Answers to Your Frequently Asked Questions about Facelift Surgery
What Does a Facelift Do?
When you start to reach your 40s and 50s, your skin begins to lose elastin and other important fibers that keep your skin firm and tight. As a result, your skin begins to loosen and hang a little bit on your body. This opens up room for extra fat deposits and a lack of toning in your underlying muscles. When this occurs on your face, it causes you to look much older than you really are. A facelift counteracts these aging effects by lifting and tightening your skin to take up to ten years off your appearance.
What is the Average Age of a Facelift Patient?
Each person reacts to the aging process differently, so the age range of facelift patients is pretty variable. Most facelift patients are in their 50s, though the procedure can be performed on people as young as forty or as old as 60. Your surgeon will make the determination on when you will be ready for the procedure.
What Happens During the Facelift Procedure?
Each surgeon performs a facelift slightly different based on their own unique style and training, but most facelift procedures follow a general pattern. For less extensive facelifts, the surgeon starts by making small incisions behind the hairline. From there, the surgeon uses an endoscope to repair muscles and remove extra fat deposits. The skin is then lifted and sutured back into place along the incisions. Some patients require more extensive work for their facelifts, which could cause the surgeon to make one long incision from one ear to the other just behind the hairline. This allows the surgeon easier access to the entire brow region.
Is the Procedure Performed under Anesthesia?
Most surgeons use general anesthesia for their facelift procedure because it helps keep the patient completely still during the surgery and prevents the patient from feeling any pain until they wake up.
What Will I Feel Like after Surgery?
When you first wake up, you’ll probably feel a little groggy and disoriented from being under anesthesia. You’ll also notice some mild pain and discomfort on your face, along with a little swelling and bruising. There might also be some bandages around your incisions. You will spend a little bit of time at the surgeon’s office so that they can monitor your vitals and make sure that you’re stable enough to go home.
How Long is the Recovery Period?
Generally speaking, recovery from facelift surgery takes about two to three weeks. The first couple days of your recovery will be the most difficult, so rest and relaxation will be your best friends. Your bandages can come off after about five days, and you’ll have a follow-up appointment with your surgeon around Day 10. Most patients find that they can return to work and other normal activities after two weeks; however, every patient reacts differently to surgery. You may need a little more recovery time or even a little less recovery time.
Are Facelift Surgery Results Permanent?
If you mean permanent in the sense that your face will stay the same for the rest of your life, then no, your results are not permanent. Facelift surgery doesn’t slow down or halt the aging process and your face will continue to age along with the rest of your body. However, the results will stay with you for a long time as long as you take proper care of yourself. Should you need it, facelift surgeons can do small adjustments or touch-ups on your initial procedure or suggest additional procedures to help you keep a youthful and rejuvenated appearance.
How Do I Start the Facelift Process?
The first step with any plastic surgery procedure is to schedule a patient consultation with a qualified surgeon. Dr. Daniel Shapiro has been a plastic surgeon for almost twenty years and has perfected the art of providing inconspicuous facelift procedures to his patients. Known not only for his exceptional skill level, Dr. Shapiro has a well-earned reputation among his patients and fellow surgeons for his compassionate care and outstanding natural-looking results.
To schedule your own facelift consultation with Dr. Shapiro, call (480)
