Facelift
What is a Facelift?
 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 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 pose when faced with a camera.
What Should You Expect From a Facelift?
The 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.
 Preparing For Your 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, you will be provided with instructions regarding diet, smoking and medications, and you will be given any necessary prescriptions.
During Your Surgery
 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 tuck. 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.
Post-Operative Care
 You will need about five to seven days of recovery time before you are 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 or so months, 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. Touch-ups may be required later on, but few people ever return to the aged look they had before surgery. Most patients consider it a bargain to spend a few hours to remove several years.
For More Information
See Before/After photographs.
If you would like more information about facelifts, please Contact Me.
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