed in combination.
Financing options are available.
How Should I Prepare for My Facelift?
What Should I Bring to My Consultation?
Your consultation is a vital part of the plastic surgery process; however, it can also be one of the most overwhelming. It is wise to prepare yourself regarding your desired procedure ahead of time. We also suggest bringing a friend and a list of questions with you so you do not miss any important information.
You will be asked to write down any medications you take during this meeting (to see if there are any medications that could interfere with the surgery or healing process), so be sure to have that list available.
Should I Quit Smoking Before My Facelift?
Smoking is detrimental to the preparation and recovery of any plastic surgery procedure, and facelift surgery is no different. Smoking can disrupt normal blood flow, which can increase the risk of complications during the procedure and hinder your recovery. You should stop smoking at least two weeks before your facelift and remain smoke-free for three weeks after your surgery.
This includes cigarettes, vaping, marijuana use, and all nicotine replacement aids.
What Should I Bring to the Office Surgery Center on the Day of My Facelift Surgery?
It is important to ensure that you have all necessary paperwork with you when you arrive for your facelift. Make sure you wear loose, comfortable clothes that you will be able to get on and off without disrupting the face. You will also need to bring a friend or family member with you to drive you home after the procedure.
If you have filled any prescription medications ahead of time, you may want to bring them with you, so that you will have them ready.
How Long Is My Facelift Recovery?
You will experience some initial bruising and swelling that hide your results. You should rest with your head elevated for several days to reduce excess swelling. You will need to limit your physical activities for several weeks. Most people feel comfortable returning to work after two weeks and more strenuous activities after three to four weeks.
Are There Risks With Facelift Surgery?
Like all surgeries, a facelift does pose some minor and rare risks for patients. These can include bruising, swelling, numbness, and drying of the skin. More moderate risks may include infection, bleeding, scarring, and changes to the hairline. After your initial recovery, complication risks are very low.
When Will I See My Facelift Results?
The results of your facelift will start to become apparent immediately after your procedure and continue to improve over the following days, weeks, and months as the swelling subsides, and the tissues settle. Facelift surgery provides long-lasting facial rejuvenation; however, it cannot stop the natural aging process. You will continue to experience the common signs of aging, but this will occur from a more youthful starting point.
On average, most facelift results are expected to last between 10 and 15 years; however, you will always look younger than if you did not have the surgery.