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Facial Rejuvenation Surgery
Conveniently located to serve Rockville, Annapolis, and McLean
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As the baby boomers are approaching middle age, more and more people are inquiring about facial rejuvenation surgery. The face and neck are common areas that show the effects of gravity, exposure to the sun, and the stresses of daily life. The areas of the face which are improved with face and neck lift surgery are the jowls, wrinkles of the cheek, and laxity of the neck, commonly exemplified by the turkey gobbler neck.
Good Candidates for Facial Rejuvenation Surgery
Indeed, the best candidates for a facelift can be either a female or a male whose face and neck have begun to sag, but whose skin has some remaining elasticity. The average age range currently for people seeking a facelift is in the mid ’40s. Perhaps this is due to the desire not to look 20 years younger, but rather to look rejuvenated before peoples’ friends and family are aware that they have had a surgical intervention to turn back the clock. Perhaps this is due to the downsizing seen in many large firms and the desire to attain a youthful appearance to remain competitive in the job market.
Regardless of the reason, facelift surgery has become more common amongst the younger patient population and more accepted as a right of passage, rather than frivolous self-indulgence. Facelifts can be done just as successfully in patients in their 70s or 80s as well, who wish to retain their youthful appearance. In most cases, facelift surgery will make you appear younger, but not give you a completely different look.
Potential Risks From A Facelift
The risks and complications associated with facelift surgery can be substantial. However, most complications are quite minor and infrequent. The major risk associated with facelift surgery includes hematoma or collection of blood underneath the skin that must be surgically removed. Injury to the nerves that motor the facial muscles can be seen in one of several thousands of patients.
Fortunately, this is usually a temporary phenomenon due to the extensive cross-over seen in facial nerve anatomy. Injury to the nerve that allows one to have feeling in the ear can also be seen, however, this is typically infrequent. Infections of the skin can also occur but are much more common in patients who smoke. Mild asymmetries after surgery are noted in some patients, but this will usually pass with time.
Planning Your Facelift Surgery
Planning facelift surgery in Rockville, Annapolis, and McLean is individual to every patient. Every person’s face ages differently. Some patients depict greater howling than others, while some patients have increased laxity of the neck or perhaps wrinkling on the cheeks. The area most difficult to improve with facelift surgery is the nasolabial folds or the crease where the cheek meets the area of the lips.
Testimonial
I had a great experience!!! The staff was very friendly and professional both in the surgery center and in the office. I felt very taken care of . My questions were always addressed and I knew I was in good hands. Dr. Cohen did an amazing job on my facelift. I could not ask for better results. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for the best!
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What to Expect During the Facelift Surgery
The types of anesthesia that can be used during facelift surgery vary from local anesthesia with intravenous sedation to complete general anesthetic. The choices frequently are left to the patient. When a facelift is combined with other longer procedures, such as a brow lift and upper and lower eyelid surgery, general anesthesia is often chosen.
The surgery for facelifts can be done in an office-based operating room, an outpatient surgery center, or a hospital. It is rare for patients to be hospitalized when facelifts are done as a sole procedure. The surgery itself can take three to four hours and longer if more procedures are being done at the same time.
The incisions for facelift surgery usually begin above the hairline at the temples and extend in front of the ear or just inside the ear cartilage. The incisions then continue behind the earlobe and then into the scalp or hairline. The surgeon then separates the skin from the underlying fat and muscle below. Excess fat, such as in the area of the jowls and neck, is removed either by direct excision or liposuction.
Most surgeons will also perform some type of procedure to tighten the underlying muscles of the face to give the facelift a longer-lasting effect. The average duration for which facelifts last is 5 to 10 years. This depends upon your underlying skin elasticity, your history of smoking, as well as the amount of sun damage that you had on your skin at the time of your first facelift.
Combining a Facelift With Other Facial Rejuvenation Procedures
It is quite common to combine facelift surgery with other areas of facial rejuvenation, such as upper and lower eyelid blepharoplasty, brow lift, lip lift, laser surgery, and chemical peels. Not all procedures can be combined at once due to the increased propensity of scarring when facelifts, for example, are combined with either full-face laser surgery or chemical peels. Staged procedures are then chosen.
What to Expect After a Facelift
Postoperatively, there is usually minimal discomfort associated with all facial rejuvenation surgery, which is easily relieved by modest pain medication. Some surgeons choose to use a drainage tube inserted through a separate incision, which is removed one or two days after surgery. Bandages are usually removed quite quickly after surgery and are usually there for padding.
Most patients can be seen in public for approximately 10 to 14 days. Strenuous activities should typically be avoided for at least two weeks after surgery. This is to help prevent the collection of blood underneath the areas of surgery, which can result from these strenuous activities.
In the immediate postoperative period, one’s features appear rather distorted due to swelling and bruising. Most patients are quite self-conscious about their scars and exhibit self-doubts about their initial motivations for surgery. It is also not uncommon to be upset with the physician in the immediate post-operative period for inflicting such trauma upon them in an elective fashion. These self-doubts typically take 10 to 14 days to dissipate and as the new, more youthful face emerges from the underlying bruising, most patients are quite delighted with the outcome.
Camouflage makeup can be worn relatively quickly to allow the patient to be seen in public. Most patients are delighted with the outcome of their facelifts and are thrilled with their new youthful appearance. It is important to remember that having a facelift only turns back the clock, but does not stop it. Revision is frequently necessary for 5 or 10 years to continue the lasting effects of facial rejuvenation surgery.
How Much Does Facial Rejuvenation Surgery Cost?
The cost of a Facial Rejuvenation Surgery in in Rockville, Annapolis, and McLean will depend on several factors. The price can be affected by body type, type of technique performed, surgical complications, and even allergies. Find out more by scheduling a consultation.
Contact Our Office
A facelift performed in Rockville, Annapolis, and McLean by a board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr, Barry Cohen, can help turn back the hands of time and allow you to reclaim your youthful appearance. If you’re interested in learning more about the surgery, contact our office to schedule an informative consultation today.
Procedures are performed by Dr. Barry Cohen, Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon with great interest in cosmetic surgery. Procedures conducted in Rockville MD, and McLean, VA.
