Facelift Austin, TX

The type of anesthesia a surgeon uses during a rhytidectomy (facelift) depends on the type of surgery being performed. A mini lift will typically be performed using oral sedation and local anesthesia. A full rhytidectomy will usually require IV sedation. For the most part, general anesthesia is not used during any facial rejuvenation surgery at Buckingham Center.

Our surgeons combine different surgical techniques to meet each patient’s plastic surgery expectations. The surgery is an outpatient procedure. During the procedure, the surgeon makes an incision near the hairline and around the ears. Then, the surgeon tightens the deeper layers of the face to minimize facial sagging and remove excess skin to create a smooth, natural-looking result.

Incisions are made around the ears and hairline and are usually completely hidden. Some procedures also require concealed incisions under the chin. The incisions do produce scars, but because of their locations, they are typically barely visible to only close inspection.

During a facelift, you will receive anesthesia and will not feel anything. If oral sedation is chosen with a limited lift, the local anesthesia may burn some, but the procedure itself will be pain free. After the anesthesia wears off, you might notice some mild discomfort in the surgical area. Many patients find that extra-strength Tylenol, taken for a few days after surgery, is enough to manage any discomfort they feel. However, a light narcotic pain medication will also be prescribed to be taken as needed.

The recovery period after surgery varies. For lower facelift surgery, sutures remain in place for seven or eight days. Bruising usually clears up after a week following a limited procedure. Bruising may persist for up to 14 days after a more involved surgery. Many people can go back to their social activities within seven to ten days. How long you need to take off work depends in large part on the type of work you do and how comfortable you are in letting people see you after surgery.

You can start light exercise, such as walking, about a week after your surgery. It is a good idea to wait at least two weeks before resuming moderate exercise. Very strenuous and vigorous workouts should be postponed for three weeks after surgery.

A pixie ear deformity can occur after facial rejuvenation surgery if the surgeon removes too much skin from under the earlobe. The result is an earlobe that is pulled down. This can be avoided by having your facelift performed by a trained facial plastic surgeon, who will take steps to preserve the earlobe attachment and avoid excessive skin removal. If you do have this deformity, it is easy to correct by detaching the earlobe from the facial skin and repositioning it in the correct location. The correction will leave a scar, but the scar will be hidden beneath the earlobe.

Your facial structure does play a role in your results from facial rejuvenation surgery. Your surgeon can adjust the procedure to give you the best results possible and improve the appearance of your bone structure. The surgeon might also recommend a chin augmentation to improve your jawline or a fat transfer to add more volume.

Many people consider having a limited incision facelift or a full facelift in their 30s; however, the best age to have these procedures depends on the patient’s bone structure, facial shape, and weight. The most common age to perform a full facelift is the late 50s and early 60s. Limited incision facelifts are common in the 40s, more so than the older or younger ages.

There is no absolute age limit for a facelift. Surgeons at the Buckingham Center have performed limited incision facelifts for patients in their 30s (rarely) and patients in their 80s. Conversely, I have turned patients away who are 50. The real question is: what is the health of the patient? If the patient is healthy, then assuming the person has age-related changes that a facelift can help can provide great benefit. There is not any advantage to doing a facelift earlier or later; you should have one when your face undergoes enough changes that it bothers you enough to have a surgical procedure.

We pride ourselves on the fact that our patients can wear their hair in any style they want to after a facelift. Our post-auricular incision is performed right along the posterior hairline. It is carefully sutured and typically heals without visibility. Incisions can also be made into the hair behind the ear; however, when done in that way, a surgeon has to realign the hairline to prevent a step-off. Usually, the neck does not lift well in that vector.

The terms you are referring to are not standardized; however, the question can be answered using traditional thoughts. The face has layers that consist of skin, fat, SMAS, fascia, nerves, muscle, and bone. A SMAS facelift refers to a facelift in which the skin is elevated, and then the SMAS is elevated off the deeper structures and used to suspend the face. Many different degrees of SMAS elevation may be carried out, from just incising the SMAS to elevating it for a great distance. During an aggressive SMAS lift, the dissection is carried out over the cheek and down one of the facial muscles to attempt to elevate the cheek and smile line. However, studies indicate that the smile line improvements achieved with this procedure are short-lived. A deep plane lift involves elevating the skin for a short distance. We perform a wide variety of facelifts that are all SMAS in nature. In patients without a great degree of aging, we might recommend a mini-lift or limited incision facelift with very little SMAS work. When a patient has a greater degree of aging, we will perform a more extensive SMAS lift, even bordering on the traditional deep plane lift. The results from any of these can be great, and they should be matched to the individual patient. They can each last the same length of time if utilized correctly.