Mini Face Lift

The Facelift Consultation

May 18, 2012 Rebecca No comments

A facelift consultation is the opportunity not only for the surgeon to interview you to determine if you’re a good candidate for the procedure, but a chance for you to interview your surgeon to be sure that you’re comfortable working with him as well. There is no rule about how many consultation appointments you can have with various doctors and for a facelift, you should be absolutely confident with your choice of surgeon. Be sure to schedule as many appointments as you feel is necessary until you find the right doctor.

During the facelift consultation, you can expect to discuss your medical history, any medications you’re taking at the moment and your desires for the facelift. The surgeon may offer suggestions to you about what procedure specifically can offer the most benefits or you may simply ask him what he thinks of the procedure you have in mind. During this visit, the surgeon will be inspecting your skin condition as well as taking pictures.

The pictures will then be uploaded to the computer, probably in the same setting, and the surgeon will show you what is possible from the surgery using computer animation or effects. Being honest and open about your expectations and wishes will make for a more rewarding consultation since you’ll gain more from it.

At the conclusion of your consultation with the surgeon, you will likely meet with the nurse to get information on costs, schedules and ultimate decisions about how to proceed with the surgery. You may be able to schedule your surgery at that time or come back for a follow-up appointment before you decide fully.

The surgeon will likely keep your information on file for some time after the initial consultation for a facelift. This means you can call back up to a year later as you’ve made decisions about your procedure. Most importantly, there is no reason to rush a facelift surgery. You should be absolutely comfortable and committed to the surgery before proceeding.

Mini Facelift: Is It Worth It?

May 17, 2012 Rebecca No comments

There is always some question about plastic surgery. The procedures can be expensive and patients must determine if the results from the procedure are worth the price and the recovery period. The vast majority of patients seriously considering plastic surgery, however, in particular a mini facelift find the procedure to be reasonably priced for the results that are created.

The Mini Facelift

In a mini facelift, the skin of the cheeks and jowls is pulled up just a bit. Unlike a full facelift, the skin is not dramatically lifted and reshaped, and with a mini facelift, only small changes are made. This makes healing from the procedure faster and easier, even if the results are not quite as dramatic. For those looking for smaller impacts, however, the mini facelift is a great way to look better rested and perhaps a few years younger virtually overnight.

The Value of the Mini Facelift

With a full facelift, patients can expect to pay up to $10,000 or more to have a surgeon trim away excess skin and tighten the skin on the face rather dramatically. In a mini facelift, surgeons often charge only $3,000 or less to pull the skin up at the ear area and trim just a bit away. When the skin is pulled tight and carefully stitched in the folds of the ears, the result is a trim along the chin and a smoothing of skin on the cheeks.

While the results are not as dramatic as a full facelift might have been, the mini facelift costs only a fraction of the real procedure and creates a lovely result. Healing from a mini facelift is far simpler as well and the final result is one that is reasonably affordable and long lasting.

Facelift Terms You Should Know

May 11, 2012 Rebecca No comments

Nobody likes to go into a surgery procedure unprepared, so before you head into a consultation with your surgeon, be sure that you’ve taken a few minutes to brush up on your lingo so that you understand what you’re saying and most importantly what you’re hearing from your surgeon as you prepare for a full facelift procedure.

Rhytidectomy – This is the official name for a facelift procedure. The rhytidectomy is used to reduce sagging of the mid-face, jowls and neck.

Partial or Mini Facelift – A mini facelift is a medical procedure that includes less skin removal and draping of the skin. The mini facelift pulls skin up much less than the full facelift and requires less recovery as a result.

Anesthesia – General anesthesia is used to fully sedate a patient during surgery to relieve pain in the majority of facelift procedure. Local anesthesia may be used in some procedures. Local anesthesia is inserted via an injection to the area of the surgical procedure.

Hematoma – A hematoma is a dark splotch under the skin where blood has pooled below the skin’s surface.

Sedation – Intravenous sedation are injections of a sedative medicine to the veins to help the body relax.

Tear Trough – The tear trough is a deep crease under the eye that looks as though it may collect tears in the folds or wrinkles present.

Nasolabial Fold – These deep wrinkles are found connecting the edges of the nose with the corners of the mouth.

Jowls – When the muscles of the jaw line relax, the skin and tissue sag below the jaw line into the neck creating the appearance of jowls. Jowls may be caused by additional fatty pockets to the lower portion of the face as well.

The Steps of a Facelift Procedure

May 10, 2012 Rebecca No comments

The facelift is a major surgical procedure that is partially art and most certainly medical science. A successful facelift is achieved in a few steps.

