More and more men and women are choosing to have facelifts to restore the appearance of their face. Though facelift surgery won’t stop the aging process, it offers ways to improve the effects of sun damage, smoking and hereditary traits. The aim of a facelift is to make the person simply look like a younger version of themselves.
Many patients in their late forties or beyond are interested in lower facelifts. Weight gain, weight loss or normal aging and gravity changes can lead to a loss of skin elasticity of the face and neck, which can be repaired by a facelift.
Men or women who intend to lose a lot of weight should postpone facelift surgery, as weight loss can drastically change the appearance of the face and neck. As with any procedure, patients are better candidates if they are near their goal weight.
The facelift procedure varies depending on your individual goals. Dr. Samuels can use many different techniques, all with consistently reliable outcomes. A traditional facelift procedure usually involves an incision in your hairline starting at your temples, continuing down around the front of your ears and ending behind your ears, possibly extending to your scalp. In some cases, an incision is made under your chin to improve the appearance of your neck.
For younger patients with signs of early aging, a limited-incision facelift may be an option. It provides the benefits of a traditional facelift with fewer incisions and faster healing. In this procedure, Dr. Samuels makes short incisions in your hairline at your temples and continuing down and around the front of your ears. Incisions might also be made in the lower eyelids or under the upper lip. Once the incisions are made, various degrees of undermining of the skin are performed and the deeper layers of the face are lifted. Muscle tightening or liposuction of the neck and jowls may be done. The skin is draped over the new contours and excess skin is trimmed to create a more youthful and natural appearance.
The traditional facelift addresses aging of the cheeks, lower face and jawline, as well as aging of the neck. Laxity of skin and soft tissue in these areas causes hollows below the eye, folds outside the mouth, jowls along the jawline and looseness of neck tissues. These signs of aging are a natural, progressive process due to gravity and loss of skin tone and elasticity.
The facelift redrapes the skin of the lower portion of the cheeks and face, softening creases and tightening the skin. The definition of the jawline and angularity of the youthful neck are restored. The most natural and long-lasting results are provided when more than just the skin is tightened. The layer of tissue directly under skin and fat and over the facial muscles, commonly referred to as the SMAS, can give strength to the lift and prevent a patient from looking too stretched or tight. By going beyond older skin lift techniques, patients can look like younger versions of themselves with less re-tightening over time. The deeper layers of the face don’t age as quickly as the skin, so by rejuvenating with a deeper-plane lift, we may only need to perform a secondary skin tightening procedure or use a nonsurgical energy device such as Profound, Morpheus8, Exion Fractional RF, AccuTite or FaceTite for maintenance.
A facelift will not change your existing skin tone or texture, and it will not add volume lost. Skin treatments such as laser resurfacing or microneedling can smooth the skin surface, add collagen and elasticity and remove scars, wrinkles and unwanted pigmentation. Facial treatments such as Botox, collagen injections via fillers, and collagen stimulators such as Sculptra or Bellafill may help soften wrinkles, folds and furrows, or laugh lines after a facelift. Periodic Profound treatments will also be suggested to help maintain the elasticity and tightness of the skin in order to avoid additional surgical facelifts.
A facelift usually takes 4-6 hours under IV sedation depending on the extent of work and possible liposculpture of jowls, jawline or neck. Extra time is required for advanced deep-plane lifting, which gives the most natural result, lasts the longest and ages most naturally.
The incision usually begins above the ear, hugs the earlobe crease and extends out of sight behind the ear and into the high hairline. A small incision is also made under the chin to tighten the platysma neck muscles and to perform liposuction of the neck and jowls. Sutures are removed in 7 days and staples are removed at 14 days.
Dr. Samuels and her Clinical Care Coordinator provide you with specific instructions for surgical preparation, including which medications, foods and supplements to avoid pre- and post-operatively. You also receive instructions regarding the effects of nicotine on healing and tolerance of anesthesia.
If you smoke, be prepared to quit 6 weeks prior to surgery; you may not resume for at least 6 weeks after surgery.
Facelifts are performed under IV sedation in our fully accredited Quad A in-suite surgical facility with an overnight stay under the care of our private duty nurse. This allows us to monitor your blood pressure to decrease post-operative bruising and swelling. You must arrange for someone to drive you home after surgery and to assist you in your immediate recovery period, which averages 10-14 days.
Average recovery time varies but is typically 10-14 days due to minimal bruising and swelling. Swelling is dramatically improved with a neck garment that is worn for two weeks after surgery.
Tiny drains smaller than the size of your little finger are removed before discharge. Patients are kept overnight with our private duty nurse for your convenience and to carefully monitor blood pressure to keep bruising and swelling to a minimum. With attentive post-operative care, our patients look great in makeup at two weeks, while avoiding strenuous activity and exercise for six weeks. You may feel a sense of fullness or numbness that gradually dissipates within a few weeks.
It can take weeks or months to feel like yourself again. Most people return to work after two weeks (except for those jobs with large amounts of physical activity). Exercise may be performed after four weeks, but strenuous exercise needs to be postponed for six weeks.
You may color your hair four weeks after surgery. Your scars will take approximately three to six months to fade and flatten out, and you may cover them with makeup after sutures are removed. Our office will provide scar products for you to use for the first 6-12 months of healing for the best, most invisible scars.
Dr. Samuels believes that while traditional facelift surgery is the gold standard for a longer-lasting lift, many nonsurgical alternatives can be used to delay, substitute for, enhance or maintain a surgical facelift. She offers facial rejuvenation patients savvy, up-to-date advice advice and offers techniques such as laser resurfacing, microneedling, long-lasting volumizing injectables and subdermal radiofrequency technologies at a fraction of the cost and recovery time of a surgical lift.
Dr. Samuels has pioneered energy-based devices such as RENUVION, FACETITE, ACCUTITE, MORPHEUS8, EMFACE, Exion Fractional RF, CO2RE and PROFOUND for facial and neck contouring, tightening and smoothing with or without liposuction of the jowls and neck. She uses volumizing agents such as BELLAFILL and SCULPTRA for less invasive facial rejuvenation alternatives.
Dr. Samuels has popularized a minimally invasive technique she refers to as “JBSMD Lyft and Fill” which incorporates a combination of FACETITE or RENUVION (with or without liposuction of the neck and jowls), ACCUTITE and MORPHEUS8 in a single step, followed by injectable fillers or SCULPTRA 6 weeks later.
Alternatively, patients might choose a combination of PROFOUND microneedling and CO2RE laser resurfacing for facial contouring, tightening and smoothing. All of these less-invasive options require just a week of downtime and cost about one-third of a traditional facelift. All options and comprehensive prescription skin care will be discussed during your private consultation with Dr. Samuels and her nurse providers.
Learn more about your options:
For more information about facelifts or to see if you’re a good candidate for this procedure, schedule a consultation with Dr. Samuels at 502-897-9411.
Our practice serves Louisville, KY and the surrounding areas.
