With aging or exposure to large amounts of sun or stress, wrinkled sagging skin can develop on the face, neck and forehead. While a facelift cannot stop the aging process, in many cases it can "turn back the clock" eliminating sagging facial skin and removing some of the folds and wrinkles.

Facelifts can be performed alone or with other cosmetic procedures such as eyelid, forehead or nose enhancement surgery. Most are done under general anesthesia in an outpatient setting.

The procedure involves incising the skin in the area about the ears and extending the incisions into the scalp above and behind the ears. The facial and neck skin is then carefully raised off the underlying soft tissues. Depending upon the patient's particular problems, repair of the muscle bands in the neck and tightening of the underlying fascia in the face (SMAS) may be performed. The facial and neck skin are then raised and the excess skin removed. The wounds are closed with a combination of absorbable and nonabsorbable sutures.

Problems involving the forehead include drooping eyebrows, frown lines and horizontal wrinkles. These problems can be corrected through a forehead lift which can be performed open (Coronal Forehead lift) or with the use of an endoscope. In either case, the forehead is raised off the underlying tissues and then elevated. The muscles causing frown lines are transected smoothing the lines and preventing their recurrence.

Swelling, bruising and minor discomfort can last from days to two weeks. Sutures are removed at five and ten days after the procedure and most patients can be back to work in ten to fourteen days. Exercise and sports can be resumed one month after surgery.

My consultations for facelifts and forehead lifts are complimentary and include computer imaging and a review of cases performed on patients with similar problems.

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