Facelift – done naturally

A Facelift is a procedure used to enhance your appearance by repositioning the facial tissues, removing tissue folds and firming up the muscle support. The goal is obtain a natural look to eliminate some of the signs of aging and to restore a more youthful appearance.

Generally, you will not only notice an immediate rejuvenation, but you will also notice that you seem to age more gracefully than many of your acquaintances. Some patients may also require a neck lift and liposuction, with neck muscle repair (platysmaplasty) to improve the neckline in concert with the face. Further, since a facelift does not change the quality of the skin itself, laser resurfacing can also be performed at the same time.

The Facelift is often viewed negatively due to some of the ‘Hollywood Stars’ who have artificial looking faces as a result of inappropriate surgery. However, these impressions are unfortunate since the rejuvenation that we provide is extremely natural and can easily be noted in our results. The key is to understand Dr. Wittenberg‘s background with a Master’s Degree studying facial anatomy and his artistic approach to his rejuvenation procedures. He feels it is  critical that the tissues be ‘repositioned’ back to their original locations, since the aging process has quite literally allowed the tissue to ‘drift/drop’ to an aged looking position. If one simply replaces the tissue in its original location, the final appearance will be very natural due to his balanced approach to tissue restoration.

Are there different types of facelifts?

There are a few ‘types’ of facelifts and the selection will be based upon the degree of change which has occurred in the position of the tissues, as well as the desire of the patient. Often a ‘mini’ facelift can be achieved in many cases to restore the more youthful appearance. This is a procedure which requires a reduced recovery period and a more limited approach. Most often the ‘mini’ facelifts are preferred for persons under the age of 45’ish.

The more common procedure is to rejuvenate the contours of the face by a more standard facelift. The facelift will reposition the underlying tissues and the skin towards their original positions so that a more natural look is achieved. Limited incisions can be used and in ‘hidden’ areas such that one can return to normal activities more rapidly. Dr. Wittenberg is an expert at facial Anatomy and understands that the tissue need only be repositioned and not ‘stretched’; and knows the specific vectors/directions in which to reposition the tissues for the natural appearnance.

A ‘soft lift’ or non surgical rejuventation

It is also possible to use ‘non surgical’ approaches to rejuvenate the facial tissues. Often you will see terms like ‘Liquid facelift, Natural facelift, Volumizing facelift, Softfill facelift’ and these represent the use of ‘filler materials like fat, Restylane, Juvederm, Radiesse, and other materials. These materials are ‘injected’ into specific areas of the face to restore the volume of that area. They are not ‘lifts’  but ‘fillers’ and have some notable limitations both in the results and the long term costs since they need to be repeated. There are various references to ‘types of facelifts’ in the internet. Unfortunately, many are simply ‘marketing’ terms where someone is trying to suggest they have a ‘new’ approach – but it is rarely valid. . Wittenberg can discuss these approaches with you. Most of these techniques are suitable for 35 – 45 year old patients, although exceptions exist.

What about my neckline?

The neck is a key feature in facelifting, such that a ‘face and necklift’ are usually combined to improve the face, jawline and neck apprearances. Since the neck is one of the first areas to show undesirable aging changes, it is a very good idea to review surgery in that area to enhance the rejuvenation.

What about recovery?

The patients frequently note that the facelift procedure is quite painless, allowing a rapid physical recovery. The staff will explain the recovery which you can expect in your case and will prepare you very well for the treatment which you select. Generally, for a facelift, one would expect a 2 to 3 week full recovery to daily activity. Bruising is variable and can affect the timing of recovery and you will be advised to discontinue certain medications and herbs which contribute to bleeding.

Everyone looks better with a natural lift and repositioning of the tissues – it is immediate and much easier than one would imagine.

Various procedures can be performed any time after signs of aging appear, in order to attain a more youthful appearance and a more rested look.  After all, you should look as good as you feel.

Please view our Before & After Gallery for Facelifts.