Face & Neck Lift

The face lift is among the most common surgical techniques in cosmetic surgery today. Plastic surgeons remove excess fat, tighten muscles and re-drape skin to improve sagging facial skin, jowls and loose skin around the neck. It is the most effective way to rejuvenate and re-contour the lower two thirds of the face and is most commonly performed on men and women ages 40 and older.

The Procedure

The face lift procedure has improved to offer patients more natural looking and long-lasting results. Before the 1980s, surgeons merely lifted the outer skin of the face. Unfortunately, the results looked done, as merely pulling the skin failed to address the underlying support tissues. Today, surgeons use a more comprehensive, longer-lasting and more natural looking approach.

Not only do surgeons lift the skin, but they also lift the underlying fat and muscle layers, taking the tissue, sculpting it and suturing it in place. In this way, surgeons restore the natural relationship among the skin, muscle and fat. This technique still maintains the normal blood circulation in the flap that is being repositioned and allows the surgeon to achieve more natural results.

The face lift not only helps to rejuvenate the face by taking away skin folds, but it also restores the harmony of facial shapes. Sometimes aging can take the angles away; a face lift can bring them back.

The procedure, using local or general anesthesia, is often performed on an outpatient basis, in the comfort and privacy of the Premiere Center’s in-office operating and recovery rooms.

Surgeons use different approaches to face lift techniques. Usually, the surgeon begins by making an incision above the hairline at the temple and extending it down toward the natural line in front of the ear and around the earlobe, into the hairline behind the ear. The surgeon then separates the skin from the underlying muscles, pulls the skin back and trims and tightens the underlying muscle. He or she then secures the layers of tissue and re-drapes the skin. The incisions are strategically hidden in the hairline and natural creases of the face so that they become almost invisible over time.

Combination Techniques

The face lift is often performed with other procedures, including eyelid and brow lifts to address the top half of the face. Plastic surgeons can also perform laser treatments to take away the fine wrinkling around the eyes and lips that a face lift does not correct. One of the newest areas of plastic surgery is the addition of pre- and post-operative skin care, which is also available at the Premiere Center. By preparing the skin with prescription products and facials before surgery, doctors find that they get better results. Post-operative skin care and massage techniques can help patients experience a smoother healing process. And by teaching patients the art of long-term skin care, doctors help them to maintain their results.

Advances

Less extensive face lift procedures, including the mini face lift or neck lift, can offer younger patients who do not have as much excess skin an option for having the surgery earlier in their 30s or early 40s. The endoscope, used to make surgery less invasive by decreasing the size of the incision needed to perform surgery, is being used on carefully selected face lift patients. This new technology seems to offer a way in which surgeons can perform the face lift using smaller incisions.

1-800-403-3370  |  EMAIL PREMIERE CENTER  |  ASK ABOUT COSTS