Anesthesia

The first step of any facelift is the anesthesia. Patients will be under general anesthesia to be sure that the patient is comfortable and safe during the procedure.

Incisions

Depending on the type of facelift procedure you select, the incision will vary from a full line into the hairline and behind the ears to a smaller incision around the bottom of the ears. The incision will be made carefully so that it can be easily hidden in the natural folds of the face and the hairline. The stitches that will close the incision later will be so tiny they are almost hidden to minimize scarring along the incision line.

The Lift

Once the incisions are made for a traditional facelift, the surgeon will carefully separate the layers of skin from the underlying muscles and tissue. He will tighten the muscles using special sutures and then pull the skin and tissue up toward the ears. Excess skin will be trimmed off before the remaining skin is carefully draped over the face. The incisions are then closed carefully and the facelift procedure is complete.

Results and Recovery

The patient will leave the surgery with a constriction garment worn to help minimize swelling and promote proper healing. The patient will continue to heal at home with frequent visits to the surgeon to check on the recovery. Results may be difficult to see initially because the face will be swollen, tight and bruised. But as the bruising fades and the swelling recedes, the surgery will be a success and results will be very evident to you and others who see you on a day to day basis.

When It’s Time for a Facelift

May 09, 2012 Rebecca No comments

It’s hard to know sometimes about plastic surgery. When is the best time for the procedure? After all, patients want to be sure that they get the maximum value from the procedure so that they can enjoy the results over the long-term while also maximizing the elasticity of their skin and extending the healthy, youthful years. For most patients choosing a facelift is a balancing act of appearance and lifestyle. Of course there are a few physical symptoms to consider as well for the procedure.

Visible Signs of Aging

The most obvious clue about facelifts is that the face is aging and it’s becoming more noticeable. The majority of facelift patients are in their late forties and beyond, but some patients are younger as they are trying to preserve youth as long as possible. For patients considering a facelift procedure, the most common signs that it’s time include:

Deep creases along the lower eyelids
Deep lines or creases extending from the nose to the corners of the mouth
Sagging skin on the cheeks and jaw line
Fatty pockets that appear to be misshapen or misplaced
Jowls in the lower portion of the face
Loose skin and jowls under the chin

Choosing the Facelift

There are many types of facial surgeries that can help to correct eyelids, brows and wrinkles, but the facelift is the most extensive surgery as it can reshape portion of the face, trim away the excess skin and tissue and rejuvenate the face overall. The best way to determine if you’re a patient for a facelift is to put the hands on either side of your face and gently pull up toward your ears. Like what you see? It may be time for a facelift!

Jowls and a Facelift

May 05, 2012 Rebecca No comments

There are two areas that seem to bother us most as we age – skin on the neck and the skin that hangs along the sides of the jaw line, or jowls. This means that for some people, it’s hard to tell where the neck stops the face starts. There are normally two procedures used, often in combination, to correct the jowls and the hanging skin of the neck.

Liposuction can be used to remove excess fatty tissue from the neck and jaw line to smooth out the area and create distinction. A facelift is required, however, to lift the skin back into position and to firm up the cheeks and lower portion of the face. As long as there is reasonable elasticity to the skin, the two procedures are used together to create a smooth face with a more distinguished jaw line.

Liposuction

Facial and neck liposuction is a very precise surgery. The cannula, or hollow tube, used in the procedure is very small so that the surgeon can work in delicate areas. The surgeon moves the cannula back and forth gently through small incisions in the area. The movement of the cannula stimulates the cells to tighten while also collecting fatty pockets and fluid. Some patients opt just for the liposuction as it is less intensive and less expensive than a full facelift, but others opt for the full treatment.

Facelift

The facelift used to lift the jowls is a full-fledged facelift procedure that leaves the face looking smooth and more youthful. When used in conjunction with liposuction, the skin being lifted into position is thinner and able to firm up even more as a result of the liposuction. Careful stitches hold the skin in position behind the ears and the face is completely rejuvenated.

Facelifts for a New Face

May 04, 2012 Rebecca No comments

There are many pictures of facelift patients showing before and after pictures of the surgery. Within these pictures, it starts to become clear that some patients and surgeons understand that the surgery is designed to help patients look younger, but still remain the same. Other patients wind up looking less like the person they were and more like an entirely new person. Unless someone is trying to hide with the Witness Protection Program, a facelift for a new face isn’t the purpose of the procedure.

Facelifts and Results

The results of a facelift can and should be different for every patient. The surgeon working on the facelift should have enough experience to know what look he can create through the skin and tissues of the face. The finished product should be attractive, smoother and healthier looking for the patient. The good result of a facelift shows the patient as much more rested and youthful – not a new person.

