Facelift
When you’re in your 20s and 30s, it’s easy to say that you’ll never have plastic surgery because you plan to age gracefully. You use the best products, avoid the sun, and keep to a skin care regimen that guarantees it will keep you looking young. While these are certainly excellent ways to keep your skin looking beautiful, over time, you may start to notice the beginning of inevitable changes that no amount of serums or moisturizers can remedy.
As the years pass, the production of collagen and elastin, which are vital building blocks of youthful skin, begins to diminish. Pretty soon, you realize that your face is starting to show early signs of sagging and wrinkles, because without collagen and elastin, it can no longer retain the lift, volume and elasticity inherent in younger skin.
Before the age of 50, most signs of aging can be addressed using nonsurgical options, including chemical peels, injectable fillers, laser treatments and other non-invasive procedures designed to smooth skin and boost volume. However, there comes a point when these nonsurgical options won’t be able to provide you with the results you expect, and it may be time to consider a surgical facelift, or rhytidectomy.
At Terrasse Aesthetic Surgery, we understand that the decision to undergo facelift surgery is a big one. As a board certified Lake Forest plastic surgeon, Dr. Terrasse uses cutting edge technology combined with his aesthetic artistry and skill to refresh and rejuvenate your appearance, providing you with results that look beautiful and natural, not taut or windblown. He offers several facelift options, including a traditional facelift or a mid-face lift facelift. Both options can be performed alone or in combination with other cosmetic treatments to further enhance your results.
Traditional Facelift
Because facelift techniques and technologies continue to advance and evolve and advance, a traditional facelift no longer means an overdone look that was often characteristic of facelifts in the past. Today’s facelift targets loose skin and tissue around your lower face and jaw, and is designed to lift and smooth the skin on the lower face and neck.
Once you’ve exhausted your nonsurgical anti-aging options, a traditional facelift may be your next step. You may be an ideal candidate for a facelift if you have deep furrows and sagging skin on your face, or notice one or more age-related issues, including:
- Deep folds around the nose and mouth (nasolabial folds) or marionette lines
- Loss of volume in your face due to lost or “fallen” fat
- Sagging or drooping skin due to excess tissue or loss of skin tone
- Excess or loose skin on your neck, giving you jowls or a “turkey wattle”
At Terrasse Aesthetic Surgery, you’ll begin with a consultation with Dr. Terrasse, where he will examine your face and discuss your expectations and goals for your facelift. Depending on what you hope to achieve, he will create an individualized plan designed to address your concerns and provide you with the best possible results. A traditional facelift typically takes a few hours, though the length of surgery will be contingent on the type of facelift you choose, as well as if you are undergoing other procedures at the same time.
Mid-Facelift
One of the symptoms of aging you may notice once you reach your early to mid-thirties is sagging and a loss of volume in your cheeks. Your age and the natural pull of gravity affects the area below your eyes, making it look hollow, and the nasolabial folds that extend from the corner of your mouth to the corner of your nose begin to etch themselves deeper into your skin.
These issues affect the mid-face, which is the part of your face between your eyes and mouth. A traditional facelift is primarily used to address your lower face and neck, while a mid-face lift is used to correct age-related volume loss and wrinkles in the center section of your face.
If you have signs of aging that affect both your mid- and lower face, your mid-face lift can be combined with an endoscopic brow lift and/or a traditional facelift, both of which will offer more overall harmony and more complete facial rejuvenation. If you have more severe mid-facial aging and minor lower facial aging, you may find that a mid-face lift will address all of your concerns, without the need for a traditional facelift – these are all topics that you will discuss with Dr. Terrasse at your consultation.
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Once your facelift is complete, your face will be wrapped in bandages to help reduce swelling and bruising, as well as to protect your incisions. You will need to rest and limit your activities for the first few days after your surgery, and you may have some minor pain or discomfort, but this can be easily managed with over-the-counter medications. Dr. Terrasse will also have you keep your head elevated as much as possible. Endoscopic facelifts, whether traditional or mid-face, typically require about two weeks of downtime for recovery, after which most of the swelling and bruising will have dissipated, and you can return to work and other everyday activities. Dr. Terrasse will provide you with post-surgery instructions and schedule follow-up appointments to help ensure that your recovery goes smoothly.
Your results will also depend on the type of facelift you select, and it will take anywhere from six to twelve months for your final results to be completely visible, after all of the residual swelling has gone down. Your refreshed, youthful appearance is considered permanent; however, it is vital to remember that your face will continue to age naturally. Being diligent with a skincare regimen and sun protection can enhance and lengthen your results, as can maintaining a healthy lifestyle by avoiding smoking, eating well, and staying hydrated.
Contact Lake Forest Facelift Surgeon
If you are looking for a more dramatic way to lift and smooth your face and turn back the clock on wrinkled, sagging skin, look no further than a facelift at Terrasse Aesthetic Surgery. Call us today at 847-234-2400 to schedule a consultation, and discover if a facelift is right for you.