We’re all living longer these days, but it’s hard for our skin to keep up. This is especially true here in California where we spend lots of time out in the sun. Combine sun damage with declining collagen production, and you’re left with deep creases beside the mouth, hanging jowls, sunken cheeks, loose skin and fat deposits on the neck, and an overall loose, saggy look. A facelift with Dr. Daneshrad can turn back the clock.
A facelift removes loose skin on your face and neck, tightens the underlying muscles and tissue, and removes excess fat. Facelifts can take 10 to 15 years off your facial age and are great procedures for both women and men.
What Is A Facelift?
People have long sought to rejuvenate their aging facial skin. In fact, the first facelift was performed in Berlin in 1901. Today with our longer lifespans, the need is even greater.
Clinically known as rhytidectomy, a facelift is a surgical procedure that specifically targets the visible signs of aging in the mid and lower face and the upper neck. Dr. Daneshrad’s extensive knowledge of facial anatomy allows him to use a variety of different methods to smooth and tighten the skin on the cheeks, the chin area, and the upper neck. He views every facelift as a completely unique procedure based on the patient’s unique needs.
What To Expect During Surgery
During this procedure, the skin is lifted and the underlying musculature is usually elevated. This creates a natural-looking result rather than a stretched appearance.
What Areas And Aging Issues Can Benefit From A Facelift?
These visible signs of aging respond well to facelift surgery:
- Deep nasolabial folds
- Mid-face sagging
- Jowls
- Fatty, loose areas below your cheekbones
- Deep creases under your eyes
- Banding, fatty tissue, and loose skin on your upper neck
Who Is An Ideal Candidate For A Facelift?
If you’re over the age of 45, odds are you could benefit from a facelift with Dr. Daneshrad. This is especially true if you’ve had a good deal of sun exposure over your lifetime. It’s better if you do not smoke, as smoking can affect healing. The best candidates still have good elasticity in their skin, despite the sagging that comes with age. To test your skin’s elasticity, it should bounce back when pinched.
It is important for candidates to be realistic about these surgeries. They will take from 10 to 15 years off your facial age, but of course they can’t stop the passing years. Your face will continue to age, but it will do so from a younger starting point.
How Is A Facelift Performed?
Despite being one of the original cosmetic surgeries, facelifts have really changed over the last two decades. Prior to that point most of these procedures would be what is known today as a “traditional” facelift. But these methods often left the patient with a stretched appearance, as the skin was the focus of the procedure. Today, Dr. Daneshrad pays more attention to the underlying musculature and support tissues, lifting and returning them to their former higher position. A variety of methods can be used to address the specific problems of the patient. This is where Dr. Daneshrad’s extensive knowledge of both facial anatomy and otolaryngology is a bonus for his patients.
These are some basic approaches to these surgeries:
- Traditional facelift — A full facelift seeks to provide the most rejuvenation across the mid-face down through the neck. A full facelift involves lifting and repositioning the muscles and deeper tissues and removing certain attachments. Fat is sculpted more than removed to keep the patient from attaining a hollow appearance. Excess skin is trimmed and then re-draped. The incisions with a traditional lift start at the temples, run downward in front of the ear, wrap around the earlobe, and terminate in the hairline of the lower scalp. If the patient has particular issues in the neck area, a second incision is made under the chin to lift, tighten, and trim excess skin on the upper neck.
- Limited-incision facelift — For more limited rejuvenation, a limited-incision facelift, also called a mini facelift, could be the answer. This is the most common type of facelift performed today. Mini facelifts address wrinkles and sagging skin on the lower third of the face using small incisions placed around the ear. A mini facelift is a good alternative for patients who don’t have too much sagging, but who are concerned by aging around the eyes and the mouth. A sagging jawline is a common reason for a mini facelift, with the goal of regaining a defined, slim profile.
A mini facelift involves alteration of the patient’s skin, but also of the underlying musculature. This is known as the superficial muscular aponeurotic system (SMAS). Dr. Daneshrad lifts and refines these tissues to enhance the patient’s natural facial contours in a method that is substantial, yet looks completely natural.
