Facelift

A facelift is a surgical procedure that can help reduce the appearance of facial wrinkles and other signs of aging, including sagging in the middle of your face, loss of tone in your lower face (creating jowls), and perhaps a “double chin” even if you are not overweight. While it cannot turn back the hands of time, a facelift can help to provide a more youthful contour to the face and neck, giving you a refreshed and rejuvenated appearance.

Additional procedures that can enhance the results of a facelift include: an eyelid lift, skin peel, chin enlargement, nose reshaping, PrecisionTx liposuction, and lip enlargement.

Who is a good candidate for a Facelift?

A facelift may be a good option for you if you have begun to notice:

• deepening of lines or wrinkles on your face (including “smile lines” around the mouth and eyes)
• loss of facial volume
• loss of a well-defined jawline (jowls)
• lines or “cords” in your neck

Ideal candidates are those who have good skin elasticity (so that facial skin can conform to your new and improved facial contours), realistic expectations, and good overall health. Because nicotine compromises blood flow to the tissues, which can cause healing issues, it is strongly preferred that patients do not smoke; smokers will need to make adjustments in their smoking habits both before and after surgery in order to optimize healing.

Facelift Options 

One of the most important considerations is determining the type of facelift that is right for you, which is partially dependent upon the specific areas which are a concern for you as well as your expectations regarding your results.

At Lewisburg Plastic Surgery we offer several different types of facelifts. Depending on the extent of wrinkles, sagging, and loss of facial volume, as well as the degree of change you would like to see, your facelift choices include a standard facelift, limited facelift, or lower facelift (neck lift).

A standard (full) facelift will produce the most comprehensive results, since it targets a larger area. A standard facelift will address a number of your concerns, including sagging of your cheeks and lower jawline (jowls), lines around your mouth, and excess fat and skin under your chin and extending into your neck (along with neck “cords”). Of course, since it covers such a large area, the incisions are more extensive, beginning in the hairline at the temples, continuing around the ear, and ending in the lower scalp. A small incision is usually also made under the chin to address an aging neckline. During this type of facelift, the deeper tissues of the face and neck are lifted and re-positioned, fat may be sculpted or redistributed, and the skin is then very carefully draped over the newly-defined and uplifted contours, with the excess trimmed away.

A limited facelift targets the middle to lower face, and is primarily designed to address sagging of your cheeks and lower jawline (jowls). As with the traditional facelift, the deeper structures as well as the more superficial skin and fat are addressed, but because the area is smaller, the incisions are shorter, and are placed only in front of and sometimes below and behind the ears.

A lower facelift (neck lift) targets the lower portion of the face and neck, and is designed to address sagging of the lower cheeks/jawline (jowls) as well as loose skin and “cords” or “bands” in the neck. Incisions for this procedure run in front of, below, and behind the ear, extending into the lower hairline behind the head, with an additional small incision underneath the chin. This procedure is best for those who are fairly pleased with the appearance of the upper portion of their face but are bothered by the lower portion and neck.