Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. David Newman answers the most frequently asked questions about facelifts.
Dr. David Newman answers the most frequently asked questions about facelifts.
How Long Do Facelifts last?
Much of how long a face lift can last depends on the way it was done. Patients that have had a good facelift with the neck where adequate time was spent lifting deep tissues including the jowl and the cheek generally last 10-20 years. The neck lift portion of the face lift can last twenty years and even longer and especially if the platysmaplasty (neck muscle) was treated. There are many factor that determine how long a face lift can last including the genetics of a patient’s skin and support structures, the age at which the patient had their first facelift, and any other treatments the patient may have had to their face. Probably the most important factor regarding how long a facelift can last depends on the individual patient. As a patient ages, their attitude can change and they may no longer wish to look the best they can for their age and may opt to “age gracefully”.
The most important idea related to this question is that patients should seek a plastic surgeon who is able to provide the best cosmetic result and this result should last for many years. How does one know if the doctor does a good face lift? Some of the best ways include looking at face lift before and after photos, asking how long their procedure will be and seeing how much time the doctor spends with them in consultation. If the plastic surgeon is detail oriented at the consult, it’s likely he will spend adequate time at surgery and will also be detail oriented. Good face lifts, themselves take 4 hours and that doesn’t include eyelids, a brow lift or the laser.
Most patients feel that, even twenty years later, their face still looks better than if they would never have had a face lift in the first place.
How Long Do Neck Lifts Last?
This is a very tricky question and the answer is very complicated because of the nature of the procedure and who is having the surgery. Patients who have only a neck lift (not with a face lift) are usually young patients who have a long life ahead of them. They usually have no jowling and mild neck laxity or they probably would be having a face lift also. The best patients for neck lift only surgery have mild neck laxity. Patients who have at least moderate laxity of the neck might be better served by having at least a mini face lift because the face lift with the neck can give a better result than just a neck lift! Another issue is that for patients with at least mild jowling, it is probably better to have a face lift because the neck lift may make the jowl appear worse.
So for a patient that is a good candidate for a neck lift, their result may last five to ten years but there is a very good possibility that they will need a facelift in the not too distant future.
How Long Does Bruising Last After a Face Lift?
Many patients may not be aware of the fact that face lifts are bloodless surgeries. Once patients are asleep under anesthesia, local anesthetic is injected under the skin. One of the components in the solution is adrenaline. Adrenaline causes the blood vessels under the skin to contract and so there is very little bleeding. As the surgery progresses, the plastic surgeon is also closing of any blood vessels with an electric pen and therefore there is no bleeding during the procedure. Bruising depends more on the patient’s skin tone as darker tones can hide the wisps of bruise from the procedure. Generally, red bruising can last up to seven days and the yellow bruises that come from the iron in blood cells last up to 14 days. Patients can hide the bruising with makeup.
How long does it take to recover from a face lift?
Generally, patients see their plastic surgeon the next day after a face lift and are instructed to begin walking outside immediately. Patients usually wear a hat and sunglasses and even a scarf, depending on the weather. Face lift patients are generally driving by five days after their procedure. Aerobic activities are resumed anywhere from three to four weeks after surgery and weights four to six weeks, depending on the type of surgery, the patient and the doctor’s recommendation.
What is a Lower Face Lift?
This is an amazing question because it get at the heart of what a facelift actually does. Facelifts target the cheeks, the jowls and the neck and all of these are in the lower face!! So a face lift is really a “lower face lift. The reason for the confusion is that when patients hear the word “facelift”, they may think that the entire face is going to be lifted, when, in fact it is the lower part of the face that is the area that will be changing. The upper part of the face is where the eyes and forehead reside and they are not changed when only a face lift is performed.
Who is a Candidate for a Facelift?
Both women and men are candidates. The most important deciding factor that determines whether a patient is a good candidate for surgery (besides their health) is how much facial laxity they have and how much improvement can be achieved with facelift. Facial laxity includes excess skin hanging over the jaw and a loss of a straight jaw line. The neck can become loose and muscle bands can occur along with fat deposits. Cheek looseness can be improved with a face lift and since cheek drooping can cause the fold from the nose to the corner of the mouth to fall, this fold can also be improved with a facelift.
What is a Mini Face Lift?
The word “mini” implies that less is done but there are so many variations of a mini face lift . That’s why it is so important to thoroughly discuss the different techniques with a Plastic Surgeon. Probably the one defining feature of a mini face lift is that a hidden incision is only made in front of the ear and not the back. Variations include how the cheek and jowl are lifted and what is done in the neck. So it is possible to have a mini face lift and also include the neck. In fact, a great deal of improvement can be achieved in certain patients with a mini face lift with the neck through only those small incisions. This procedure can lift the cheek and jowl and also make significant improvement in the upper neck. But when patients have a lot of neck laxity and especially when the looseness is low on the neck it might be better to opt for a standard face lift. In a standard face lift the mini face lift incision is extended behind the ear. A very important thing to know about face lifts is that, no matter what technique is used, the incision is very far from the skin that is being moved. So when patients have significant neck laxity, both incisions may be required to get the best result. And we want the best result possible when we do a face lift and also for those results to last a long time.
Why Do Some Doctors Get Better Results with Their Face lifts than Others?
Plastic Surgeons may be “artist types” or “measuring types” or a combination of both! But one quality found in the best plastic surgeons is their determination to achieve the best result; to continue to improve. This is simply because we can always be better. And if we want to be better we must be constantly working at being better, no matter how good we think we are at the present moment.
Doctors who get the best results have also been working at getting better for a while and they must be doing the surgery now and in good volume.
Dr. David Newman is a board certified facial plastic surgeon. Want to find out if your doctor is board certified? Go to CertificationMatters.org.