Face Lift
Have you become more self-aware of your appearance? Do you look in the mirror and see wrinkles, loose skin, jowls or loose neck skin? Would you like to achieve a more youthful appearance? A facelift (rhytidectomy) surgically rejuvenates your appearance through a combination of soft tissue repositioning and tightening. If you have been concerned about your aging appearance, maybe it’s time to consider face lift surgery.
You may be a good candidate for a facelift if:
- You are in relatively good health and are a non-smoker.
- You have loose facial skin, volume loss, jowls or other signs of tissue laxity.
- Creases in your cheeks, lower face and neck
- Most patients are in their 50’s or 60’s when choosing this procedure.
A facelift is almost always performed with some form of neck surgery, and may further be combined with other cosmetic procedures, such as a eyelid surgery, brow-lift surgery, and autologous fat transfers to help correct the undesirable changes of aging
About Face Lifts
As your face ages, volume is lost. The effects of gravity may cause skin and other features to sag. Sun damage may further compound the aging appearance. Your skin loses elasticity, and wrinkles form. These aging changes may result in flatter cheeks, jowl formation, and sagging skin in your face and neck region.
A face lift can make you look years younger and feel more vibrant. During your initial consultation, Dr. Richard Tepper will examine the shape of your face and your skin type. Together, you will decide how best achieve your desired results.
Incisions usually begin above the sideburn, extend down along the front of the ear, curve around the earlobe, travel part way up the back of the ear crease and then curve down along the hairline behind your ear and neck. The length of the incision may depend on the amount of loose skin to be removed.
While there are many different variations of facelift surgery, Dr. Tepper often performs a variation of a SMAS facelift procedure. This method allows lifting of the underlying SMAS layer and contouring of the overlying skin, where any excess can be removed. The procedure is often performed along with a neck lift.
BeforeAfter 
Recovery
Immediately after surgery, Dr. Tepper wraps your face with bandages to help lessen the swelling. Although not always necessary, Dr. Tepper’s patients have taken advantage of the much-reduced cosmetic overnight stay. For roughly the cost of an upscale hotel room, you to can stay overnight in the hospital and have a nurse available for any concerns or needs you might have.
Oral pain medication can be used as needed during the first few days. While complications are unusual, patients can minimize potential problems by carefully following the directions given after the procedure.
Patients are seen the morning after surgery prior to leaving the hospital (or in the office if an overnight stay was not chosen), and the bandages are removed along with any drain that may have been placed. Some swelling is common, and some patients experience some bruising.
Dr. Tepper will gladly discuss which medications are safe and which should be avoided.
When resting and sleeping for the first week, try to lay on your back with your head elevated on 2 or 3 pillows. This helps to decrease the swelling.
Most patients may shower after the first post-operative visit.
You may experience some numbness along the incision lines over some areas of skin. This often resolves completely.
Most patients are able to drive within the second week and return to work in the two to three week period. Patients are well healed in about 6 weeks.
A facelift can make you look and feel years younger by restoring volume, removing excess skin, reducing or eliminating aging signs such as jowls, and providing a more defined jawline.
