Facelift

The face usually portrays the first visible signs of aging. Both gravity and diminished volume result in the facial features of aging.

Your Personal Consultation

Most patients requesting evaluation for facelift feel that their facial features do not reflect their youthful spirit and energy level. They are looking for ways to refresh and rejuvenate their appearance. There are many different variations of the facelift procedure that smooth the skin of the face and neck, tighten the underlying tissues and muscle, and remove excess skin. Ultimately, the facelift will allow you to turn back the hands of time to better reflect your youthful spirit.

How will Dr. Moliver evaluate me for a facelift?

Dr. Moliver spends a fair amount of time performing a history and physical examination. During your physical examination, your facial bone structure, skin structure, skin thickness, texture and elasticity, as well as the extent of facial wrinkles and folds, will be assessed. Dr. Moliver will often tell patients he views facial aging as extrinsic (skin quality) or intrinsic (structure and support, including bone, fascia and muscle). Many patients have predominantly one type of aging or the other. Most times it is mixed. This information will be used to formulate a surgical plan and the goals of the procedure will be discussed. Generally, a facelift is a very versatile procedure, Dr. Moliver will explain the technique that he feels most comfortable with and that offers the lowest risk. The surgical technique selected will be the one that he feels will obtain the best outcome for you based on your discussions regarding the outcome you wish to achieve.

How is a facelift performed?

The facelift procedure continues to evolve. Over the years, the procedure has changed from simple skin lifting to more complex deeper plane lifting techniques. Today, many different techniques exist, with outcomes that are consistently reliable and durable. The facelift procedure usually involves incisions in front of and behind the ear. The incisions may extend into the scalp. Once the incisions are made, various degrees of undermining of the skin are performed, and the deeper layers of the face are "lifted." Muscle tightening as well as liposuction of the neck and jowls may be performed, and excess skin is either removed or repositioned. The results are a reversal of the effects of gravity and tightening of soft tissues of the face to restore a more youthful contour to the face.

Understanding Risks

Fortunately, significant complications from facelifts are infrequent. Every year, thousands of people undergo successful facelift surgery and are pleased with the results. Dr. Moliver performs many facial cosmetic procedures. However, anyone considering surgery should be aware of both the benefits and risks.

Some of the potential complications that may occur include hematoma (an accumulation of blood under the skin), infection, and reactions to anesthesia. Facelift incisions are usually quite inconspicuous; however, this is not entirely predictable due to individual variations in healing. You can help minimize certain risks by following the advice and instructions given to you during your preoperative visit.

Your Surgical Experience

The goal of your plastic surgery team is to make your surgical experience as easy and as comfortable as possible.

Preoperative

If you are a smoker, you will be asked to stop smoking well in advance of the surgery. Certain medications that increase the risk of bleeding such as Aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, and some vitamins/homeopathic regimens should be discontinued prior to surgery. These are reviewed carefully with you. If your hair is short, you may want it to grow out enough to cover your incisions while they heal. Any chemical processing of your hair should be performed prior to surgery since you cannot have any of these procedures for a month or more after surgery. Your facelift will be performed on an outpatient basis, so be sure to arrange for someone to drive you home and stay with you for at least the first night following surgery.

Day of Surgery

Your facelift will be performed in our fully accredited AAASF, office-based surgical suite.

Medications are administered for your comfort during the procedure. You and your plastic surgeon will have decided in advance what type of anesthesia is to be used - either intravenous sedation (twilight) or general anesthesia. For your safety during and after the operation, various monitors are used to check your heart, blood pressure, pulse and the amount of oxygen circulating in your blood.

When surgery is completed, you will be taken into a recovery area. A bandage may be wrapped around your face. Sometimes small tubes will be inserted beneath the skin to drain away fluid that might otherwise accumulate. There is surprisingly very little discomfort experienced after facelift surgery. However, any discomfort you may experience will be controlled with pain medication as needed.

You will be permitted to go home after a few hours, although some patients may stay overnight.

Recovery

It is important to realize that the amount of time it takes to recover from facelift surgery varies greatly between individuals. Elevation of the head is extremely helpful in reducing the initial Postoperative swelling. You may also be advised to use ice packs intermittently.

You should avoid Aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications for the first few days after your surgery. Smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke should be avoided to prevent delays in the healing process.

Once the dressings and drains are removed, puffiness and discoloration may be more pronounced in some portions of the face than others. Do not be alarmed by any unevenness or temporary asymmetry. This is normal. Most swelling is usually noted in the first 24 to 48 hours, and most bruising resolves within two weeks. Concealing makeup is usually permitted after the first week. You may experience numbness to the face postoperatively, which usually resolves within several months.

Some patients find that mild swelling persists for many weeks. Most stitches are removed within a week of the surgery.

Of course, many of our modern mini facelifts, such as the MACS facelift, allow patients to literally be back in public or work in as little as three days with little or no bruising!

Straining, bending and lifting should be avoided during the early postoperative period as these activities may predispose you to bleeding.

We will give you specific instructions that may include caring for the dressings and incisions, directions for your analgesics and other medications, specific concerns to look for, and when to follow up in the office to monitor your healing process. It may take several months for the swelling to fully resolve, and up to six months for the incision scars to fully fade. Avoidance of factors that could reduce the benefits of the surgery, such as excessive unprotected sun exposure and cigarette use, is vital.

Results of Your Facelift

The results of your facelift may be subtle or dramatic, depending on your appearance prior to the surgery as well as the specific goals that you and Dr. Moliver have established. Since the healing process is gradual, you should expect to wait several weeks for an accurate picture of your "new look." Additional minor changes or settling may occur over several months following your facelift surgery.

How much will a facelift cost?

Cost is always a consideration in elective surgery. In facelift surgery, the costs vary quite a bit from a mini facelift to a complex facelift with forehead lift, eyelid surgery and perhaps an implant or laser resurfacing. Please see our Payment Options page under About Us.

We always present our plastic surgery consultation patients with a "fee quote." This fee includes:

• Surgeon's professional fee
• Facility fee
• Anesthesia fee

It does not include any laboratory tests, preoperative examinations, garments or postop prescriptions.

Maintaining a Relationship with Your PlasticSurgeon

You will return to our office for follow-up care at prescribed intervals, at which time your progress will be evaluated.

Please remember that our relationship with you does not end when you leave the operating room. If you have questions or concerns during your recovery, or need additional information at a later time, you should contact us.

Complimentary Consultation

For more information about our facial surgery procedures near Houston, go back to the top and follow the links. When you are ready to talk with Dr. Moliver in person, you can request a complimentary consultation online or call 281.282.9555 to schedule your visit.

See examples of facelifts in our Photo Gallery.

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