FACELIFT

A DISTINCTIVELY DIFFERENT PRACTICE

EXPERIENCE EXTRAORDINARY

What is a FaceLift?

The face undergoes many changes during the normal aging process. Some of these changes include loss of cheek volume, development of prominent folds between the nose and mouth, laxity of the neck skin and/or visible banding, a tired/sad appearance to the eyes, and the appearance of excess skin around the jawline. These changes can be exacerbated by stress, smoking, environmental factors, and genetics.

A facelift, formally known as rhytidectomy, is a procedure that restores the youthful appearance of the cheek and neck. Skin and soft tissue are re-draped over the facial skeletal to reduce skin laxity and place volume in more desirable locations. Procedures such as upper and lower eyelid surgery, brow lift, fat injections, and dermabrasion are frequently combined with a facelift to achieve a more youthful look. Dr. Hewell has over 30 years of experience and has performed thousands of facial rejuvenation procedures.

You are a good candidate for a facelift if you are dissatisfied with the way your face has aged. Although there are many nonsurgical procedures available, such as Botox® and filler injections, they cannot replicate the results of a facelift. Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer believe that a natural result is of paramount importance. The goal of surgery is to restore a person’s face to a more youthful appearance while maintaining a natural result. Results are immediately visible after surgery but improve as bruising and swelling subside.

About the Procedure:

Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedure. The choices include local anesthesia combined with intravenous sedation or general anesthesia. Dr. Hewell and/or Dr. Fischer will discuss which anesthesia option is best for you.

Incisions are created in the hairline above the ear, in front of the ear, and behind the ear. The exact locations of the incisions and length of the incisions depend on individual anatomic factors. Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer have experience in performing all varieties of facial rejuvenation surgery including traditional facelift and more limited incision cheek and/or neck lifts. Skin of the cheek and neck is lifted off of the deeper tissues. The deeper tissues are advanced to restore youthful contours, and the skin of the cheek and neck is trimmed and closed. After healing has occurred, incision lines are concealed within the hair and normal contours of the face and ear.

Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer often perform other procedures in combination with facelift surgery, including brow lift, upper and lower eyelid surgery, liposuction and/or direct defatting of the neck, and fat injections to facial wrinkles. Dermabrasion is a powerful skin-resurfacing tool that they often use during facelift surgery. Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer have found that Botox® injection, specifically to the forehead and glabella (area between the eyebrows), can enhance the surgical result.

FAQ’s

Incisions are created in the hairline above the ear, in front of the ear, and behind the ear. The exact locations of the incisions and length of the incisions depends on individual anatomic factors. Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer have experience in performing all varieties of facial rejuvenation surgery including traditional facelift and more limited incision cheek and/or neck lifts.

Traditional Facelift

Limited Incision Facelift

Neck Lift

If you are a smoker, you should stop smoking to improve your body’s healing potential. Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer ask that you avoid aspirin, ibuprofen, herbal supplements, and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAID) drugs two weeks prior to surgery as these medications can increase bleeding. If you have diabetes, good blood sugar control is important to help maximize healing and minimize risk of infection.

Yes, a facelift can be safely performed in an accredited office-based surgical facility. Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer’s office ambulatory surgical facility is accredited by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF). Established in 1980, AAAASF holds outpatient and office-based facilities to hospital standards and assures the public that patient safety is top priority in a facility. A facelift can be performed under intravenous sedation or general anesthesia at their facility.

A facelift can be performed with local anesthesia under either intravenous sedation or general anesthesia. Dr. Hewell and/or Dr. Fischer will discuss which anesthesia option is best for you during your consultation.

Yes, you will have a soft dressing around your face after surgery. Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer see all of their facelift patients the day after surgery. Dressings will be changed at this time.

Strict adherence to all postoperative instructions will help you achieve the best possible result after a facelift. It is important that postsurgical dressing remain in place because they help protect the face. Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer will review dressing/incision care with you following surgery. Additionally, long-term sun protection can help maintain your result by preventing sun damage to the skin.

Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer recommend avoiding hair coloring for 4 weeks after surgery, as hair dye is normally placed close to the scalp near incision lines.

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