Picking a Good Surgeon

Unlike many other surgery procedures, there is not a viable revision facelift available. If patients choose to have a facelift, there is some possibility for changes, but results are usually permanent or close to it. This means that the bulk of care and planning should go into choosing the surgeon to perform the surgery in the first place.

Look carefully through the pictures the surgeon provides of his work and be sure to check online to see if any previous patients have posted reviews – both good and bad. Nobody is perfectly perfect all of the time – we are human after all – but a facelift is a matter of extreme trust between you and your surgeon. Find one who you trust explicitly with your appearance now and in the future. This is a matter of precision and skill – not one of cost.

What Every Patient Should Know About a Facelift

May 03, 2012 Rebecca No comments

A full facelift is a chance to turn back the clock and leave surgery with a fresher appearance. Of course, before you schedule a facelift procedure, you’ll want to be sure you know what you’re getting into so that you can understand the process and commit fully to the recovery and results ahead.

Check for authentic results. You don’t want a surgeon who uses facelifts to make his patients look like someone else. If a surgeon’s before and after pictures show faces that aren’t much alike, you don’t want to use the surgeon. Find someone else who understands how to retain your natural appearance.

Combine a facelift with a brow lift for best results. A facelift works only on the lower portions of the face. It doesn’t touch the eye or brow area. To keep the face in balance and give you the best results possible, be sure to consider combining a facelift and a brow lift at the same time. Eyelid surgery is another popular treatment to balance the changes in the face caused by the facelift.

Facelifts work one decade at a time. A facelift can change your face back about a decade at a time. Generally the facelift creates a seven to ten year difference for patients. The face will continue to age from the point of surgery, and many patients opt to have another facelift a decade or two after the first so that they can continue to enjoy the results of renewed youth.

Healing is a full-time occupation. For the first weeks that you’re home recovering from a facelift, you should be focused on your recovery – nothing else. Use ice, rest, recliners and light activity as a way to help your body recover from the procedure correctly.

4 Reasons to Consider a Mini Facelift

April 27, 2012 Rebecca Garland No comments

Aging isn’t always kind to us, but you don’t necessarily need a full facelift to see some of the signs of aging diminish quickly. A mini facelift is a possibility for many patients if they meet certain criteria.

The Skin of the Neckline is Sagging

If you are developing a problem with jowls or sagging skin on the jaws or even neck, a mini facelift can help to lift that skin gently up from the ears, pulling it tight again and smoothing out the lower portion of the face.

You Have Strong Cheekbones

If you have a strong cheekbone structure, a mini facelift is all that is necessary to pull the skin up on the lower portion of the face and match the strength of your upper face. The prominent cheekbones help to hold skin in position as you age, and a mini facelift corrects just the lower portion of the face where you might experience the most sagging and wrinkles.

Your Schedule is Complicated

A full facelift takes a great deal of time for recovery. If you choose to have a full facelift, you can expect to be out of commission for months at a time while the swelling and bruising reduce. For up to six months following the facelift, it may be challenging to see the full results of the surgery. A mini facelift, however, allows you to see results almost immediately and requires very little downtime following the

A Laser Facelift: The Overview

April 26, 2012 Rebecca Garland No comments

What is a laser facelift? It’s not exactly a true facelift, but instead a laser procedure that removes and softens fine lines and wrinkles. With a laser facelift, the surgeon will use a local anesthesia if you’re treating a small area or a general anesthesia if you’re working over your entire face. The procedure does not require any incisions however, and you’ll find that the results are impressive.

The Laser Facelift Procedure

A laser facelift uses a high-beam of laser light to burn away the top layers of skin. This laser is far deeper than one that would be used for a skin rejuvenation. The laser actually lightly burns the skin in the area you’re treating while removes the dead skin and the layer that is responsible for many of the fine lines of the face.

As the skin heals from the burn, it tightens up and actually stimulates collagen production under the skin’s layers. This, in turn, helps to fill out the area from behind the skin while the skin itself actually smoothes down from the healing process presenting a brighter, healthier face to the world. The best benefit of all is that the results of a laser facelift are clear and ready to be shown off much sooner than those of a traditional facelift.

Healing from a Laser Facelift Procedure

The laser facelift procedure isn’t as intensive as a true facelift that requires incisions and stitches. The laser facelift will require some downtime. The patient goes home immediately after the procedure and the recovery begins. During the recovery period, the patient may experience some itching and discomfort, but the recovery is usually complete within a week or two of the procedure. Most patients return to work in five to seven days following the laser facelift.

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