People often first notice the signs of aging on their face and neck. These highly visible areas face the brunt of environmental damage and make many repetitive movements. This leads to the face developing fine lines, wrinkles, sun spots, and fat loss before other areas of the body. Thus, when it comes to anti-aging surgeries, a facelift is one that many women and men seek. Dr. Scott Blyer of Cameo Surgery Center offers the best facelift Long Island provides.
Facelift surgery at its core is a skin removal surgery. As the face ages, the skin loses collagen and cannot replenish it fast enough. This causes the skin to sag and can lead to extra skin building up over time. Jowling—or sagging of the jawline—forms which cause an aged appearance.
Fat pads from the cheeks may also descend down the face contributing to a fuller appearance in the lower face. Whereas youthful fat usually resides in the midface. If this is present, a facelift can reposition this potentially with an added midface lift.
The overall goal of facelift surgery is to remove unnecessary skin and tissue, tighten the remaining structures, and create a more youthful facial contour and profile.
The average facelift patient is in their late fifties to early sixties. Though, there is no ideal age for a facelift. As long as a patient is a good candidate, even someone in their eighties could have a facelift. In general, patients should be in overall good health, preferably nonsmokers, and have realistic expectations for the procedure.
Major medical conditions like heart disease or untreated diabetes may disqualify patients from undergoing a facelift. With that said, not all medical conditions automatically prevent a potential facelift patient from getting surgery. If well treated and monitored, it is likely that a patient can safely undergo facelift surgery. Dr. B evaluates every patient’s medical history before surgery to determine candidacy.
Facelift procedures are considered some of the safest among all plastic surgeries. Like all major procedures though, there are benefits and risks that patients must consider before opting for surgery. Based on medical history and individual circumstances, the exact benefits and risks and their severity may vary between patients.
The benefits of a Long Island facelift may include:
The risks of a facelift may include:
Major and/or untreatable complications as a result of facelift surgery are very rare. As long as a patient is a good candidate and chooses a qualified surgeon, there is little risk of severe complications.
Facelift surgery comes in multuple types to accomodate various needs and stages of aging. Dr. B can help patients determine the right facelift during a consultation. Below is a more detailed explanation of the most common types of facelift.
A mini facelift is best suited for younger patients just beginning to see the noticeable signs of aging. Up until a certain point, non-surgical procedures can help patients look younger. However, once jowling begins, this usually requires a surgical solution. If the patient presents with mild excess skin, a mini facelift may suffice in providing the desired results.
The incision for a mini facelift is nearly identical to that of a traditional facelift. Sometimes, it may be slightly shorter or placed fully behind the ear. Dr. B then removes a small amount of skin and tightens the remaining skin. A mini facelift is less likely to tighten the underlying muscle structures, but may do so occasionally.
Patients who undergo a mini facelift should expect to undergo another facelift in their lifetime. They generally do not last as long as other facelift procedures. Additionally, because they are performed at a younger age, the patient will likely qualify for facelift surgery again in the future.
A full facelift is the most commonly performed facelift surgery. Today’s full facelift is usually performed using the SMAS technique. This means that along with the skin, Dr. B will tighten the superficial muscle structures too. The SMAS technique has shown to create better and longer lasting results. It has been the industry standard for several years.
The incision for a full facelift may be in front of the ear or behind it. Dr. B then removes the necessary skin and tissue to adequately tighten the skin. Before pulling the skin tight, he will tighten the superficial muscle structure first before laying the skin over top it.
An extended facelift involves the same techniques as the standard version. However, it usually involves a larger incision and will lift the midface too. While some mild correction may occur during a full facelift, an extended facelift can fully correct both areas. This is often performed on patients with more severe sagging and signs of aging.
The incision will likely curve completely around the ear because this provides access to the lower and midface structures. An extended facelift also frequently involves repositioning of fat and potentially fat transfer into the cheeks. Plump cheeks are a sign of youth and can nicely complement the results of a facelift.
The deep plane facelift is the newest innovation on the SMAS facelift. Instead if tightening the skin and muscle structures separately, Dr. B tightens them together. It is believed that this results in a more natural appearance. This is because the skin and muscle are not separated from one another like with a traditional SMAS facelift.
Yes, on average, patients look around ten years younger after a full facelift. Other types of facelift such as the extended or deep plane methods, can help patients look up to fifteen years younger. While subsequent aging is not preventable, patients who undergo a facelift surgery will consistently look younger than their peers. Regardless of if they ever have another facelift or not.
The goal of facelift surgery is not to make patients look like a different person. A perfect facelift surgery result will make a patient look like a younger version of themselves. Many patients are concerned about the windswept look that many celebrities sported in past decades. With modern facelift techniques, this is unlikely to occur.
The exact cost of a facelift will depend on the type of facelift performed and other factors. Dr. B and the Cameo Surgery Center team will provide a customized price quote.
Ultimately, no non-surgical procedure will compare to the results of a facelift. However, there are non-surgical procedures that can help patients look younger. For example, Botox, dermal fillers, laser resurfacing, microneedling, and chemical peels, to name a few.