Facelifts: Your Questions Answered

Charleston Facial Plastic Surgery

Frequently Asked Questions: Facelift 1. How long is the recovery time?

Most patients do best if they can take 1-2 weeks off of work and other activities to recover after a facelift procedure. Generally 2-3 weeks of social downtime is enough. The reason is that during that first week or two there is some initial bruising and swelling which simply takes time to improve.

Also, you will have several follow up appointments during the first 2 weeks to remove sutures and closely monitor your progress as you heal. Your recovery may be a bit longer if you are also including procedures like a browlift or eyelid surgery at the same time to complement the results of a facelift.

2. How long does a facelift last?

A facelift lasts forever. This is one of the most common questions we hear, but the simple truth is this. You will always look younger than if you had never had a facelift, but the aging process will continue. The goal of a facelift is to not only make you look years younger but to also slow down the aging process so that the inevitable aging returns more slowly and allows you to continue to age gracefully.

Read more on our blog article about this topic here.

3. How is a facelift different than a mini-facelift or midface lift?

Dr. Rodwell prefers to perform a more thorough procedure to fully address the cheeks, jowl area, and the neck at the same time. His technique is customized based on the anatomy of each patient.

This is different than procedures that are often referred to as a mini lift. Those mini lift procedures are targeted at improving the cheeks and jowls, but their results are too often very limited in treating all areas that are starting to show looseness and sagging. Mini lift results may look good initially, but too often their results do not hold up well over time. Midface lift procedures only address the area of the upper cheek to help provide some lift and fullness over the cheekbones.

Midface lifts alone are not able to correct the jowls or sagging in the neck.

A deep plane facelift or extended SMAS facelift like that performed by Dr. Rodwell will address all areas at the same time and provide a more natural well-supported result to lift and support each area that needs it.

4. How long should swelling and numbness last after a facelift?

The majority of swelling quickly improves within the first 2-3 weeks. There is still some mild residual swelling that more slowly resolves over several more weeks. Some numbness of the skin just in front of and under the earlobe is a normal part of a facelift, and most patients see that this gets back to feeling normal within 4-6 months.

5. How can I avoid getting a pulled look from a facelift?

Having a surgeon with an eye for what looks appropriate and the good judgment to know the limitations of a facelift are the two most important factors in preventing a tight and over-pulled look. Supporting the skin and deeper muscle layers together as a unit like Dr. Rodwell does helps to prevent excess tension, and it is also important to lift and support in the proper direction to avoid the classic “pulled� look of a poorly done facelift. Your results should not look like they are the result of an operation.

6. How to avoid bruising after a facelift?

Some bruising is to be expected, but there are things that can be done to minimize bruising and help it resolve faster. A large part of this is dependent on careful and meticulous technique. Dr. Rodwell also uses a medication called Artiss, which is applied under the skin at the time of your facelift and helps to reduce bruising by enhancing the clotting mechanisms of your body. Of course you also need to avoid any medications that would increase your risk of bleeding.

After surgery, the biggest thing under your control is to avoid any straining and maintain a light and relaxed activity level. Vitamin C can be helpful for wound healing, and a pineapple extract called bromelain is also known to be helpful for bruising. The supplement,Arnica montana, gets a lot of press for its reported ability to reduce bruising and swelling. Unfortunately, most preparations available are sold as homeopathic remedies, and there is no good scientific evidence strongly supporting the use of Arnica. Anecdotally, some patients feel as though they benefit, and there are no significant side effects associated with trying it.

7. What are potential facelift side effects?

Like any other procedure poor healing, poor scarring, infection, bleeding, hematoma, and temporary or permanent injury to nerves are some of the risks you will need to review with your surgeon. An additional “risk� is that of having an end result that you are not fully satisfied with, which is why you need a surgeon who will take the time to listen to your concerns and let you know what to reasonably expect with this type of procedure.

8. Will I have visible scars from a facelift?

Scars are an unavoidable part of a facelift, but the goal is to have the scars be as inconspicuous as possible once they are fully healed. This is done by hiding the final scar as a very thin line that

follows the natural creases and contours around the ears and hiding portions of it within the hairline.

9. Is there a non-surgical alternative for facelift?

There is absolutely nothing non-surgical that can come close to the results of a facelift. Remember, a facelift is a procedure that targets the looseness and sagging of skin and the deeper muscle layers in the cheek and neck. Some of the non-surgical procedures available today can make some mild improvement for these problems, but none of them have the ability to come close to correcting the problem the way that a facelift can.

10. What other procedures can I combine with a facelift for a younger look?

A facelift treats the looseness and sagging, but the best results occur when you also balance that with addressing some of the other signs of aging at the same time. This could be with fillers for volume loss, Botox for deeper wrinkles, and things like laser treatments or chemical peels to improve the skin.

11. What is the best age for a facelift?

Ask yourself 2 questions. When you look in the mirror do you see the signs of aging that are best treated by a facelift (sagging cheeks, jowls, loose neck skin and muscle bands)? Does what you see bother you?

When you answer yes to both of those questions then it is time to learn more about your options and how a facelift might be helpful in your specific case. For most people this happens in the early 50s.