Facelift

Could your facial skin use a lift? Over time, as the skin continues to lose hydrating properties that keep it looking firm and youthful, it can begin to droop and sag. This is especially true in common problem areas such as the midface, around the mouth, and lower face. Loose and excess fatty deposits under the chin and jaw can result in the appearance of a double chin. If you are bothered by aging signs on your face, a personalized facelift procedure could benefit you. At Zormeier Cosmetic Surgery & Longevity Center in Noblesville, IN, we specialize in the transformative procedure of a facelift designed to rejuvenate your appearance with precision and care.

What Is a Facelift?

A facelift, technically referred to as a rhytidectomy, is a skin-rejuvenating surgical procedure that is designed to improve the visible signs of aging within the face, neck, and jawline. This is a surgical procedure that offers lasting results that non-surgical rejuvenation can not provide.

During the procedure, incisions are typically made along the hairline and around the contours of the ears. This strategic placement allows the surgeon to access the underlying structures of the face without visible scarring. The skin is then gently lifted as the underlying connective tissue and muscles are tightened and repositioned. Excess skin is removed, and the remaining skin is re-draped to smooth out wrinkles and eliminate sagging.

Alternative treatments such as Botox and fillers cannot achieve the same results; however, they can be combined with a facelift for enhanced improvements. This specialized procedure utilizes a method for removing fatty deposits and excess skin and tightening and smoothing skin for a younger-looking complexion.

Types of Facelifts

The above description covers what is typically referred to as a “full” or “standard” facelift, or to use the technical term, the “superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS)” method. This is the preferred option for patients who present with significant signs of aging affecting the lower two thirds of the face, as well as issues affecting the neck. However, this isn’t the only kind of facelift available. The mini facelift and the deep plane facelift are two popular alternatives that come with unique pros and cons.

As the name implies, a mini facelift may be a more suitable option for patients who display less advanced signs of aging, including early jowling and drooping skin. While the incisions used in this approach are typically located in the same areas as a full facelift (around the ears and along the hairline), they are smaller. Hence, they are easier to conceal in natural folds and other facial features. This also allows for a shorter recovery time, and sometimes, a mini facelift can be performed with local anesthesia only. Overall, mini facelifts can treat many of the same issues in the same locations as a full facelift, but in less severe cases. 

Finally, the deep plane facelift has gained popularity among those looking for dramatic, yet natural-looking results. This procedure allows surgeons to manipulate deeper levels of soft tissue, including facial muscles, without having to rely so much on lifting and tightening the more superficial skin layers. Deep plane facelifts also enable surgeons to provide a more significant lift in the mid-face region.

What Can a Facelift Address?

A facelift procedure offers patients a safe and effective solution for correcting common signs of aging in the face and neck, including:

• Sagging in the midface
• Deep creases beneath the lower eyelid
• Deep creases along the nose and corner of the mouth
• Fallen or displaced facial or neck fat
• Jowls as a result of displaced fat in the lower face

Additional rejuvenation procedures are often performed in conjunction with a facelift. These include a brow lift to correct sagging skin or a furrowed brow and eyelid surgery for a more alert and youthful appearance. If you are unsure as to whether or not you would be an ideal candidate for a facelift procedure, our friendly and knowledgeable team at Zormeier Cosmetic Surgery and Longevity Center is here to teach you more about the procedure and how it may help your particular aesthetic concerns.

Benefits of a Facelift

Enhanced Facial Contours

One of the primary benefits of a facelift is the enhancement of facial contours. The procedure meticulously redefines the jawline and cheekbones, providing a more defined and pleasing shape to the face. This contouring helps in creating a balanced and harmonious facial appearance.

Fine Line Reduction

Unlike non-surgical alternatives that require follow-ups every few months, a facelift can significantly reduce or eliminate the appearance of even deeply set fine lines for a much longer period of time. 

Long-Lasting Results

Unlike non-surgical treatments that often require repeated sessions, a facelift provides long-lasting results. The effects of this surgery can last for many years, making it a cost-effective solution for those seeking enduring improvements.

Minimal Visible Scarring

With advanced surgical techniques, the scarring from a facelift is minimal and typically hidden within the hairline or natural contours of the ear. This careful placement ensures that signs of the procedure are virtually unnoticeable.

Improved Skin Tone and Texture

A facelift can also improve the overall tone and texture of the skin. By removing excess skin and repositioning the remaining skin, the procedure can lead to a more even skin tone and a smoother texture, which are often signs of youthful skin.

Improved Confidence

Finally, there’s no way to quantify the value of renewed self-confidence. Especially for people who have been battling signs of aging for years, we’ve seen firsthand how powerful a facelift can be in terms of boosting confidence. 

