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“I don’t want to look like I had a facelift!” This is often the first concern a patient expresses during a consultation for facial rejuvenation. If you are like the majority of our patients, you want procedures that will improve your appearance without resulting in obvious signs of surgery. Dr. Nichole Joslyn and Dr. Tiffany McCormack are happy to report that the “wind-blown” look of the past has been replaced with more natural-looking results that are achieved through both surgical and non-surgical techniques. The ideal of cosmetic procedures today is not to create a “new” face, but one that appears refreshed, less tired, and restored to a more youthful aesthetic. In short, our goal is to help your outward appearance reflect how you feel on the inside.
Our Reno plastic surgeon has successfully helped numerous people achieve the beautiful look they desire through plastic surgery. With a facelift, women and men can look years younger, improving their interpersonal confidence and self-esteem in the process.
What is a Facelift?
A facelift, also referred to as a rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure designed to firm, tighten, and smooth the skin for a younger-looking facial appearance. Over time, the natural aging process combined with other external and internal forces—such as sun exposure, weight fluctuation, use of tobacco, and genetics—can lead to a number of changes in the face. Many individuals experience wrinkles and fine lines, a loss of facial volume, and increased skin laxity. This often causes a number of aesthetic concerns, including loose or sagging skin, jowl formation, and pronounced facial creases.
Facelift surgery can be a powerful way to address these signs of aging and achieve a more youthful and rejuvenated look. The procedure involves repositioning underlying facial tissue to smooth and tighten skin while highlighting the youthful contours of the face. Dr. McCormack and Dr. Joslyn tailor the surgery to fulfill your cosmetic goals and yield natural-looking results that can complement your intrinsic beauty.
What are the Benefits of Facelift Surgery?
A facelift is often considered the most effective form of facial rejuvenation, as its ability to correct signs of facial aging with enduring results is currently unmatched by any other cosmetic enhancement option. Depending on your goals for surgery, a facelift can:
- Lift and tighten sagging facial skin
- Minimize the appearance of jowls
- Smooth prominent wrinkles or facial creases
- Correct volume loss in the cheeks and/or mid-face
Some signs of aging in the neck are also addressed during a facelift, including mild to moderate skin laxity. If you have more extensive concerns or you would like to resolve the look of a double chin or “turkey neck,” a neck lift can be performed at the same time as facelift surgery, or as a separate procedure. A neck lift is designed to address loose neck musculature and fatty deposits under the chin in conjunction with excess skin, resulting in a more contoured appearance. Dr. McCormack and Dr. Joslyn will work with you to formulate the best treatment plan for your aesthetic goals.
Who is a Good Candidate for Facelift Surgery?
The best candidates for a facelift seek a long-lasting solution to improve the look of skin laxity, wrinkle formation, and/or volume loss in the face. Those considering surgery should also be relatively healthy, with no uncontrolled medical conditions that may interfere with the healing process. During a consultation, Dr. McCormack or Dr. Joslyn will ask you about your cosmetic goals, review your medical history, and assess your aesthetic concerns to help you determine whether a facelift would be beneficial. If you decide to proceed with surgery, she will develop a custom-designed treatment plan according to your unique needs.
What’s the Best Age for a Facelift?
Despite misconceptions about when might be the most ideal timing for a facelift, there is no “best age” for surgery that can be universally applied to all patients. While many individuals feel they need a facelift in their forties or fifties, other patients show the appropriate aesthetic concerns in their mid-thirties. Everyone exhibits signs of facial aging at a different rate based on a variety of factors, including:
- Genetic predisposition: There are genetic factors that influence when you may develop wrinkles, volume loss, skin laxity, and other concerns commonly treated with a facelift. If you have a family history of premature facial aging, you may have a higher likelihood of showing visible signs of aging sooner when compared to other patients.
- Unprotected sun exposure: Sun damage is among the leading causes of premature facial aging, which is why using hats, sunglasses, high-SPF sunscreen, and other forms of sun protection is vital to maintaining a youthful complexion.
- Lifestyle factors, such as diet, alcohol consumption, smoking habits, etc.: Tobacco use, a poor diet, and excessive alcohol consumption can all affect the health and elasticity of your facial skin. In general, those who subscribe to a healthy, active lifestyle tend to age more gracefully.
- Skin health and skincare regimen: Physician-grade skin care is key to preventing premature signs of aging in the face, and our aesthetic specialists at M Spa can use cutting-edge VISIA® skin analysis technology to upgrade your regimen and give you personal suggestions on the best products for your skincare needs.
Due to these unique factors, consulting with Dr. McCormack or Dr. Joslyn about your goals is the most effective way to properly plan your facelift surgery. Good candidates for a facelift are more so determined based on one’s aesthetic concerns and overall goals, rather than their age.
How is the Facelift Procedure Performed?
In order to help our patients reduce signs of aging, such as deep folds and sagging skin, we offer various facelift procedures at our Reno-area plastic surgery office. A conventional facelift involves altering the skin of the face and neck. While you are under anesthesia, Dr. McCormack or Dr. Joslyn will reposition the skin and fatty deposits in these areas to produce a younger, more rejuvenated appearance. For those who wish to also address the upper third of the face, a brow lift and/or eyelid surgery can typically be performed in combination with the facelift procedure.
Mid-Facelift
A mid-facelift is a surgical alteration of the cheek area. Fat and muscle tissues of the cheek are removed or tightened in an upward direction to produce a firmer, tighter, and younger appearance. Deep furrows between the nose and upper lip are particularly responsive to this treatment. Although full recovery can take up to three months, most patients who undergo a mid-facelift at our Reno-area facility can return to work within a few weeks of their procedure.
