Facelift/Neck Lift in Seattle

A facelift reverses many visible signs of aging but doesn’t slow the aging process. For that reason, good skin care and anti-aging strategies are essential to maintain the results. This can include advanced skin care products such as OneSkin and Emepelle, Ultherapy microfocused ultrasound, and microneedling with exosomes. Sun protection and good nutrition play a role as well. See also: How To Maintain The Results Of A Facelift.

A full facelift addresses signs of aging in the neck, jawline, and cheeks. A mini facelift is not a standardized term but typically involves a shorter scar and focuses mostly on the cheeks or jawline. A neck lift could also be considered a mini-facelift. Often, however, a full facelift yields a more natural look.

It is generally best to think about what you would like to see improved before deciding on a specific procedure. There are some things a facelift does very well, such as reshaping the cheeks and smoothing the jawline, but other areas, such as fine lines around the mouth or eyes, may do better with a different procedure. Trust your plastic surgeon to make the best recommendation for you.

You will be given specific guidance on preparing for the best outcome at your pre-operative visit and consultation. Things to know include:

• Avoiding medications that may interfere with blood clotting, such as NSAIDs, aspirin, and certain herbal products;
• Arranging your caregiver to be with you for at least the first 24 hours;
• Stocking up on healthy foods that don’t require a lot of chewing.

Simple things like button-up pajamas and clothing will make life easier as well.

This depends on how private you wish to be. If you don’t want anyone to know you had surgery, plan for around 3 weeks or so. The first week is downtime at home, then another week of social downtime, and the third week is transitional. Certain “diversionary tactics” can direct attention away from the obvious changes. For more pointers, go to How To Keep Your Plastic Surgery Discreet.

Every surgery has risks, but a facelift is a safe procedure for a healthy person. Complications include: bleeding resulting in a hematoma, unfavorable scarring, wound infection, and facial nerve damage (usually resolves with time.)

We do not recommend having a facelift if you use any nicotine-containing products. Nicotine causes constriction of blood vessels and can severely impair the healing process, possibly resulting in tissue loss. We do not believe that it is an acceptable risk.

While it can vary, plan a week of “downtime” at home, then at least another week or two of social downtime. You can resume many of your usual activities during the second week if you don’t over-exert. It can be a few weeks before the bruises have completely faded and the swelling has resolved.

We typically recommend at least 3 weeks before heavy exertion. You should begin walking and light activity within the first week.

Returning to work depends on how much you need to keep your surgery private and, of course, the physical exertion required. Modern surgical techniques generally result in a faster recovery, but returning too soon can cause a setback. We will offer advice about your return to work when we see you in consultation.

Facelift patients can be as young as mid 30’s and up to mid-80s. Younger facelift patients typically do it for sagging skin after weight loss or fullness in the neck, resulting in skin laxity after fat reduction. The most common age in our practice is mid-50s to mid-60s.

A facelift is a 3-dimensional operation that restores shape and natural fullness in the cheeks, smoothes lax skin, and should result in a long-lasting restoration of appearance. No non-surgical procedures do all of this, and even when combined, the result is less effective. However, younger patients often find non-surgical treatments a good way to maintain their youthfulness and postpone the need for a facelift.

The liquid facelift is a gimmicky term to describe the use of injectable fillers. Volume restoration is important because fat loss in the face is a hallmark of aging, but only one component. We love our fillers, but it isn’t a facelift.

Think of a facelift as ‘setting back the clock” rather than having a temporary effect. A well-performed facelift will take 10-15 years off for most patients.

Facelifts are customized to each individual, using various techniques, including fat grafting, SMAS lifting, correction of platysma bands in the neck, and skin redraping. Our emphasis here is natural-appearing, balanced, and healthy, not pulled and overdone.

A key to the natural reshaping of the face is to make a deeper layer called the SMAS do the lifting rather than pulling more on the skin. A deep plane facelift is a variation of the SMAS facelift, and there is debate about whether it is actually something different. The term has been in use for more than 30 years but it has evolved. Realistically, every deep plane facelift is a SMAS facelift. For that reason, it is difficult to prove that the results are better, longer-lasting, or even different.

The SMAS (Superficial MusculoAponeurotic System) is a layer of connective tissue and facial muscles under the skin. Most facelifts are done with the Deep Plane/SMAS layer to lift and reshape in 3 dimensions so the skin doesn’t look pulled. The results appear more natural because the skin is elevated with the SMAS. The deep plane facelift is a variation of the SMAS technique.

Because a facelift is a meticulously done procedure, it can take several hours. Less than that, and shortcuts have to be taken, but it should take more than 3-5 hours either.