As we age, years of sun exposure, stress, gravity, and pollutants begin to show on our skin through sagging, wrinkles, and fine lines that can make us look older than we feel. A facelift and neck lift surgery performed by Board Certified cosmetic surgeon, Dr. DeLozier, can help counteract the aging process by reversing these effects.
A facelift is a procedure where a surgeon removes excess skin around the face and sculpts the soft tissue below. Also called a rhytidectomy, facelift surgery tightens your skin, removing the look of sagging and wrinkled skin, and reversing time to make you look years younger with just this one procedure. Anyone of any race and gender can get a facelift, though it is most popular for those over 45 years old.
Often even more telling of our age, our necks can also be included by adding on a neck lift, or lower rhytidectomy. Combining a facelift surgery with a neck lift is a safe, popular choice that extends the anti-aging effects around your neck.
These procedures are performed by pulling back the skin on each side of the face, modifying the tissue below, and removing excess skin. This creates a youthful shape that is most noticeable around the jawline, mouth, and cheeks; where most sagging usually occurs. On average, facial surgery like this takes about two to three hours.
Most facelift surgeries provide age-defying results for between 8–12 years, and often times even longer. This may vary depending on genetics, exposure, lifestyle, skin elasticity, and other factors.
There is no limit to the number of facelifts you may get. As long as you are healthy enough for surgery, Dr. DeLozier can help you look and feel more youthful through multiple facelift surgeries over the span of several decades.
Recovery time for a facelift and neck lift usually lasts about two to four weeks. When you first return home, keep your head elevated for a couple of days, including during sleep. You will go home with a compressive head wrap and drainage tubes to help minimize swelling and bruising. These should stay on 24/7 for two weeks after your facelift surgery, when you will have your follow-up appointment. Bruising and swelling usually subsides after about two weeks and any sensation of numbness or decreased sensation should subside in the weeks following as you fully heal from the procedure.
Yes, combining procedures is a popular choice. A facelift, neck lift, and eyelid lift is the most common combination, but you may also be able to add different or additional procedures. Oftentimes, a single procedure is safer and more convenient, as you only need to go under general anesthesia once and you only have one recovery period. Every client is unique in their desires, so talk to Dr. DeLozier about your individual preferences during your consultation to craft the perfect plan for you.
Often, the neck and jowl areas may precede the middle and upper portions of the face in aging changes. If this is the case, a full face lift is not necessary. Smaller incisions and moving the neck muscles laterally instead of centrally mean a shorter downtime of 10 days to 2 weeks. The lift may be combined with other facial procedures to produce a harmonious, non-operated look. It typically takes around an hour and a half to perform.
