You may be a candidate for a facelift if:

• You have sagging skin or wrinkles in the area running from your nose to your mouth, cheek or jowl area
• You have experienced a loss of skin elasticity and muscle tone of the face and neck
• You think you have a tired facial appearance
• You have loose skin and wrinkles in the neck area

The goal of a facelift is a more youthful contour to the face and neck. Often, but not always, a neck lift is performed at the same time as a facelift to ensure that the skin on the neck and face match as closely as possible. A neck lift can be done as a separate procedure in select candidates. There are several variations to a facelift ranging from a “mini”, “limited incision”, “skin only” and “standard”, depending on incision length and skin laxity. Dr. Kearney will discuss these options with you during your consultation and tailor the procedure to meet your specific needs.

Dr. Kearney will examine your hairline during your consultation to help determine incision placement, as well as discuss procedures that are often performed in conjunction with a facelift such as an eyelid lift or brow lift. Dr. Kearney prefers a natural look when it comes to facelifts. He doesn’t want his patients to look “worked on” but rather “refreshed”. People will often tell one of Dr. Kearney’s post facelift patients that they look great but can’t figure out exactly what they’ve done. Many people assume the patient has lost weight or gotten a really great haircut.

Procedure

Dr. Kearney can perform facelifts under local anesthesia with light sedation or general anesthesia if the patient prefers. He makes the incisions within the hairline and following the natural contour of inside and around the ear. Excess skin and tissue are pulled up and back and then removed. Dr. Kearney’s facelift tightens not only the excess surface skin, but the underlying muscle as well. After surgery, incisions usually fade to nearly unnoticeable or can be hidden by the hairline. Facelifts are performed as an outpatient procedure and you may go home the same day.

Recovery

Facelifts are performed as an outpatient procedure and you may go home the same day. You will most likely go home with an elastic bandage which wraps under your chin and around your head, dressings and possible drains which stay in overnight. Sutures are generally removed within 7-10 days and the majority of your bruising and swelling is gone within 7-10 days as well. Most patients return to work about10 days following a facelift and are back to normal activities within 3-4 weeks. Patients may experience a feeling of neck tightness and possible numbness for a few weeks.