Plastic Surgery
Facelift
A surgical procedure that removes excess skin and tightens the face to reverse tell-tale signs of aging.
Quick Facts
Facelift at a Glance
Avg. Surgery Time
2-4 hours
Anesthesia
IV sedation or General
Location
Certified in-office Operating Room or Outpatient Surgery Center
Recovery
Back to work within 1 week; Limited exercise within 2 weeks; Full activity in 4 weeks
Overview
What Is a Facelift?
A facelift is a surgical procedure that corrects signs of aging and improves the contours of the middle and lower one-third of the face. Facelift surgery accomplishes this by addressing the soft tissue descent of the midface in addition to the jowls and excess skin along the neck and jawline. If you suffer from these age-related imperfections, a facelift may be the solution you need to enjoy a more youthful appearance.
Aging is an inevitable part of growing older, but that doesn’t mean you have to allow age to diminish your youthful appearance. Facelift surgery is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures in the world, and Nathan Eberle, M.D., D.D.S., F.A.C.S proudly performs facelift surgery for the men and women of Fort Lauderdale and Broward County at the Weston Center for Plastic Surgery.
Why This Procedure
What Are the Benefits of a Facelift?
A number of South Florida residents have entrusted Dr. Eberle with their appearance, and they’ve enjoyed the many benefits of his innovative and natural approach to facelift surgery, including:
- Smoother lifted cheeks
- A lifted mouth and defined chin
- A contoured jawline
- Lasting effects that enable one to age more gracefully
- Taut, more youthful-looking skin
- A volumized youthful appearing face
- Improved confidence and self-esteem
Candidacy
Who Is the Ideal Candidate for a Facelift?
The best candidates for facelift surgery are people who exhibit signs of aging but don’t have any major health concerns that would interfere with the healing process. Candidates should also have a realistic and positive outlook about their results. Patients should also understand that while a facelift can improve the appearance of age-related imperfections, it will not stop the aging process. However, patients can age more gracefully following the procedure and prolong their results with the proper care and protection for the skin.
Results
Before & After
Before
AfterDay of Surgery
What Should I Expect on the Day of My Facelift?
Upon admission to the Outpatient Surgery Center, a clinician will check your vital signs, and you’ll be asked to disrobe and put on a surgical gown. Dr. Eberle will then mark your problem areas with a marker to guide his placement of the incisions and the overall surgical procedure.
Duration
How Long Does It Take to Perform a Facelift?
Facelift surgery can last anywhere from two to four hours, but the duration of the procedure varies greatly from patient to patient depending on the severity of the age-related problems a patient would like to correct. It is common for a patient to also have additional facial procedures performed at the time of facelift surgery including brow lift, blepharoplasty (eyelid lift), neck lift, and facial augmentation with fat or material of choice.
Technique
How Is a Facelift Performed?
Once anesthesia is administered and the incisions have been placed, Dr. Eberle removes excess facial skin and tightens and repositions the underlying facial muscles to resculpt the contours of the face. The remaining facial skin is then redraped over the underlying muscles and sutured closed.
Modern, sophisticated facelift techniques ensure that incisions are well-placed and concealed in areas that make them undetectable. In a traditional facelift, incisions are generally placed in front or behind the ear extending up and slightly behind the hairline. A set of additional, yet smaller, incisions may be made below the jawline to remove excess fat from the neck and chin areas.
Recovery
What to Expect After a Facelift?
Bruising and swelling are both unavoidable after a facelift, and patients can reasonably expect some degree of these side effects. However, we’ll do all that we can to keep pain and discomfort to a minimum. Nearly 90 to 95 percent of our patients take prescription-strength pain pills for only a day or two after the procedure; then they transition to Tylenol, mainly for relief from the feeling of tightness.
A tight, pulling sensation across the treatment area is the most common complaint among our facelift patients. This is normal, and as the underlying facial muscles and facial tissues continue to heal, the swelling and pulling sensation will reach its peak around the third day following surgery, but these side effects should subside around the fifth day of recovery.
Scarring
Will I Have Scars After Getting a Facelift?
Facelift surgery is performed through surgical incisions, so scarring is inevitable. However, Dr. Eberle goes to great lengths to hide incisions behind areas such as the ears and uses his precise and skillful hand to minimize their size and appearance. Any obvious scars that form will continue to fade over time.
Results
When Will I See the Results of My Facelift?
Some results are fairly obvious and noticeable immediately after the procedure, but the full benefits of a facelift may not be apparent for several weeks. As with any surgery, the full results are gradual and will become more apparent as swelling completely subsides and the facial muscles and tissues continue to heal over the course of three to six months.
Longevity
How Long Will the Results of a Facelift Last?
The results of a facelift tend to stay with many patients for 10 to 15 years. However, the natural aging process affects everyone differently, and the duration of facelift results will vary from person to person.
Activities
When Can I Resume My Normal Daily Activities?
Most facelift surgery patients feel well enough to walk around the house and perform light housework as early as two days following the procedure. Moving your body as early as possible following a facelift will actually facilitate a smoother and quicker recovery. Most patients can resume their normal physical activities, such as lifting and running, within as little as two to three weeks.
Natural Results
Will I Look Different After My Facelift Surgery?
We want to make a striking and noticeable difference in our patients, but in a very natural-looking fashion. Dr. Eberle does not believe in the “wind-swept” look and does not perform facelift procedures with this being the desired outcome.
During their facelift follow-up visits, we often ask our patients what other people are saying about their results. The most common answer we receive is that other people think they look like a well-rested and rejuvenated version of themselves. People often comment that something looks different about our patients, but they just can’t figure it out offhand, which is what we strive to achieve.
Cost
How Much Does a Facelift Cost?
Facelift costs vary considerably from patient to patient due to the different techniques that are used. The Weston Center for Plastic Surgery offers financing.
Next Steps
Schedule a Consultation
Facelift surgery is one of the most advanced cosmetic procedures that helps both men and women enjoy the contoured, taut, and vibrant appearance characteristic of younger facial skin. Contact us to schedule a personal consultation with Nathan Eberle, M.D., D.D.S., F.A.C.S today to take the first step toward a more youthful appearance. The Weston Center for Plastic Surgery is conveniently located in South Florida to make our world-class care easily accessible for the residents of Fort Lauderdale or Broward County.
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