Face lifts restore appearance of youth The deep plane face lift A face lift is often performed in conjunction with other facial plastic surgical procedures, such as an endoscopic brow lift or eyelid surgery. The goal is to restore the original, youthful appearance of the face. Every face lift is individually tailored to the patient, but there are two broad categories of face lift, both of which are available in Charlotte. After a deep plane face lift, you should be able to return to normal activity within two weeks, but it may be several weeks before your face looks the way you want it to. In this form of surgery, the surgeon repositions the skin and the deeper tissues of the face, and makes an incision under the chin so as to lift the fatty tissues in the neck area. The surgeon sometimes also shaves the backs of the submandibular glands (two of the salivary glands) to improve the appearance of the patient’s cheeks. He or she can let you know if this will work in your case. The deep plane minituck In the deep plane minituck, the muscles, connective tissue and fatty tissue under the skin of the cheeks are lifted to create a naturally youthful look. This works well in cases where there is loose skin around the midface, neck and near the mouth, with less fat around the jowls. In either case, two things you will want to do before making a decision are find the most experienced facial plastic surgeon you can find to look at your face and determine which kind of face lift is right for you, and learn as much as you can about any medical procedure the surgeon recommends. A good place to look for a facial plastic surgeon is the Web site www.realself.com. When choosing a facial plastic surgeon, look for one who has an extensive gallery of before and after photos of previous clients. Charlotte’s best facial plastic surgeon Dr. Sean Freeman is the most experienced facial plastic surgeon in Charlotte. He has devoted himself completely to facial plastic surgery since 1988 and has been certified by two different surgery boards, the American Board of Otolaryngology (head and neck surgery) and the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Freeman has developed a procedure called the SignatureLift, which is well suited to younger patients or to those who have already had face lifts. Unlike a deep plane face lift, it can be performed under sedation rather than general anesthesia, with a much quicker recovery time — most patients can get back to normal activity after only a few days. If you live in or near Charlotte and are interested in a younger appearance, schedule your appointment or online consultation today.