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Plastic Surgery
Procedures
Procedures>>Face Lift
- Phoenix & Scottsdale, Arizona
Facelift
Looking younger and more energetic begins
with your facial appearance. Facelift surgery
is designed to rejuvenate your face,
combating the effects of time, stress, sun
exposure, and environmental damage. For the
best results, Dr. Berardi customizes the
facelift procedure according to your
individual bone structure and skin
elasticity.
By sculpting fat and tightening
underlying facial tissue, facelift surgery allows the skin to
be smoothed and re-draped over the face. A face
lift can diminish wrinkles, lessen folds, and
remove hanging skin from the jowls. Some
patients choose to combine facelift with
other facial procedures in order to achieve
more dramatic results. Dr. Berardi can help
you decide what approach is best in your
case. If you are interested in facelift
please contact us to find out more.
About the procedure
Looking younger and
more energetic begins with your facial appearance.
Facelift surgery is designed to rejuvenate your
face, combating the effects of time, stress, sun
exposure, and environmental damage. For the best
results, Dr. Berardi customizes the facelift
procedure according to your individual bone
structure and skin elasticity.
As people age, the
effects of gravity, exposure to the sun, and the
stresses of daily life can be seen in their faces.
Deep creases form between the nose and mouth; the
jaw line grows slack and jowly; folds and fat
deposits appear around the neck.
A facelift (Rhytidectomy) does not stop this aging
process. What it can do is set back the clock and
improve the most visible signs of aging by
removing excess fat, tightening underlying
muscles, and re-draping
the skin of your face and neck.
A facelift can be
done alone, or in conjunction with other
procedures such as a forehead lift, eyelid
surgery, or nose reshaping.
If you're considering a facelift, this section will give you a basic understanding of the
procedure when it can help, how it's performed,
and what results you can expect. It can't answer
all of your questions, since a lot depends on the
individual patient and the surgeon. Please ask
your surgeon about anything you don't understand.
Good candidates for a facelift
Any one or combination of the following
conditions may indicate that you are a good
candidate for a forehead lift:
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a deep line, or fold, running from the
corner of your nose to the corner of
your mouth.
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jowls, or loss of a well-defined jaw
line associated with youthfulness.
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deep wrinkles in the cheeks and sagging
of the "highlight" areas of the
cheekbones.
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loose skin, wrinkles, vertical "cords"
or excess fatty tissue in the neck.
A facelift can improve all of these problems.
It cannot, however, correct conditions such
as sagging eyebrows, excess skin and fatty
deposits in the upper and lower eyelids, or
wrinkles around the mouth. Your plastic
surgeon can provide further information if
you have an interest in other procedures to
treat these areas.
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Frequently Asked Questions |
How is my plastic surgeon able to restore a
firmer, fresher look to my face?
Through the discreet facelift incisions, your
plastic surgeon is able to free the skin from
the underlying tissues to the extent
necessary for the particular surgical
technique selected. After the skin has been
pulled up and back, the excess is removed. In
some instances, the deeper tissues may also
need to be repositioned in order to restore a
more youthful contour to your face. If
necessary, a small incision beneath the chin
permits the removal of fatty tissue in that
area and smoothing of the cord-like
structures of the underlying muscle in the
neck.
How will my plastic surgeon evaluate me for
facelift surgery?
In evaluating you for facelift surgery, your
plastic surgeon will assess the thickness,
texture and elasticity of your skin, and the
severity of wrinkles and folds. Your hairline
will be examined to determine where incisions
can be discreetly placed. All of these
factors, as well as your bone structure and
underlying tissues, will be considered in
developing an individual surgical plan.
Your plastic surgeon may discuss with you
additional procedures that can be performed
along with a facelift in order to address all
the concerns you have identified. For
example, a facelift is frequently combined
with a forehead lift, eyelid surgery, nose
reshaping or skin treatments such as a
chemical peel, dermabrasion or laser
resurfacing.
Where are the facelift incisions placed?
Although there are many variations to the
facelift procedure, generally an incision is
hidden in the natural contour of your ear,
then extends around the earlobe and back into
the hairline. Following surgery, incisions
can be easily concealed by your hair or with
makeup. There may also be a small incision
hidden underneath your chin.
How should I prepare for surgery?
If you are a smoker, you will be asked to
stop smoking well in advance of surgery.
Aspirin and certain anti-inflammatory drugs
can cause increased bleeding, so you should
avoid taking these medications for a period
of time before surgery. your surgeon will
advise you and provide additional
preoperative instructions. If your hair if
very short, you may want to let it grow
enough to cover your incisions while they
heal. If you are overweight and you have a
realistic desire to lose more than 15 pounds,
you should discuss this with your surgeon.
If your facelift will be performed on an
outpatient basis, be sure to arrange for
someone to drive you home and to stay with
you at least the first night following
surgery.
What will the day of surgery be like?
Your facelift may be performed in a hospital,
free-standing ambulatory facility or
office-based surgical suite.
Medications are administered for your comfort
during the surgical procedure. You and your
plastic surgeon will have decided in advance
what type of anesthesia is to be used, either
intravenous sedation or general anesthesia.
For your safety during the operation, various
monitors are used to check your heart, blood
pressure, pulse and the amount of oxygen
circulation in your blood.
When surgery is completed, you will be taken
into a recovery area where you will continue
to be closely monitored. A bandage may have
been wrapped around your face to be closely
monitored. Sometimes small tubes will have
been inserted beneath the skin to drain away
fluids that might otherwise accumulate, but
you will not feel these at all. It fact,
there is surprisingly little discomfort from
the surgery.
You probably will be permitted to go home
after a few hours, although some patients may
stay overnight in the hospital or surgical
facility.
How will I look and feel initially?
It is important to realize that the amount of
time it takes for recovery varies greatly
among individuals.
After surgery, you will be asked to restrict
your activities and simply relax for a few
days. Elevating your head when you sleep will
help to minimize swelling and bruising.
Remember, you must not take aspirin or
certain anti-inflammatory medications, and
you should not smoke or be exposed to heavy
secondary smoke for a while.
Any bandages and drain tubes will usually be
removed in one or two days. At that time, you
will notice puffiness and discoloration which
may be more pronounced in some portions of
your face than others. Do not be alarmed by
any unevenness or temporary asymmetry caused
by this variance in swelling and bruising,
which is perfectly normal. Generally, the
greatest amount of swelling occurs 24 to 48
hours after surgery, but it may take several
weeks before all puffiness is resolved. Most
bruising will disappear within two weeks.
After a few days, you will be permitted to
wear makeup which will help conceal any
discoloration. You will also experience some
numbness in the facial area, which may be
present for several weeks or longer. Your
stitches will be removed from four to seven
days after surgery.
When can I resume my normal activities?
Straining, bending and lifting should be
avoided during the early postoperative
period. In many instances, you will be able
to resume most of your normal activities
within two weeks and begin to exercise three
to four weeks after surgery. You will be
instructed to temporarily avoid exposure to
direct sunlight and, for the long-term, to be
conscientious about the use of a sunblock to
protect your skin.
Results of Your Facelift
The results of your facelift may be dramatic
or subtle, depending on how you look before
surgery as well as the specific goals that
you and your plastic surgeon have
established. Since the healing process is
gradual, you should expect to wait at least
several weeks for an accurate picture of your
"new look." Additional minor changes, or
settling, may occur over several months.
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