Some patients benefit from the use of dermal fillers to augment the mid-face area. This is a non-surgical technique that can be performed in the office with local numbing medicine. Dr. McCormack and Dr. Joslyn will assess your individual needs and determine whether you are a candidate for this procedure, which may be referred to by some as a “liquid facelift.”
Neck Lift
During the neck lift procedure, your plastic surgeon removes excess fat and tightens the skin and muscles of the neck to produce a more youthful appearance. Surgery is done under anesthesia, and the recovery period is similar to that of a facelift.
In her best-selling book, I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman, author Nora Ephron describes her concerns regarding the typical wrinkling and other changes that occur in the neck as one ages. She discards the idea of plastic surgery as a remedy, “because plastic surgeons correct aging necks with a facelift operation.” She continues, “I would rather squint at this sorry little face and neck of mine in a mirror than confront a stranger who looks suspiciously like a drum pad.”
While facial aging is a fact of life and the skin of the neck tends to sag, with fat deposits collecting around the neck and jaw, the surgical procedures of today do not result in one looking overly-pulled as a “drum pad” would. Having completed specialized training in facial plastic surgery, Dr. McCormack and Dr. Joslyn can effectively correct many of these unwanted issues for patients.
What is Recovery from Facelift Surgery Like?
After facelift surgery, patients will experience some degree of normal post-operative bruising or swelling. These reactions typically subside as the healing process progresses, but oral pain medication can be used to manage any discomfort. Most stitches will be removed after five days and you will, most likely, be able to go back to work about two weeks after facelift surgery. Strenuous activity and aerobic exercise should be avoided until these activities are cleared by your plastic surgeon.
Your new appearance should start to become apparent approximately three weeks after the surgery, with full recovery taking place within three months. As facelift surgery is designed to restore the youthful characteristics of the skin, many patients generally enjoy a more refreshed and reinvigorated facial aesthetic after the procedure. While the aging process will continue, individuals can prolong their results by using sun protection whenever possible and undergoing rejuvenative touch-up treatments from our Medi Spa as necessary.
How Long Do Facelift Results Last?
Rejuvenation from a facelift can often be seen for decades after your procedure, especially with a good skincare routine and a healthy lifestyle. Nothing can stop you from getting older, but facial rejuvenation treatments like a facelift can help significantly slow down facial aging with results that look elegant and natural. There are many ways to prolong the outcome of facelift surgery as long as possible, including daily application of a high-SPF sunscreen, a consistent skincare regimen, and periodic non-surgical touch-up treatments.
Are Facelift Scars Noticeable?
Scars from facelift surgery are generally imperceptible to outside observers, thanks to the discreet incision placement utilized by Dr. McCormack and Dr. Joslyn during the procedure. Incisions are typically made within the hairline and along the natural contour behind the ear, providing optimal access to the facial framework. These incision locations can also allow facelift scars to remain inconspicuous for a very natural-looking result. To further reduce the prominence of scarring, we encourage you to follow the post-operative instructions that will be provided by Dr. McCormack or Dr. Joslyn to facilitate proper healing of your incisions and increase the likelihood that scars can fade somewhat over time.
Facelift Before & After Photographs
If you are interested in facelift surgery, we invite you to view our results gallery, which features many before-and-after photos of facelift surgery patients. If you would like to schedule a consultation with Dr. McCormack or Dr. Joslyn to discuss your options for facial rejuvenation, please call us at (775) 284-2020 or fill out our online contact form.
How Much Does a Facelift Cost
The cost of a facelift procedure is calculated based on a number of factors, including your geographic region, the expertise of your cosmetic surgeon, and the complexity of your treatment plan. The details unique to your procedure that generally affect the price of a facelift may include:
- The type of procedure you pursue (full facelift, mid-facelift, and/or neck lift)
- Whether the surgery is being combined with other procedures or treatments
- The degree of your aesthetic concerns
- The surgical technique used
While a cost estimate for facelift surgery cannot be determined until your needs are assessed during a consultation, we understand that price is a major consideration in any cosmetic procedure. To accommodate the diverse needs of our patients, we accept a variety of payment methods and work with several of the leading plastic surgery financing companies in the nation, including CareCredit®, Prosper® Healthcare Lending, and Alphaeon™ Credit. These options offer a number of flexible plans for qualified applicants that can bring the cost of facelift surgery into your budget. Please reach out to our office to speak to a friendly member of our team if you have any additional questions about the cost of a facelift.
Is a Facelift Without Surgery Possible?
There is no non-surgical treatment capable of achieving the same quality of results produced by a facelift, but many patients can improve some of their concerns with minimally invasive treatments from M Spa, our high-quality medical spa. Ultherapy® is a state-of-the-art technique to tighten lax skin on the face and neck using controlled ultrasonic energy, which is delivered to targeted layers of the skin to smooth the area and catalyze collagen production.
Some patients may also benefit from the use of dermal fillers to augment the mid-face area. This is a non-surgical technique that can be performed in the office with local numbing medicine. Dr. McCormack and Dr. Joslyn will assess your individual needs and determine whether you are a candidate for treatment with injectables, which may be referred to by some as a “liquid facelift.” While these minimally invasive procedures cannot provide long-term results like a surgical facelift, they can yield temporary enhancement without the downtime required by cosmetic surgery.