A Facelift (Rhytidectomy) is a surgical procedure designed to smooth and firm the skin of the neck and lower face.  The term “facelift” is somewhat misleading.  Although a facelift can dramatically improve your overall facial appearance, it is best suited to correct loose skin and sagging tissue in the lower face and neck.  If you are more concerned about changes in the middle or upper face you may be interested in an endoscopic midface lift in addition to, or instead of, a facelift.

Reasons for getting a Facelift

• Excess skin on the neck or a “turkey gobbler.”
• A sagging jaw line, jowls, or jowling.
• Crease lines that extend from the side of the chin to the corner of the mouth. These are technically called melolabial folds but are more commonly referred to as “marionette lines.”
  

General Procedure

At our facility, the anesthesia for a facelift is deep sedation.  A face lift may take several hours or longer depending on whether other cosmetic procedures are completed at the same time.  There are several different facelift techniques that can be employed.  Dr. Marotta is able to perform the most advanced facelifting techniques including the deep-plane facelift, extended sub-smas facelift, or smas plication; when you come in for your consultation we can discuss what these terms mean and which method is right for you.

In a facelift, incisions are made just inside the hairline following the contour in front of the ear and continuing under the earlobe to the backside of the ear and to the lower scalp.  These incisions are hidden in facial boundaries and in the hair-line.  With adequate healing, they fade with time to the point of imperceptibility and do not prevent the patient from wearing any hair style.  The underlying muscle layer is tightened and excess skin is removed.  This tightening of the muscle layer, as opposed to just the skin, allows Dr. Marotta to achieve the most natural results without the “pulled” look characteristic of older techniques.  If the neck line requires attention, an additional small incision is made under the chin. Many fine stitches are used to close the incisions along with metal clips at the hairline.
 
Recovery

Immediately after surgery, your face will be fitted with bandages and surgical drains in order to speed recovery and reduce swelling.  The bandages and drains are removed on the first postoperative visit.  We recommend head of bed elevation and light activity in the immediate postoperative period.  Patients generally report little pain with facelift surgery.   You will have frequent postoperative visits with Dr. Marotta to monitor your progress and remove the stitches and surgical clips.  Most patients return to work after 2 weeks with makeup easily covering any residual bruising.