Many people are afraid to have a facelift. Some fear the surgical process, while others worry that the results may appear unnatural. At AM Facial Plastics, we are here to tell you everything you need to know about facelifts. A facelift is an effective way to combat the effects of aging. We want to help you feel good about yourself, and a facelift may be just the thing for you! We offer quality facelift procedures with many satisfied patients in Beverly Hills and Santa Barbara, CA. Contact us online or call us to set up a consultation. We are eager to hear from you.
What is a Facelift?
A facelift is a surgical procedure that rearranges your facial tissue, skin, and muscles to contour your face and smooth out wrinkles and fine lines. This contributes to a younger look. When we lift your skin, we restructure your underlying facial structures to give your face more definition and visible contours. We elevate your skin and work on the fat under your skin. We also tighten the muscles under your fat to tone your face. If there is excess fat, we will use liposuction to remove it. While there are many non-invasive ways to combat aging, a facelift is one of the most effective ways to achieve immediate results.
What Does a Facelift Treat?
A facelift is commonly used to reduce the visible signs of aging by targeting sagging skin, deep folds, fallen fat, cheek and jaw jowls, and excess fat under your chin. However, a facelift is also useful for younger patients that want to remove excess skin or other facial depressions.
It is important to note that a facelift cannot change your overall appearance. It is a way to treat certain areas of your face. However, it can’t correct brown spots, fine lines, or thinning skin. A facelift is effective at dealing with the quantity of excess tissue but does not address the quality. There are other treatments, such as laser skin therapy, that can rejuvenate the surface of your face.
Types of Facelifts
There are different kinds of facelifts that we offer. Before determining the right facelift for you, it is important to visit us for a consultation so we can assess your health, and current skin condition, and discuss your goals. We will also look at your medical record and determine the right course of action. Each type of facelift uses different incisions to target different areas.
Mini Facelift
A mini facelift is not as invasive as other types of facelifts. We make use of shorter incisions, which means the recovery period is quicker and results in less scarring. This type of facelift provides natural-looking results that will give you a younger appearance. A mini facelift uses local anesthesia with variable degrees of sedation.
SMAS Facelift
A SMAS facelift repositions the deeper facial layers. It targets your facial muscles and facial fat. This procedure targets deep folds around your mouth, as well as sagging fat that leads to jowls. You won’t have a tense expression from this facelift. The results are softer and more natural.
Deep Plane Facelift
A deep plane facelift is more advanced than the others. It addresses mid-facial sagging by replacing the tissue to add volume to your face and give you and rejuvenated look. The results are long-lasting and won’t make your face look expressionless.
Full Facelift
- A full facelift addresses four areas, namely the:
- forehead and upper eyelids
- mid-face and lower eyelids
- lower face and lips
- neck
This type of facelift is ideal for targeting multiple signs of aging. We pay careful attention to ensure that the results are natural-looking. We make incisions in front of and behind your ears to avoid visible scarring.
The Facelift Procedure
Now that you know a little more about facelifts and what they entail, we can go over the process. If you have any questions or need more information, feel free to contact us. We are happy to explain it to you in more detail.
Initial Consultation
The first and most important step of your facelift journey is your initial consultation. It is during this session that we will discuss your desired outcome and assess your current medical condition to see if you are fit for the procedure. Underlying medical conditions could complicate the surgery, so it is crucial, to be honest about chronic illnesses and the prescription medication you take. Don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you need during this consultation. We are here to put your mind at ease. You can count on us to be upfront and honest about the procedure.
The Procedure
Depending on the type of facelift you have agreed on, we will need to administer an anesthetic. The length of the procedure also depends on the type of facelift, but you can expect it to take a few hours. We will then use glue or dissolvable sutures to close the incision. We may insert a drainage tube to remove any excess fluid. You will need someone to drive you home after the procedure and assist you with difficult tasks for at least 24 hours.
Recovery
We will place bandages around your face after the surgery and provide you with detailed instructions to ensure a speedy recovery. There will be a few follow-up sessions within the next 60 days to track your healing progress. You can return one day after your procedure to have the drainage tubes removed. Once your wounds have healed to our liking, we will provide a facial sling to support your face and aid the recovery process.
Quality Facelifts
At AM Facial Plastics, we want you to be comfortable. That is why we strive to provide detailed explanations of your facelift procedure so you can have peace of mind. Be sure to contact us to book your initial consultation so we can get started on this exciting journey.