Facelift surgery is one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures. If you have significant wrinkles and/or sagging skin on the face and neck, a facelift can tighten the skin and help you look considerably younger. Drs. Perrotta and Luppens have performed countless successful face lifts with minimal and discreet incisions. Each surgery is individualized based on your needs and goals.
GOALS OF A FACELIFT
A more rested and youthful contour to the face and neck
Facial and neck skin with fewer or no wrinkles
Improved self-image
CANDIDATES FOR A FACELIFT
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Individuals with jowls and hanging skin under the chin and on the front of the neck
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Individuals with facial and neck wrinkles
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Individuals who lack youthful chin and neck contours
What to Expect at your Consultation
Drs. Perrotta and Luppens will devote as much time as necessary to discuss your individual goals and needs with you. After a focused physical examination, your surgeon will provide preliminary recommendations and explain what you can expect from surgery.
Once your surgeon determines his surgical plan, our aesthetic coordinator will produce a written quote, which lists all costs of your proposed surgery so that there are no surprises. At that time, an appointment is set for your pre-op visit.
Pre-Op Visit
Much is covered during your pre-op visit. First, one of our highly trained medical assistants will take pre-op photos. Next, your surgeon will explain the surgical technique to you and thoroughly inform you as to what you can expect, including any potential complications. Note that all procedures involve some risk, but major complications are rare. Dr. Perrotta or Dr. Luppens will then obtain a more complete medical history from you and perform a final pre-op physical examination, including a check of your vital functions to ensure that you are physically fit for surgery. All informed consents for surgery will be filled out at this appointment and final payments are due at this time. You will be notified 24 hours prior to your surgery with your arrival time.
The Facelift Procedure
Dr. Perrotta and Dr. Luppens perform facelifts with local anesthesia and sedation or general anesthesia. In most cases, the main incisions are made within the hairline above the ear, extending down around the lobe and ending in or below the hairline behind the ear.
Some patients require hairline incisions, and some also require an incision under the chin. The skin is then elevated so that it can be redraped and lifted, as excess skin is removed. Sagging facial and neck muscles are also tightened. A soft, bulky dressing is applied to the incisions after surgery.
Post-Op Recovery
You should be able to go home the day of surgery with your head and neck wrapped in bulky dressings, which are usually removed the next day during your first post-op doctor visit. Any initial discomfort is easily controlled with oral pain medication. Sutures in front of the hairline are removed within 3-5 days after surgery, and sutures and staples behind the hairline are removed 1-3 weeks after surgery.
Bruising and swelling decrease to “socially acceptable” levels in 10-20 days. The final result of your face lift is evident in 4-6 weeks or sooner, with continued improvement for several months.
After your procedure, you will follow up with us several times so that we can monitor your healing. To maintain the results of your face lift for as long as possible, we recommend a sound skin care program, periodic chemical peels, and/or laser treatments.
MINI FACE LIFT
A mini face lift is a slightly less aggressive form of facial rejuvenation than a full face lift. Sometimes called a “quick lift” or an “S lift,” our plastic surgeons utilize shorter incisions during a mini face lift than during a full face lift, and the recovery time following one is significantly shorter than that following the more extended procedure.
A mini face lift is very successful in rejuvenating lower third of the face, and it provides some improvement for the middle third of the face and neck.
GOALS OF A MINI FACE LIFT
A more rested and youthful contour to the face and neck
Fewer lines and wrinkles on face and neck
Improved self-image
CANDIDATES FOR A MINI FACE LIFT
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Individuals who have lost skin elasticity on the face and neck
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Individuals who are beginning to develop jowls and hanging skin under the chin
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Individuals who have developed facial and neck wrinkles
What to Expect at your Consultation
Drs. Perrotta and Luppens will devote as much time as necessary to discuss your individual goals and needs with you. After a focused physical examination, your surgeon will provide preliminary recommendations and explain what you can expect from surgery.
Once your surgeon determines his surgical plan, our aesthetic coordinator will produce a written quote, which lists all costs of your proposed surgery so that there are no surprises. At that time, an appointment is set for your pre-op visit.
Pre-Op Visit
Much is covered during your pre-op visit. First, one of our highly trained medical assistants will take pre-op photos. Next, your surgeon will explain the surgical technique to you and thoroughly inform you as to what you can expect, including any potential complications. Note that all procedures involve some risk, but major complications are rare. Dr. Perrotta or Dr. Luppens will then obtain a more complete medical history from you and perform a final pre-op physical examination, including a check of your vital functions to ensure that you are physically fit for surgery. All informed consents for surgery will be filled out at this appointment and final payments are due at this time. You will be notified 24 hours prior to your surgery with your arrival time.
The Mini Face Lift Procedure
Mini face lifts are performed with local anesthesia and sedation or general anesthesia. Some patients require only local anesthesia.
The majority of our mini face lifts are performed in the certified operating room located inside our Salisbury office complex so that you can experience absolute privacy and convenience.
Your surgeon will hide your incisions under the sideburns and along the natural contours of the front of the ear. In some cases and depending on your specific goals, the incisions are extended up to the temples and around the back of the ears.
Your surgeon then elevates the skin so that it can be trimmed and re-draped. The deep layers are tightened, including muscle and fascia. In our experience, the cutting-edge techniques used by Drs. Perrotta and Luppens in this portion of the procedure provide much longer lasting results than those achieved by a LifeStyle Lift.
When closing the wounds, the surgeon uses very specialized techniques and the utmost precision, both of which greatly minimize visible scarring. Finally, a soft, bulky dressing is applied to the incisions.
Post-Op Recovery
You should be able to go home the day of surgery, with your head and neck wrapped in bulky dressings or a thin, elastic garment. The dressings are usually removed within a couple of days during a post-op visit. Any initial discomfort is easily controlled with oral pain medication. Your surgeon will remove the visible sutures in 3-7 days and hidden ones in 3-10 days.
Bruising and swelling decrease to “socially acceptable” levels within 7-21 days. After performing hundreds of face lifts in our Salisbury office complex, our surgeon has found that our patients who have undergone a mini face lift are comfortable returning to work in 10-14 days, whereas this period is three weeks following a full face lift. The final result of your mini facelift will be evident in approximately 4-6 weeks or sooner, with continued improvement for several months.
After your procedure, you will follow up with us several times so that we can monitor your healing. To maintain the results of your mini face lift for as long as possible, we recommend a sound skin care program, periodic chemical peels, and/or specialized laser treatments.