Facelifts

A facelift, while it will create smoother, more pleasing contours to your face and neck, is intended to give a "refreshed" appearance rather than address specific conditions such as sagging eyebrows, fatty deposits in the eyelids, or wrinkles around the mouth. Conditions such as these can be dealt with individually using other surgical means such as a brow lift, eye lift and laser resurfacing.

Dr. Waslen will assess the thickness, texture and elasticity of your skin, and the severity of wrinkles and folds. Your hairline will be examined to determine where incisions can be placed. The structure of your face will be considered to tailor surgery to you individually.

If your hair is short you may want to let it grow enough to cover your incisions while they heal. If you are overweight and you have a realistic desire to lose more that 15 pounds, you should discuss this with your surgeon before facial surgery.

A facelift incision is hidden in the contour of your ear, then extends around the earlobe and back into the hairline. Following surgery, incisions can be easily concealed by your hair or with makeup. There may also be a small incision hidden underneath your chin.

After the skin has been pulled up and back, the excess is removed. In some instances, particularly in the neck, the deeper tissues may be repositioned. A small incision beneath the chin may be used to aid in the removal of fatty tissue in that area and smoothing of the cord-like structures of the underlying muscle in the neck.

Hematoma (an accumulation of blood under the skin), infection and reactions to anesthesia are possible complications, though infrequent. Facelift incisions are most often inconspicuous though this cannot be entirely predicted due to individual patterns in healing. Typical temporary skin numbness may occur, and disappears with time.

Most people return to normal activities within 2-3 weeks. Dr. Waslen will instruct you to temporarily avoid excessive exercise and direct sunlight.

Since the healing process is gradual, you should expect to wait at least several weeks for an accurate picture of the way you will look.

Our patients are usually happy with their appearance for many years following a facelift, though some patients may find they want to make additional improvements later on.

Mid facelifts

Unlike a standard facelift which primarily addresses sagging in the lower face and neck, the mid facelift is beneficial for those who have early signs of facial aging: naso-labial folds plus sagging of the brow and cheek malar fat pads.

Younger people who display these signs of aging now have the option of achieving subtle facial rejuvenation with no visible scars.

There are two ways to perform a mid facelift. Dr. Waslen will discuss with you which approach is right for you.

The first approach is similar to a lower eyelid lift. Small incisions are made in the lower eyelid and the underlying tissue of the mid face is gently raised, about 90% vertically and 10% back. Any resulting excess skin is then removed.

The other method of performing a mid facelift involves making a small incision in the temple area and upper lip area.

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