- Mid-face lift — The mid-face lift is a newer approach to this procedure. A mid-face lift is sometimes also known as a cheek lift; it addresses one of the most telling signs of facial aging — sagging cheeks. Traditional facelifts usually focus on the lower third of the face, and may not fully treat the upper cheek and lower eyelid areas of the face. Mid-face lifts can reduce puffiness under the eyes, correct nasolabial folds, and improve cheek definition and tone.
A mid-face lift elevates the fat pad in the cheek. This returns fullness to the eyes and the cheeks. While you may have heard of these issues being addressed with dermal fillers in a “liquid facelift,” a surgical mid-face lift is a permanent option. Plus, because Dr. Daneshrad only makes incisions in the lower eyelids or in the mouth, recovery is much easier than with a traditional facelift.
- Neck lift — While not technically a “facelift,” neck lifts are often part of these procedures. After all, who wants a renewed face, only to have a sagging neck full of neck banding? The neck lift concentrates on jowls and fat under the chin. The incision is made around the earlobe and behind the ear to the lower scalp. An incision can also be made under the chin.
How Long Will Results Last After Rhytidectomy?
The changes made by Dr. Daneshrad are permanent. Elevating your underlying musculature will keep your facial sagging to a minimum. Obviously any skin removed is gone for good. You’ll have to be patient with swelling to see your final results, but within a few months you’ll love how your face looks.
Of course, this surgery with Dr. Daneshrad and his team can’t stop the march of time. Your facial skin and underlying tissue will continue to age. Declining collagen production and slackening of muscle and tissue is a fact of life. Still, your face will continue to age but it will do that from a much younger starting position, thanks to the changes made with your facelift. You’ll enjoy your results for the rest of your life. Some of our patients opt to have another smaller procedure, such as a minimal incision facelift, in five to 10 years to keep up with the aging process.
Patient Testimonial:
"I rarely take the time to post reviews but this is worth the effort! Dr. Daneshrad and his staff are awesome. Whether it’s an urgent appointment or a check-up, his staff are very accommodating and helpful through the process. Dr. Daneshrad is so easy to talk with and I feel very educated whenever I leave his office. I’ve never felt rushed or hurried through my appointments either which is a rarity these days. I also should mention that Dr. Daneshrad’s new office is state of the art which I very much appreciate. I have and will continue to refer family and friends to him."
What Is Recovery After Facelift Surgery Like?
In these surgeries, Dr. Daneshrad lifts and repositions a good deal of tissue, so there will be tissue trauma and subsequent swelling and bruising. These aren’t simple recoveries. When you return home, you will likely have drainage tubes in place, and your face will be wrapped in bandages. For the first week or so you’ll need to sleep with your head elevated. You need to be sure not to roll over onto your face. The first few days will be the most difficult, but then you’ll feel better quickly. As your recovery progresses, you’ll likely have some areas with some numbness. This is normal: it’s simply your nerves adjusting to the skin that was re-draped.
What Are The Side Effects Of Facelift Surgery?
Some patients get frustrated with their swelling during their recovery. This can linger. Even weeks later, especially in the early evening, you can have some swelling reappear. Your incisions will change from being numb to itching, and this is also normal.
When Can I Return To Work After A Facelift?
Most patients can return to work by the third week after surgery.
What Are The Possible Risks Of Facelift Surgery?
As these are surgical procedures, they involve the usual risks: poor wound healing, possible infection, reaction to anesthesia, and the like. These are the specific risks that come with this procedure:
- Injury to the nerves that control facial muscles (usually temporary)
- Numbness or tingling around the incision areas (temporary)
- Hair loss at the incision sites
- Skin discoloration (rare but can continue for several months)
- Skin healing issues (more common with smokers)
Schedule A Consultation
Contact our office to schedule your facelift consultation by calling 310.453.6500 or filling out our contact form here.
We proudly serve patients from Santa Monica, Torrance, Los Angeles and surrounding areas, including Brentwood, Malibu, Culver City, Marina Del Rey, Venice, Pacific Palisades, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, and Palos Verdes.