Facelift
Many factors cause the skin to wrinkle and sag - exposure to the sun, genetics as well as the natural aging process. Children and young adults have smooth, round faces due to fatty tissue that is evenly distributed throughout the contours of the face. As you age, the skin sags and fits more loosely. These folds become prominent, especially around the chin, the jaw line and along the neck. The best way to learn about your unique options for facelifts in Newport Beach, Huntington Beach and all of Orange County is to request a complimentary surgical consultation with Dr. Smith. Call our Irvine plastic surgery office at 949.450.2755 or contact us in Corona at 951.734.2500. If you prefer, you can conveniently send us an email with your facelift questions.
Dr Smith performs rhytidectomies (face lifts) to enhance your appearance and correct these conditions. A face lift involves tightening of the facial and neck muscles as well as the removal of any excess skin. The procedure is often performed in conjunction with additional cosmetic surgeries such as blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), forehead lift, chin augmentation, and/or liposuction. These procedures can be performed any time after signs of aging appear in order to attain a more youthful appearance.
Candidates for Facelift Surgery
Orange County plastic surgeon Dr Smith will evaluate your medical history in order to determine your overall health and suitability for surgery. We will discuss with you the changes that you can anticipate and what you can expect from surgery. Our objective is to create a natural appearance that is pleasing to you. Photographs are taken to determine the amount of improvement after surgery.
Preoperative Preparation
We will provide you with preoperative instructions that may include the elimination of specific drugs containing aspirin as well as herbal medications for two weeks before surgery to minimize excess bleeding. Antibiotics are usually prescribed to prevent infection. You may be instructed to shampoo your hair the night before surgery.
The Surgery
For our Riverside, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach patients, a rhytidectomy is usually performed with a general anesthesia or intravenous sedation (twilight sleep). Premedication is administered for relaxation. The method of surgery is to tighten the skin and the underlying muscle of the face and neck. The incisions are placed in the natural creases in front of the ear, hidden inside the hairline at the temple, and behind the ear ending in the hair of the scalp. The loose skin is separated from underlying tissue and is pulled up and back. Excess skin is removed. Sagging muscles and connective tissues are tightened. In some cases, fatty deposits are removed from beneath the chin and neck by performing liposuction. Small sutures are used to close the incisions. The procedure may take up to five hours depending on whether any other procedures are performed at the same time. Most of the time this is an outpatient operation and a stay in the hospital is not needed. Some variations of the facelift use a smaller scar depending on the areas addressed as well as the amount of correction needed. There are various names including short-scar facelift and MACS-lift.
Postoperative Care
Bandages are applied to the area of surgery and are removed within a few days. Pain is moderate and controlled with oral medications. Your sutures are removed within the first 5 to 10 days. In order to minimize scaring, Dr. Smith may remove the sutures in stages. The scaring fades quickly. Swelling and discoloration gradually decrease over the first two weeks. Tightness in your face will be present for several weeks and there may be slight changes in your hair pattern around the incision. It is recommended that you avoid the sun for several weeks after surgery. Healing is gradual so you will not notice final results for up to 6 months. Improvement varies, depending on your initial condition. In most cases, a single procedure achieves the desired results. Most patients who have had face lifts are pleased with their new, more youthful appearance
Complications
All operations have some risk. The risks of surgery are divided into two groups. First those that can be seen in all operations and second those that are unique or special for this operation. In the first group, the main risks are swelling, bruising, bleeding, infection, a scar and numbness or change in feeling. The main problem which is special for this operation is damage to the facial or VIIth nerve. This nerve controls movement of the face. This is a rare occurrence.
If, after reading about the facelift Orange County plastic surgeon Dr. Smith performs, you feel you'd like to take the next step and meet Dr. Smith, please request a free surgical consultation. Dr. Smith will meet with you at our Corona or Irvine plastic surgery office and discuss your cosmetic surgery expectations and personal goals.
Dr. Andrew Smith, providing cosmetic procedures and plastic surgery to those in the Orange County area including Newport Beach, Irvine, Huntington Beach & Riverside.