Face Lift – Rhytidectomy

Facelift, or "rhytidectomy," has been the classic cosmetic surgical procedure for the last forty years and continues to be popular in the battle against aging. In a best-case scenario, it can remove ten to fifteen years from your appearance and give you back a more youthful face at a time in your life when you most deserve it. People interested in this procedure usually have three main complaints. First, you may feel that your jowls are too full or have drooped, pulling down the corners of your mouth into a frown. Second, you may have lost your youthful jaw line. For most people, this loss begins right at the middle point of your jaw line where a small "ball" of tissue starts to form. This migration continues down until the entire outline of your jaw can no longer be seen. The third area of concern is the neck. This is the area about which many people have their biggest complaints. As we age, we lose the distance from our chin to our neck, and soon, unfortunately, they become one! You may notice this more in profile pictures. In fact, some people may do all they can to avoid this angle when faced with a camera.

What Should You Expect From a Facelift?

The traditional facelift addresses all three problem areas: the jowls, the jaw line and the neck. It also helps to elevate the corner of your brow as needed. In about three and a half hours, youth can be restored to your entire neck, face, and lateral brow so that your outer appearance matches the way you feel on the inside. And, remember, the face is where we humans focus our attention. Scottsdale plastic surgeon, Dr. Corey really believes in a very natural outcome for your Facelift. His goal is that after surgery you will still look very much like you…just a more youthful and refreshed version of you! His goal is to make you look 10-15 years younger, not 20. You really want people to wonder if you’ve had a Facelift, and not know that you’ve had a Facelift.

How do I prepare for Facelift surgery?

Since there is no magic age at which a person is ready for a facelift, Dr. Corey will consult closely with you so that you get the best result in achieving your goal. At the pre-operative visit at the Scottsdale facility, you will be provided with instructions regarding diet, smoking (which should be stopped at least 3 weeks before surgery), medications, photos will be taken of you, and you will be given any necessary prescriptions. You should also make an appointment to see Priscilla Ferrand, our Skin Care RN and she can get your skin in the best possible condition for the surgery and can make arrangements to see you afterwards as well for adjuvant treatment.

What happens during Facelift surgery?

A facelift is not a terribly difficult operation but rather a collection of areas that require meticulous attention. The hairline, earlobe, incision placement, and tension on the skin all add up to give a great result. Surgery is performed at an outpatient surgical center, under general anesthesia (meaning you will be asleep throughout the procedure). The standard incision begins up in the hairline in the temple region, proceeds down in front of the ear, circles around the earlobe and continues behind the ear. Dr. Corey takes care to ensure that there is no incision down on the neck so that you may still wear your hair pulled back. On occasion, a small incision is made underneath the chin to allow access in treating the neck. At times, the facelift is performed in conjunction with other procedures such as a brow lift or eyelid surgery. Many people are unhappy with just their neck and wonder if there is anything that can be done for this area alone. This problem is best treated with a "mini-facelift" where the incision starts close to the earlobe, curves below and around it and then, as in the full facelift procedure, continues behind the ear and up into the scalp. You will spend one to two nights in a recovery care center where you can be monitored closely and you will be more comfortable.

What is Post-Operative Care like?

Most of our facelift patients needed about five to seven days of recovery time before they were out and about and, for women, able to put on make-up. You will be scheduled for appointments for facial massage and make-up consultation, and most people can be back to work in about ten days. The incisions can be pink for about three months or so, but they are usually easy to cover. Some people wonder how long they can expect the results of a good facelift to last. There is no set time, although some people say about seven years. On occasion, Dr. Corey does see patients who have a little more elasticity in their skin than expected and can benefit from a little tightening even before then. Most patients consider it a bargain to spend a few hours to remove several years!

A Facelift may be for me. What should I do next?

The idea of a facelift can be one of the more intimidating of all the cosmetic surgery procedures. After all…it’s your face! But it is here that can also be the most rewarding. If you are serious about getting a face lift, contact Dr. Corey’s office in Scottsdale today to make a consultation appointment! At his Scottsdale office, Dr. Corey offers two types of Facelift consultations: an individual consultation which costs $75 or, if you live out of the area, an online consultation which is free. Before your consultation, make a list of questions or concerns you have and make sure to bring it to your appointment.  We happily serve the areas of Scottsdale, Phoenix, Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa and Tempe, Arizona.

To see firsthand how a facelift can change your appearance, click here to see face lift before and after photos.