A facelift is a procedure that reverses some of the effects of gravity and aging on your skin. When it comes to looking youthful, this is one of the most effective procedures available.
At Southwest Michigan Plastic and Hand Surgery, we perform skilled facelift procedures. Our experienced team members help you achieve the facial aesthetic that you desire.
What is a facelift? Here’s what you should know about facelifts and how they can benefit you.
What Is Rhytidectomy?
Rhytidectomy is the clinical name for a surgical facelift. Rhytidectomy addresses sagging skin, wrinkles, and loss of elasticity on your face.
Facelift surgery may be helpful as you age and experience increased collagen loss and skin damage. Several factors influence your skin’s elasticity as you get older, including genetics and sun damage.
Younger patients can get less-invasive facelifts to beat the clock and stay ahead of facial aging.
Types of Facelifts
There are several variations of facelift surgery that you can choose from. Each procedure has similar anti-aging benefits but is tailored to your individual needs.
Mini Facelift
Mini facelifts are ideal for patients with fewer signs of severe facial aging. During a mini facelift, we address smaller areas of your face and make smaller incisions.
During the procedure, we make incisions near your hairline to pull the skin on your face tighter. There’s often fat transfer and excess skin removal involved in mini facelifts to plump and smooth your skin.
A mini facelift is less invasive and has a shorter recovery period than a full facelift. Many young patients opt for a mini facelift to stay ahead of facial aging.
Traditional Facelift
Traditional facelift procedures mostly focus on your midface and neck. The middle of your face and your neck are both focal points, so enhancing them can significantly change your appearance.
During a traditional full facelift, we lift and tighten the skin on your cheeks and around your neck. This gives your face a more youthful appearance overall.
Deep Plane Facelift
During a deep plane facelift, we remodel deep tissues within your face. Instead of pulling your skin tighter over your face, we reposition muscles and fat deposits to give you a natural-looking youthful appearance.
Many patients and surgeons love deep plane facelifts because of their natural-looking, long-lasting results. Deep plane facelifts address deeper structures in your skin so the results do not fade quickly or easily.
Facelift Recovery Period
Less-invasive facelift procedures have shorter recovery periods than full facelifts and deep plane facelifts.
On average, most patients fully recover within four to six weeks after surgery, although some factors may affect that timeline.
You should always follow your post-operative instructions carefully. Taking these steps will help you get the best possible results and recover as quickly as possible.
Bed Rest
For the first 12 to 24 hours after facelift surgery, we recommend staying in bed with your head elevated.
Your body needs time and rest to heal the tissues that have been repositioned under your skin. Avoid getting up and walking around whenever possible for the first day after your surgery.
We recommend arranging for help with childcare and household tasks immediately after your facelift procedure. This will allow you to spend time healing and prolong your facelift results.
Keep Your Head Elevated
In the first few weeks after your facelift, you should sleep with your head elevated at a 30-degree angle. This will allow blood to flow throughout your body and properly heal your facial tissues.
Elevating your head can also increase your comfort during recovery. Once your face starts to feel more flexible and comfortable, you can go back to lying flat on your back.
Avoid Straining Your Neck
After a facelift, your head and neck must be treated with care. This means avoiding any strenuous neck movements, including turning your neck sharply.
The tissues in your neck will still be healing. In order for your results to last, you need to give them time to adjust to their new positions under your skin.
Benefits of Getting a Facelift
When you start your facelift journey, you should be excited. Facelifts can transform the aesthetics of your face and neck to make you look more youthful.
Consider all of the possible benefits when making the decision to get a facelift.
Reduced Wrinkles and Fine Lines
During a facelift, we pull the skin on your face and neck tighter to smooth any wrinkles or fine lines that have formed. This procedure is far more effective than surface-level wrinkle treatments.
Without as many wrinkles and expression lines, you will look more relaxed and youthful. We especially recommend facelifts for patients who have not had success with less-invasive or topical wrinkle treatments.
No More Jowls
Jowls form when the skin on your jawline sags and droops down. Jowls are a hallmark sign of facial aging. A facelift will tighten or remove this skin to permanently get rid of your jowls.
Natural-Looking Results
Our skilled surgeons work hard to make your results look as natural as possible.
Most people want to look youthful but not artificial. Facelifts are perfect for achieving this goal. The people around you may not even know that you have had a facelift if you don’t tell them.
Book a Facelift Consultation in Portage, MI
If you want to experience the facial enhancement and anti-aging results of a facelift, come to our office. At Southwest Michigan Plastic and Hand Surgery, we offer personalized consultations for cosmetic and facelift surgery.
