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Facelift | Cheek Lift

Few plastic surgery treatments are as well-known as the facelift, or rhytidectomy. This procedure is popular with patients who want to restore a more youthful facial appearance. It addresses skin laxity, wrinkles, and shifting fat deposits in the mid- and lower face by rebuilding facial support structures, removing loose skin, and restoring lost volume. 

A facelift can take a decade or more off your appearance, providing long-lasting facial rejuvenation. Our patients are delighted by their results. Modern techniques have transformed facelift surgery, allowing our surgeons to create natural-looking results. If you choose, you can combine this procedure with other facial surgeries like blepharoplasty or a brow lift

Turn back the clock on your appearance with facelift surgery at Sarasota Plastic Surgery Center. Call our office at (941) 366-8897 to schedule a consultation. We look forward to helping you explore your options for facial rejuvenation in Sarasota, FL. 

The Different Types of Facelifts

Everyone experiences aging concerns differently. Addressing it effectively requires a customized approach. Our board-certified plastic surgeons are experts in face and body enhancement. Each patient receives a one-on-one consultation and a customized surgical approach to ensure their facelift targets specific problem areas for a refreshed and rejuvenated appearance. Many facelift variations allow us to target your age-related facial concerns.

Which version is right for you?

Traditional facelift


Our traditional facelift is ideal for moderate to extensive aging in the mid- and lower face. You will see the most dramatic results with this type of facelift, making it our most popular technique.

Mini facelift


For early signs of aging, a mini facelift offers subtle rejuvenation with smaller incisions and a shorter recovery. Results do not last as many years as a traditional facelift.

Skin-only facelift


Also called the cutaneous facelift, this facelift variation only tightens the skin, not the musculature or fat. Ideal candidates have adequate fat distribution and muscle tone and moderate skin laxity.

Cheek lift


Reposition those sagging cheeks with a cheek lift, the ideal option for mid-face rejuvenation. During the procedure, your surgeon will raise the cheek fat pads giving a more youthful appearance.

What Happens During a Facelift?

Before and after of patient Pauldie's face and neck lift

Facelift surgery takes place at our state-of-the-art surgical center on the top floor of our facility. After placing you under general anesthesia and waiting for it to take effect, our expert team of doctors, surgical nurses, and anesthesiologists will monitor you and your vital signs. 

The procedure for each type of facelift surgery varies, but the fundamental process is the same. Your surgeon will make incisions in specific locations, tighten the skin and underlying tissues, remove or reposition fat, and carefully suture the incisions closed. 

During your consultation, your surgeon will provide specific details about what to expect from your procedure and healing process. Your surgeon may use one or more of these techniques, along with other strategies, to customize your procedure and create a smooth and natural-looking result.

Many patients are ready to return home on the day of their surgery, but some will need an overnight stay for additional monitoring. 

Traditional facelift


Incisions start above the hairline, circle around the ear, and end in the hairline. It tightens the skin and underlying facial tissues, including the SMAS. 

Mini facelift


It uses a small incision in front and behind of the ear to create limited changes in the cheek and jawline areas.

Skin-only lift


The surgeon makes incisions in the skin without affecting the underlying facial musculature. They remove excess skin and tighten what remains. 

Cheek lift


Incisions start in front of the ear, circle behind into the hairline. A cheeklift repositions the fat pads and skin in the middle of the face.

Recovery After Facelift Surgery: What to Expect

A facelift is a surgical procedure. Whether you receive a full facelift or a mini facelift, you will need some time off work for recovery. The more invasive your procedure, the more recovery time you’ll need.

After a facelift, expect a feeling of tightness or pulling in the skin. Bruising and swelling are also common during the healing process. These side effects should resolve within a couple of weeks.

We’ll provide detailed recovery instructions at the time of your procedure. Our team will meet with you several times during recovery to assess your healing and answer questions. These tips may also help guide your recovery experience.

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Your body needs extra time while you heal. When you feel tired, take a break to relax.

Get plenty of rest


Your body needs extra time while you heal. When you feel tired, take a break to relax.

Return to activity slowly


As you resume your regular daily activities, increase gradually instead of trying to jump in all at once. 

Get plenty of rest


Your body needs extra time while you heal. When you feel tired, take a break to relax.

Stay out of the sun


New incisions are very photosensitive. Limit your exposure to UV rays. If you will be outdoors, cover up and use sun protection. 

