A facelift may just be the ideal physique for you if you wish to rejuvenate your face and regain your youthful appearance! But it is also a delicate procedure which requires the skills of an experienced and talented surgeon. At Williamsburg Plastic Surgery, Dr. Johnstuart Guarneri and his highly credible staff have performed countless facelift procedures and won’t rest until you receive the results you want. Call Dr. Guarneri today at (757) 345-2275 to schedule your Facelift consultation at our practice!
What is a Facelift (Rhytidectomy)?
In time, gravity, sun exposure, and the stresses of daily life take their toll on our faces and necks. Deep creases appear beside the mouth, the jaw line slackens and becomes jowly, and the neck develops loose folds and fat deposits. A facelift, technically known as rhytidectomy, is a procedure that rejuvenates the mid- to lower face and neck. A facelift counteracts signs of aging by tightening the muscle, removing fat, and trimming excess skin, giving your face a fresher, youthful look. After surgery, some patients look 10-15 years younger.
What can a Facelift fix?
Facelifts can produce a dramatic improvement in appearance for patients with droopy and sagging skin on the face. However, facelifts do not stop the aging process; in time, signs of aging will gradually appear once again.
A facelift can correct many signs of aging on your face including the following:
- Midface sagging
- Deep creases under the eyes
- Deep creases between the nose and mouth (nasolabial folds)
- Jowls due to loss of muscle tone
- Sagging areas of fat
- Loose skin and fat under the chin and jaw
Facelifts will not rejuvenate the brow, eyelids, nose, and some of the midface. Patients who want to improve these areas may consider combining a facelift with a brow lift or eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty). Injectable soft-tissue fillers, facial implants and skin resurfacing can also enhance the effects of a facelift.
Ideal Candidacy For A Rhytidectomy
The best candidates for a rhytidectomy:
- Wish to improve one or more of the signs of aging indicated above
- Are men or women whose faces have begun to sag, but whose skin still has some elasticity
- Are generally healthy
- Non-smokers
- Have realistic expectations
- Are considering a facelift for personal reasons, not because someone else is pressuring them to do so
During your consultation, your doctor will discuss whether a facelift is right for you.
Facelift Surgery
Facelifts are typically outpatient procedures and may be performed in an office-based facility, surgery center or hospital. Patients may have a choice of IV sedation or general anesthesia. The procedure takes about two hours. The way a facelift is performed varies depending on the surgeon, the patient’s facial structure, and the extent of correction desired.
Patient Testimonial
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Are There Different Types Of Facelifts?
The way a facelift is performed varies depending on the surgeon, the patient’s facial structure, and the extent of correction desired. The different types of facelift techniques are:
- Traditional facelift: The “full” facelift for rejuvenating the face, jowls, and neck, including fat sculpting, lifting and repositioning of muscle and deeper tissues, and skin trimming and redraping. The incision begins at the temples and travels down to the front of the ear, around the earlobe, and behind the ear to the lower scalp at the hairline. Sometimes, another incision is made under the chin.
- Limited-incision facelift: For limited rejuvenation around the eyes and mouth, including nasolabial folds and other deep creases. Short incisions are made at the temples and around the ear, and possibly in the lower eyelids and/or under the upper lip as well.
- Neck lift: A neck lift concentrates on jowls, loose skin on the neck, and fat under the chin. The incision is made around the earlobe and behind the ear to the lower scalp.
In all three methods, incisions are closed with stitches or tissue glue. Scars are hidden in the hairline and natural contours of the face.
Rhytidectomy Recovery
After your rhytidectomy, your doctor will wrap the incisions in bandages and may place drainage tubes in the area. The tubes will be taken out the next day when your hair will be carefully washed. If surgical clips are used to hold the incisions closed, they will be removed one week after the facelift along with your stitches.
At first, you may experience swelling, numbness, bruising, and a feeling of tightness or tension in the face and neck. Your face may look uneven or distorted, and your facial muscles may feel stiff. Most of these usually resolve within 3-6 weeks, and sensation typically returns to normal within a few months. Scars become less red, raised, lumpy or itchy in time.
Many patients return to work by the third week. Camouflage cosmetics can be used to minimize the appearance of bruising. You should be gentle with your skin and hair as you recover. Men may need to shave behind the neck and ears where areas of beard-growing skin have moved.
Facelift Results
Results of a facelift do not last forever. You may want to have another procedure in five or ten years. But in another sense, the effects are permanent; years later, your face will continue to look better than if you had never had a facelift.
What are the risks involved with a Facelift?
As with any surgical procedure, there are always risks involved. Possible complications of the facelift include bleeding, infection, bruising, uneven swelling or discoloration, allergic reaction to the anesthesia, skin blistering (usually only seen in smokers), and temporary or permanent loss of sensation in the face. Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits of a facelift with you before your surgery.
Call Dr. Guarneri For Facelift In Williamsburg, VA!
If you are interested in a facelift and would like to see if you are a good candidate, call (757) 345-2275 to schedule a consultation at our office in Williamsburg, VA. You can also fill out the form on this page or our contact page for your personalized consultation with Dr. Guarnieri!