Rhytidoplasty and rhytidectomy are the medical terms used to describe the facelift operation, designed to rejuvenate the face by reducing sagging skin and improving wrinkles. Rhytidoplasty is accomplished by lifting and tightening the lax muscles and fatty tissues of the face and neck and removing loose, sagging skin.
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Rhytidectomy is a medical term frequently used to describe the facelift operation as designed to rejuvenate the face by repositioning the facial and neck soft tissues, reducing sagging skin and improving wrinkles. Face and neck lifts are accomplished by lifting and tightening the lax muscles and soft tissues of the face and neck and removing loose, sagging skin.
The facelift may be considered into three regions of the face and neck: the forehead, the mid and lower face, and the neck. The facelift is divided into three components: the temporal lift, the cheek-jowl lift, and the neck lift. Some patients require a full forehead lift in conjunction with a facelift, while most patients require a lifting of all three components. In selected patients, only two of the three procedures are recommended. Dr. Fedok will advise you what is best in your particular situation.
People who seek a facelift have one or two acceptable motivating factors: either they want to reduce the advance of the aging process, or they seek to reverse the already present signs of aging. Both types of patients share a common goal: to appear more youthful. Not everyone seeking facelift surgery is an acceptable candidate.
Dr. Fedok has developed a signature protocol for his face lift patients. In addition to the primary surgery, Dr. Fedok incorporates non-invasive treatments to optimize results.
As part of his commitment to helping your recovery, Dr. Fedok will have you come into the office at week four and five after surgery to have Evoke treatments performed on your neck and cheeks. These treatments will help mobilize swelling to promote more skin tightening. These will be provided for free. If you desire to continue more of the treatments, at any point during the course, there is a modest charge.
The Evoke treatments are painless, have no downtime and will enhance improvement. For long-term maintenance, it is recommended that you adhere to a good program of essential skincare that includes a tretinoin product, sunscreens, and a skin antioxidant, such as a vitamin C and E serum. .
Finally, at a point between six months and a year after your facelift, it is recommended that you have a series of three Morpheus 8 radiofrequency treatments, each separated by 4 to 6 weeks. The purpose of this treatment is to further enhance collagen and elastin production. This will help maintain skin rejuvenation and will be the avenue by which you maintain your results.
Patients who choose to schedule surgery should be advised they will be given special medications and instructions to follow before arriving at one of our surgical facilities. Twilight anesthesia is most commonly used during the procedure.
In preparing for facelift surgery, no hair is shaved. Hair is not shaved for the forehead lift either, where the incision is hidden well behind or at the hairline. The incisions are made in front of and behind the ear, and curved naturally into the hairline. The resulting thread-thin scars will blend into the natural creases of the skin and into the hair-bearing areas of the scalp. Occasionally, there may be some thinning of the hair for a short distance on either side of the incision line. This should be temporary and resolves itself within six months. If a temporal brow lift or forehead lift is required and excessive sagging is present, the hairline may be rotated superiorly. If you already have a high forehead, we can make the incision blend into the frontal hairline and not raise the hairline or enlarge the forehead at all.
The facelift operation is not painful, although patients may experience minimal pain in the postoperative period. A turban-style bandage is worn around the head and face until the morning following surgery and will be replaced with a lighter dressing. The bandage worn immediately following surgery helps to prevent any swelling or collection of fluid under the areas operated upon. Minimal swelling and discoloration may appear around the ears, and sometimes in the neck, but this condition subsides in one to two weeks. Dr. Fedok recomemmends that patients be out of bed within the first twenty-four hours following surgery. Most are usually in the shower and ready to assume some level of normal activity the following day.
Any sutures in the hairline or around the ears are removed within the two weeks period following surgery. Women may resume wearing make-up after ten days, and all patients are usually permitted to drive the second week after surgery. Patients may also return to work at this time.
A face lift is a safe procedure that Dr. Fedok performs frequently. As with any surgery, there are risks associated with the procedure. Dr. Fedok will discuss all the considerations with you before you undergo the surgery.
During your consultation, Dr. Fedok will thoroughly evaluate your facial structure and discuss your goals and concerns to determine the best approach for your facelift and neck lift procedures. Schedule your consultation today and take the first step towards a more confident you.
Each patient who considers a facelift wants to know how much improvement they can expect and how long it will last. The amount of improvement depends on the amount of tissue sagging and wrinkling that is present preoperatively. If the operation is completed early in the aging process, a patient can anticipate a look which is refreshed, and less tired-looking. A person who has waited can expect more dramatic results, especially if there is significant wrinkling and sagging. However, more initial rebound-relaxation will occur the farther along the initial problems of sagging skin and fat has occurred.
Recently there have been several modifications of facelifting techniques that allow a significant improvement for our patients, but with shorter recovery times and smaller incisions. These procedures are usually less extensive than traditional facelifts and at times can even be done in the office.
When the aging process causes the sagging to reappear, a secondary facelift, or facial tuck-up, may be performed. This often provides more dramatic and longer lasting improvement. In some individuals, it may be necessary to perform this procedure as soon as six months to one year after the initial facelift. I may even suggest that a small tightening under the chin may likely be required within the first year to achieve the desired lasting effect. The secondary facelift is recommended for patients who have a severe degree of sagging preoperatively and experienced an accelerated aging process.