Combining the Facelift With Other Procedures

Facelifts are often combined with other procedures to allow for enhanced and/or more comprehensive results. However, successfully combining procedures requires taking a closer look at not only what each procedure aims to accomplish, but the aesthetic, safety, and logistical implications introduced by combining procedures. 

Some procedures commonly combined with facelifts include dermal injectables, brow lifts, eyelid surgery, liposuction, and skin resurfacing treatments.

Facelifts and Dermal Injectables

In cases where the patient presents with both sagging skin and volume loss (i.e., fine lines and/or areas of hollowing), facelifts and dermal injectables can complement each other’s effects nicely. As the facelift tightens and tones sagging skin, dermal filler injections can provide more targeted effects for areas affected by fine lines and wrinkles, including the cheeks, lips, around the mouth, and nose. Similarly, neuromodulator injections like Botox can pair with a facelift to more effectively target dynamic wrinkles for a smoother and more youthful-looking end result.

Facelifts and Brow Lifts

As mentioned, one of the treatments paired most commonly with the facelift is the brow lift, and for good reason. If the upper third of the face is already showing moderate to advanced signs of aging (like fine lines, drooping brows, etc.) by the time you decide to have a facelift, it may clash with the rest of your face after treatment. In other words, opting for a combined approach that integrates both a facelift and a brow lift can ensure a much more harmonious result in which neither area holds the other back, aesthetically speaking.

Facelifts and Eyelid Surgery

While facelifts address a wide range of issues affecting the middle and lower face, this procedure does not typically address drooping eyelids or under-eye bags. Both of these common aesthetic concerns are resolved with blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery. This procedure can be performed on the upper and/or lower eyelid, and will complement the effects of your facelift for more seamless results. 

Facelifts and Liposuction

While facelifts are ideal for tightening loose skin, liposuction is more appropriate for those looking to remove stubborn fat deposits. Combining the two procedures can produce more dramatic results in cases where there is unwanted fat under the chin, for example, while cutting down on total recovery time and cost. However, more extensive facelift procedures may not be able to be combined with liposuction. 

Facelifts and Skin Resurfacing Treatments

Skin resurfacing is an umbrella term encompassing a wide range of treatments, including laser skin resurfacing, chemical peels, microneedling, dermabrasion, and others. When combined with a facelift, these treatments help to further balance skin tone and texture while providing a more refreshed look. 

How Much Does a Facelift Cost? 

Several factors affect how much a facelift procedure costs, including the following:

• Clinic costs
• Treatment type
• Region
• Provider experience

Facility fees can vary significantly from one provider to another, including consultation costs, follow-ups, and more. The type of facelift is also one of the most significant (if not the most significant) variables when it comes to determining how much any given facelift procedure may cost. A more extensive deep plane facelift, for example, is typically more costly than a standard or mini facelift. Where in the country the clinic is located will affect price as well. Finally, the provider’s experience can significantly impact costs.

Are Facelifts Covered By Insurance?

As facelifts are typically considered elective procedures, they are usually not covered by insurance. However, there are several exceptions to this rule. For example, if the facelift is meant for reconstructive purposes, there’s a higher chance that some or all of the cost will be covered. Alternatively, if the issues that would be addressed by a facelift bear any functional importance in your case, i.e., helping with vision. In either case, the best practice is always to consult with your policy early on to confirm whether or not you are eligible to receive coverage for a facelift. 

What Is the Ideal Age Range for Getting a Facelift?

The short answer here is that there is technically no “optimal” age range in which any given patient might be best suited for a facelift. Everyone experiences the signs of aging differently, and at different times, which makes a universal prescription in the age range department very difficult.

However, to provide some context, the majority of people who receive facelifts are in their 40s or older. Patients as old as 70 and beyond, so long as they are in reasonably good health, are also eligible for a facelift. At what age any given person is well-suited for a facelift, if at all, depends on several factors, including the following:

• Genetics: Your genetic makeup affects not only when signs of aging may begin to manifest, but importantly, your skin’s elasticity and natural moisture level. These factors, among the several other relevant metrics impacted by genetics, can dramatically influence when a facelift will be most effective.
  

• Habits: Regular exposure to harsh environmental conditions, smoking, alcohol usage, poor sleeping and nutrition habits, and other lifestyle-related factors can also influence if or when you may experience various signs of aging.
  
• Health status: Finally, there are several health-related factors that can affect your overall skin integrity, including the use of certain medications, viruses and illnesses, infections, and more. 

Finally, it’s important to clear up a key misconception that prevents some facelift patients from fully realizing the results they’re looking for. While it seems logical on the surface to wait until your signs of aging are more advanced (for example, in your late 40s and early 50s), having a facelift earlier in life can actually produce longer-lasting results. This is because people in their 30s and early 40s typically have higher skin elasticity and collagen content, which means a greater capacity to heal and respond to facelift treatment. Still, every case is unique, and the best way to determine the right move for your scenario is to consult with our team at Zormeier Cosmetic Surgery and Longevity Center.

