What is a Facelift?
When it’s time to halt the signs of aging, a facelift may be an ideal cosmetic procedure to consider. A facelift (rhytidectomy) is a surgical method to tighten wrinkles and lift sagging skin on the face. A facelift focuses on the lower half of the face and does not include a brow lift, although they can be done simultaneously. Houston plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Schusterman will map out a personalized plan to bring your vision to reality. Nothing is more integral than the natural-looking enhancement of bringing your beauty to the forefront.
How do I know if a Facelift is right for me?
Once the doctor makes his assessment, Dr. Schusterman will also look at your natural bone structure and features to enhance your look. During your Houston Facelift consultation, Dr. Schusterman will focus on the following characteristics of your face:
- Texture
- Thickness
- Elasticity
- The severity of wrinkles and folds
Am I a Good Candidate for a Facelift?
It’s important for you to have overall good health and to have a healthy perspective about your expectations. Your goal is to have professional, stunning results that give you a refreshed appearance.
- Sagging jowls
- Deep folds in the skin
- Sunken facial features
Facelift Procedure
A facelift is an outpatient procedure where a local or general anesthetic is provided. Then, small incisions are made within skin folds or along the hairline. The skin is separated from the muscles, and excess skin is removed. The skin and muscles are tightened and sutured. A loose bandage is then wrapped around the area.
Facelift Recovery
You will need to have someone drive you home after your facelift procedure. It is recommended to allow your face to heal for the next 7-14 days to enable the swelling and pain to subside. You will be provided with a complete post-op care routine, especially with the rule of staying out of the sun during recovery.
Facelift Results
Your facelift results are expected to last for 10-15 years. The hairline hides the incisions, and any small scars will fade over time. The bruising and swelling will subside in a couple of weeks. You will be provided an entire post-care regimen to keep your face clean and speed the healing process.
Schedule Your Houston Facelift Consultation with Dr. Schusterman
Deciding on a plastic surgeon to perform your facelift is an important decision. Rest assured, Houston facelift provider Dr. Schusterman is an impressive board-certified surgeon who cares about achieving the results his patients expect. He will work with you to determine the prime areas of your face to tighten and lift. Call Dr. Schusterman for more information about getting a facelift in Houston.
Facelift FAQs
Facelift surgery is invasive, and as with all surgeries, there is always the possibility of risks, although complications are rare, but may include: redness, swelling, and infection. You will work with Dr. Mark Schusterman to determine the best procedure to achieve the best results.
After their facelift Houston patients’ face will be very susceptible to infection, which is why you need to remain home for at least two weeks. You will also need to decrease your risk of sun exposure and sun damage.
Most patients feel comfortable returning to work or social obligations 10-14 days following their facelift and neck lift surgery. At one week with appropriate camouflaging (hair down, scarf, sunglasses, etc…) you can easily go to the grocery store or small outing without much attention drawn to yourself. On average, at one week, about 50% of your swelling will be gone. At two weeks, about 80% of your swelling will be gone. At two months, about 90% of your swelling will be gone. Adjunctive procedures, like fat grafting, eyelid surgery, lip lift, brow lift, or CO2 laser, may slightly prolong this timeline.
If you ask 5 different surgeons what a mini-facelift is, you’ll get 5 different answers. Rather than use this nomenclature, Dr. Schusterman prefers to simply describe the areas of the face being lifted. A traditional facelift involves addressing laxity of the cheek, lower face, and neck. A mini-facelift addresses only one or two of these components. In both cases, the technique used is the same — a deep plane approach where ligaments are released for a natural and maximized lift. In some cases, a minimal access approach may be used to lift all of the areas that a traditional facelift does. Every facial surgery case is different and is customized to the patient’s needs.
Whether you are undergoing plastic or reconstructive surgery, we try to make the preparatory process very simple for you. Prior to your facial cosmetic surgery date, we will meet for a pre-operative visit, during which we will give you a detailed list of medications to avoid, your post-operative instructions, a bag of all the supplies you’ll need to take care of yourself, as well as send in prescriptions to your pharmacy. It’s best to fill the prescriptions prior to your surgery date, so it’s one less thing you have to do after the fact. Be sure to share your post-op instructions with whoever is helping to take care of you so that you are both familiar with the instructions and restrictions before the surgery even takes place. Meal prepping is also beneficial.
The age of patients receiving a facelift and/or neck lift greatly varies. Massive weight loss patients can present as young as their 20s or 30s needing a lift. Patients in their 40s are a very popular age for face and neck lifting now because the results aren’t as conspicuous to friends and family, and many of these patients are looking to avoid the alien look that can result from over-filling. Patients in their 50s and 60s are the most common age group to have aging face surgery as this group has typically maxed out on the benefits of non-surgical modalities. Dr. Schusterman also performs facelifts on patients in their 70s and 80s. As long as you are a consenting adult in good health with a correctable condition, you are a surgical candidate.
Every procedure is different. However, no interest financing is available through CareCredit or United Medical Credit. We do accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.
Dr. Schusterman will work with you to determine if other treatments are needed to achieve your aesthetic goals.
A “liquid facelift” is a misnomer since dermal fillers do not lift tissue (in spite of everything you may have been told before). Filler simply adds volume and improves the contour and proportions of the face. This is easier to get away with when you are younger, but as you age and require more product to contour, overfilling is a risk and mistake made by many non-surgeon practitioners. Unfortunately, the alienization of the face by overfilling is what many patients assume is a surgical outcome. A traditional facelift or neck lift surgery will make you appear more natural as it is simply repositioning and lifting your tissues to where they came from when you were younger.
Most modern facelift surgery involves tightening the layer of tissue known as the SMAS. During a deep plane facelift, Dr. Schusterman elevates this layer of tissue in the face and releases the ligaments in the face to allow for maximal lifting power and durability as well as the most natural repositioning of the aging tissues. A deep plane facelift also eliminates skin tension once the skin excess is removed and tailored. The deep plane facelift is an advanced procedure, and most surgeons do not utilize this technique because of its complexity.
The ultimate goal of a facelift and neck lift is that you can wear any hairstyle with inconspicuous scarring. As the scars along the hairline heal, the incisions are designed to allow hair growth through them for optimal camouflage. The remaining incisions are placed in natural creases and transition zones in the face for optimal camouflage.
Most patients feel comfortable returning to work or social obligations 10-14 days following their facelift surgery. On average, in one week, about 50% of your swelling will be gone. At two weeks, about 80% of your swelling will be gone. At two months, about 90% of your swelling will be gone. Adjunctive procedures, like lip lift, blepharoplasty, fat grafting, or CO2 laser, may slightly prolong this timeline.