Stay hydrated and eat sensibly


Drink lots of water before, during, and after recovery to speed the healing process. You will need extra calories for the first few days to support healing. 

Don’t smoke or drink


Avoid smoking cigarettes and drinking heavily for a couple of weeks before surgery and until you’re fully recovered. Smoking can constrict blood vessels and slow healing, while alcohol is a blood thinner. 

Choosing Sarasota Plastic Surgery Center for Your Facelift

Patients who are considering facelift surgery in Sarasota, FL, can reach out to us to schedule a consultation. Our practice is one of the oldest in the area, and our team of board-certified plastic surgeons built it from the ground up. We’ve put in the work to create a place where anyone can come for the best facelift results around with high levels of safety and satisfaction. 

Here, our patients are part of our extended family. We always go the extra mile to provide you with the gold-standard care that you deserve. Contact us to schedule your visit with our team.

FAQs About Sarasota, FL, Facelift

Patients who aren’t ready for a facelift or who aren’t good candidates for surgery can refresh their appearance with one of our minimally invasive treatments. Botox® and Juvéderm® are two of our most sought-after non-surgical options for facial rejuvenation. These injectables can minimize wrinkles and counter volume loss in one quick, easy procedure.

Our surgeons use careful techniques and thoughtful incision placement to minimize visible scarring after facelift surgery. While the incisions for a traditional facelift are long and extend from the temple to the lower hairline, a skilled surgeon will conceal them in natural creases and within the hairline, so they remain very discreet. After healing, most patients report little to no visible scarring.

An average facelift procedure takes between three and four hours.

As soon as aging starts to take a toll on your appearance, it is time to consider facelift surgery. There is no ideal age for this procedure. Most of our patients are between the ages of 50 and 70, but genetics and lifestyle choices make some patients a candidate for surgery in their 40s. If signs of aging are troubling you, come see us to explore your options. Our non-surgical treatments can subtly refresh your appearance if your degree of aging hasn’t advanced enough for surgery.

If you’re interested in exploring facelift surgery, we encourage you to schedule a consultation. Our 60-minute consultations cost $125 and provide a personalized and comprehensive look at the available options for facial rejuvenation. 

Most facelifts are performed under IV sedation or general anesthesia. If performed at an accredited facility and by experienced board-certified anesthesiologists, they are both very safe. Some surgeons prefer one over the other. I would trust your doctor and undergo whichever makes your surgeon comfortable. Depending on your health status, they are both safe forms of anesthesia.

Understanding the aging process is important to achieve a natural result. Years ago, we thought it was just loosening of the skin. But now plastic surgeons have realized that it is also a loss of volume. Therefore, we are filling the face with fillers or fat to restore lost volume and lifting and excising skin to restore skin laxity. Consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon who is willing to take the time to address your concerns is the most important. Look at his/her before and after pictures. Communication is the most important, so finding someone you can talk to is very important in addition to experience.

The scars from a facelift should be either well-hidden or difficult to see. After complete healing, they should be a pencil line thick and light in color. They do not disappear completely, but they should not be visible from a normal conversational distance (2.5 feet). Your hairstylist may see them, but she is much closer. Hairstyles often change after facelifts but not to hide the scars. Most women are simply happy with their fresher, more youthful appearance and want to update their hairstyle.

While using a compressive garment is not essential, we prefer patients to wear it for a portion of the day for the first few weeks after surgery. This garment helps limit swelling, speed up social recovery, and prevent complications. I generally ask patients to wear the garment at least 4 hours a day while they are up and moving about at home, but not to sleep in it, so it does not fold on itself and create creases in the skin.

A good general answer to this question is when non-surgical rejuvenating procedures, such as Botox and Juvederm, are not correcting your aging features. In the past, people would wait until they had excessive signs of facial aging. However, we realize now that it’s better to maintain a youthful appearance as you age. This will avoid a dramatic alteration in your appearance if you wait until your more senior years. While non-surgical procedures are a great way to look refreshed and youthful, there will become a point when they simply aren’t enough. Having a surgical procedure at this point is the best time.

You will be less likely to achieve a surgical or altered appearance and get more responses from friends like, “did you go on vacation?” or “did you lose weight?” instead of “did you have a facelift?” Once again, research your surgeon and consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon.

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