The Liquid Facelift: A Non-Surgical Facelift Alternative

The explosive rise in popularity of non-surgical cosmetic treatments like dermal fillers has spawned a number of non-invasive alternatives to industry mainstays like the full facelift. Namely, the “liquid facelift” is a completely non-surgical facelift alternative to standard facelifts that produces similar results with much less downtime and no incisions.

How Does a Liquid Facelift Work?

This procedure is essentially a series of dermal filler injections meant to mirror the effects of a standard facelift. Injections strategically target signs of aging, including sagging skin around the cheeks, mild jowling, fine lines around the mouth and nose, and more to create a symmetrical, youthful aesthetic. 

Like all cosmetic treatments, surgical or non-surgical, injectable facelifts are individualized to an extent. Generally, the first step in the treatment process (after undergoing a consultation and preparing for treatment) is to make sure you are comfortably positioned and ready to go. Next, a topical anesthetic is applied to the treatment area. Then, a series of dermal filler injections is administered to the temples, under-eye areas, cheeks, mouth, nose, and other areas in order to smooth fine lines, fill in hollowed areas, and plump sagging skin. 

Who Is a Liquid Facelift For?

Liquid facelifts are an excellent option for people experiencing mild and/or early signs of aging, including sagging skin and (shallower) fine lines. This treatment delivers more subtle results, but can still keep signs of aging at bay for an extended period of time with consistent treatments. Anyone with early signs of aging who is in reasonably good health, including having no allergies or conditions that may impede a safe and effective treatment, may be a candidate for liquid facelift.

Liquid Facelift Pros and Cons

Starting with the pros, liquid facelifts are non-surgical. This means virtually no major downtime, and less discomfort following treatments. They are also significantly less costly than a full facelift. Finally, they deliver near-instant results, where a facelift takes weeks to show full results due to healing time.

As for the cons, liquid facelifts last several months, compared to full facelifts, which can last several years. For people with more dramatic aesthetic concerns, a liquid facelift will likely not be enough to deliver the results they need. 

Facelift Before and After

Frequently Asked Questions About Facelifts

How Long Does a Facelift Procedure Take?

The duration of a facelift procedure can vary depending on the complexity and the specific techniques used. Generally, a standard facelift surgery lasts between three and six hours. This time frame allows our surgeons to meticulously adjust the facial tissues and achieve the most natural-looking results.

How Long Does It Take to Recover From a Facelift?

Facelift recovery varies by individual, but most patients can expect to return to normal activities within two to three weeks. Full healing and the disappearance of major swelling and bruising can take up to several months. Detailed aftercare instructions will be provided to ensure a smooth and swift healing process.

Are the Results of a Facelift Permanent?

While the results of a facelift are not permanent, they are long-lasting. Most patients enjoy the rejuvenating effects of their facelift for several years. The longevity of the results can be influenced by factors such as skin type, lifestyle, and environmental exposure. Following a healthy lifestyle and skincare regimen can help extend the youthful appearance achieved by the surgery.

What Should You Avoid Doing After a Facelift? 

As each case is unique, it’s important to carefully adhere to your provider’s individualized instructions when it comes to required activity modifications during the facelift recovery process. To provide a more general framework, patients are typically recommended to avoid strenuous activity for a period of several weeks. This includes refraining from lifting heavy objects and exercising. It’s also important to avoid activities that require constant and/or dramatic facial muscle contraction. Additional guidelines include avoiding the use of certain hair and cosmetic products, protecting your incisions from being bumped, and protecting your skin from the sun. 

Who Can Benefit From a Facelift?

Both men and women who are unsatisfied with sagging or drooping skin could benefit from a personalized facelift procedure. If you are searching for an effective remedy that offers lasting results for younger-looking skin, you can also qualify as a candidate. Facelift surgery is a suitable option for patients who:

• Are in good physical health
• Do not smoke
• Have a positive outlook and specific, but realistic, goals in mind for the improvement of their appearance

The best way to determine if you are a proper candidate is through a consultation with one of our experienced professionals. 

Contact Us to Schedule Your Facelift Consultation in Noblesville, IN

At Zormeier Cosmetic Surgery & Longevity Center in Noblesville, IN, you’ll find a team with years of dedicated experience in cosmetic surgery. Here, we ensure every facelift procedure is safe and effective, offering you significant benefits like a more youthful appearance, enhanced facial contours, and long-lasting results.

If you are ready to reclaim a rejuvenated and youthful complexion, reach out to the professionals here at Zormeier Cosmetic Surgery and schedule a consultation with Dr. Michele Zormeier to discuss your specific skin needs and aesthetic goals. Contact us online or call (317) 699-8848 today for a consultation with us.