Face Lift

Why let the years give away your age? Growing older no longer means you have to look old. The years, our stress levels and the elements all work against us all to create wrinkles and sagging skin on our faces, including the cheeks, jawline, and neck. Most people are surprised to learn how many people have rejuvenated their face and erased years from their looks with face lift surgery.

You might have noticed that certain women and men seem to age more gracefully than others. Believe it or not, often there's more to the story than just “good genes.” Many residents of The Woodlands, Houston and the entire metropolitan area owe their vibrant, youthful looks to face lift surgery. Remember, too, that when you look younger, you feel younger!

Renewing Your Face

A face lift, or rhytidectomy, improves the appearance of the lower two-thirds of the face by tightening sagging facial muscles, smoothing wrinkled skin and removing excess fat. This procedure is sometimes combined with a neck lift for improvements under the chin. Typically, the surgery is performed under general anesthesia, but can be performed using local anesthesia with sedation. Face lift surgery usually takes between 2 to 4 hours to complete depending on the extent of the procedure.

Face lift surgery provides lasting improvements that for 5 to 10 years. Dr. Rivela’s patients often find that regaining their youthful appearance enhances their self-esteem and prolongs their careers, as well as their preserves their looks. Keep in mind, however, that the procedure doesn’t stop the clock or the natural aging process. Factors such as skin elasticity, sun exposure and lifestyle choices (such as, smoking and changes in weight) can affect the longevity of your improvements.

Many of our patients from The Woodlands and Houston elect to combine their face lift procedure with other facial sculpting procedures, such as a brow lift, eyelid surgery and rhinoplasty. Our patients with less advanced wrinkling and sagging can also sometimes benefit from the less invasive mini face lift, which involves smaller incisions and quicker recovery. At Rivela Plastic Surgery, Dr. Rivela will take the time to answer your questions and help you determine which combination of procedures will help you achieve your goals during your personalized consultation.

To learn more about face lift and other facial sculpting procedures, request a free consultation and schedule your visit with Dr. Lucian Rivela, board-certified plastic surgeon.

Discomfort:  Mild. Anticipate 1-5 days of pain medication; Tylenol may be adequate. Many patients report little discomfort afterward. If you have pain, contact your surgeon immediately to be certain you do not have a hematoma.

Swelling and Bruising:  Improves in 2 weeks, but will last longer after deep (subperiosteal) face-lift. Your face will feel tight for the first few weeks due to swelling. You can reduce swelling through constant head elevation and frequent application of cold compresses.

Numbness:  Cheek numbness lasts several weeks.

Bandages:  Will be changed in 1-2 days.

Stitches:  Will be removed in 4-10 days (4-6 days for ears and chin, 7-10 days for hairline). Staples may be used behind your hairline. Neither stitch nor staple removal is painful.

Drain:  If your surgeon places a drain at the time of surgery, it will be removed in 1-2 days.

Makeup:  May be worn in 1-2 weeks.

Presentable in Public:  You should be presentable within 2 weeks with the help of makeup. To be certain, allow 3-6 weeks before an important event. If a deep (subperiosteal) lift is planned, allow 1-2 months because swelling will be greater.

Work:  You may feel capable of returning within 5 days, but your appearance will be the limiting factor.

Exercise:  May be resumed in 2-3 weeks.

Final result:  Will be seen in 8-12 weeks following most face-lifts, but in 2-4 months following deep (subperiosteal) face-lift because swelling is worse.