According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, over 120,000 patients chose surgical facelift as their solution for attaining a more youthful appearance in 2018. Although more and more non-surgical options such as injectables, lasers, and thread lifts seem to hit the market each year, none of these have had the high patient satisfaction rates, truly transformational results and longevity of the surgical facelift when performed by a qualified surgeon. If you desire to restore a more refreshed appearance this Spring with results that are incredibly natural-looking and capable of turning back the clock on aging skin—it may be time to consider a surgical facelift.
“There are so many misconceptions and myths about facial rejuvenation surgery that I have chosen to personally conduct all of my facelift consultations to help set the record straight and educate my patients,” explains Dr. Robert Wilke, a board-certified plastic surgeon with Edina Plastic Surgery. “Many patients still believe that the downtime associated with facelift surgery requires them to hide away from the world for six months, or that the only achievable results are a pulled tight, overdone look,” he continues. “The advancements in surgical techniques and complementary procedures involved with facelift surgery have been incredible over the past ten years,” Dr. Wilke explains. “These allow us to deliver our patients results that more balanced, natural-looking, longer-lasting and all with less downtime than ever before.”
What exactly is a Facelift procedure?
A surgical facelift, or facial rejuvenation surgery, aspires to restore a more youthful appearance to the face and neck. No facelift is one-size-fits-all. A qualified plastic surgeon will evaluate which aspects of your facial appearance are exhibiting symptoms of aging such as loss of elasticity, sagging, deep-set wrinkles, and volume loss. He/she will then create a customized approach to your facial surgery that may include a combination of a facelift, eyelid lift, forehead lift, brow lift and/or neck lift. The goal is to achieve soft, subtle harmony between your facial features while turning back the clock on your appearance!
What happens during a Facelift surgery?
Although facial rejuvenation surgery will be unique to each patient, a facelift commonly begins with an incision starting at your temporal hairline and extending along the contours in front of your ears. This placement frequently ensures easy disguising of any light post-surgical scarring. Incisions then extend around your earlobe, behind your ear, and end behind your head at your hair-baring scalp line. Next, the skin of your cheeks and neck is elevated to decrease the appearance of crepey skin and wrinkles. Then, the deeper tissues of the cheeks and neck are lifted to restore definition and a more youthful contour to the face. During this step, it is also common to have fat removed from the neck and under the chin area to enhance your profile further. Lastly, skin is lifted, re-draped and trimmed, and the incisions are skillfully closed. These operational steps improve the appearance of the mid-face, lower face, and the neck.
How do I know if I’m a good candidate for a Facelift?
“Contrary to popular belief, a facelift doesn’t have an age requirement,” says Dr. Wilke. “We all age differently depending upon on our genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors,” he explains. “Patients as young as in their 40’s can benefit from surgery—it truly depends on the current state of your skin, your overall health, and personal preferences,” Dr. Wilke continues. “We want you to feel great about your appearance and have the person you see looking back at you in the mirror a true reflection of your inner self. If changes in your skin and face aren’t allowing for that right now, you may be a candidate for facelift surgery, regardless of your age.”
What kind of downtime can I expect with a Facelift?
Although you won’t be attending a gala at the Met the day after your surgery, the downtime associated with a facelift is much less extensive than most patients realize. It is entirely normal to have noticeable bruising and swelling for 10-14 days. The extent of this is dependent upon the composite of individual procedures that made up your surgery. After these two weeks, most patients feel comfortable returning to public life, especially while using a bit of makeup to cover up any residual bruising.
Any post-surgical scarring along your ears and within your hairline is typically minimal and fades very well. If a scar persists, scar revision may be advisable. Some patients experience numbness in the cheeks and around the ears after surgery, but these symptoms quickly subside. Slight weakness of facial muscles after surgery is an infrequent complication and bleeding, or infection after any surgery is possible but very uncommon with facelift surgeries.
For how long can I expect to enjoy the results of my Facelift?
“Patients don’t always like to hear this, but the duration of your results with a facelift procedure has a lot to do with YOU,” shares Dr. Wilke. “If you are someone who takes great care of your skin, leads a healthy lifestyle, and avoids excessive sun-exposure and smoking—expect your results to last up to 10 years,” he continues. “At Edina Plastic Surgery we have the benefit of being able to refer our surgical facelift patients to our registered nurses and licensed estheticians at Skin Artisans where they can explore complimentary treatments and skincare products to prolong their results further.”
Will I still look like “ME” after my Facelift?
“Our goal is to make you look, and subsequently FEEL like a younger YOU; NOT make you look like a different person,” says Dr. Wilke. “Procedures like facial rejuvenation surgery are about reigniting your confidence in your appearance and enhancing not just your reflection in the mirror, but your overall life.”
Are you interested in learning more about facial rejuvenation surgery with Dr. Wilke or another board-certified Edina Plastic Surgery surgeon? Give our team a call at 952-925-1765 to take the first step to a fresher, more youthful looking YOU!
