Facelift
A facelift is a commonly performed cosmetic procedure that will remarkably improve your look by restoring a more youthful appearance. The procedure is designed to restore a sagging jaw-line, blunted neck, and falling cheeks. There are many methods of performing facelifts (see below), with significant advancements made over the past 10 years. Dr. Steiger's advanced techniques are customized to your face. He strategically repositions the deeper tissues, placing no tension on the skin. This produces a natural looking result.
The goal of a facelift should be to restore your youthful appearance rather then make you look different. The result should appear natural . As a plastic surgeon dedicated to the face, Dr. Steiger is skilled at and performs the most advanced types of facelifts in order to achieve this result. He will carefully analyze your specific aging pattern in order to determine the most effective way to rejuvenate your face and the proper facelift for you. The right type of facelift will produce a natural , long lasting result.
Deep Plane Facelift- This type of face lift produces significant improvement in her jowels, marionette folds, and the definition of her neck and jaw. Dr. Steiger's deep plane lift also restores the position of fallen cheeks, producing a natural and youthful appearance.
Goals To remove jowls and wattles for a more refined jaw, smoother neck and contoured cheek.
The Procedure All incisions are hidden within the hair and/or existing facial creases. The type of facelift performed is custom tailored to each individual patient (see types of facelifts). This is determined after a thorough discussion, facial analysis and examination; evaluating your desires, unique facial structure, anatomy and specific pattern of aging.
Anesthesia Deep sedation/twilight sleep is preferred, however some patients opt for a general anesthetic.
Length of Time A facelift takes between 2-4 hours to perform, depending upon the type of lift. It is performed in our state of the art, fully accredited outpatient surgical facility or at the hospital. Other procedures can be combined with a facelift, and may be recommended after a detailed consultation with Dr. Steiger.
After the Procedure Most patients go home comfortably on the same day and are cared for by their family and/or friends. Professional in-home nursing care is available upon request. Overnight suites with professional nursing care are also available. Our friendly staff will assist you in coordinating these services upon request.
Recovery Recovery time ranges between 1-3 weeks. Depending on your type of work, you may return as early as 1 week. Full, strenuous physical activity should be avoided for 2 weeks after the procedure. Bruising can occur after surgery, which may be camouflaged with makeup. This generally resolves after 2 weeks. Most patients do not experience any real pain after surgery, but describe a discomfort from the feeling of tightness. We will prescribe analgesics to help alleviate this.
The term facelift (rhytidectomy/rhytidoplasty) can often be very confusing to patients. This is because there are many portions of the face that can be "lifted" (see Facial Aging section). In plastic surgery textbooks and in Dr. Steiger's practice, the term facelift (rhytidectomy) generally refers to a "lift" of the lower one-third of the face and the neck. This is performed to correct sagging jowls and neck redundancy (double chin), which develop as we age. A facelift restores a youthful appearance by recreating a well-defined jaw line, smooth neck, and contoured cheek.
No. There are many different methods/techniques for performing facelifts. A facelift performed by one physician is not necessarily the same as one performed by another.
A deep plane face lift was performed on this woman to give her a more youthful appearance. Notice the significant improvement in her jawline and cheeks. Dr. Steiger aims to maintain a natural appearance with his facelift technique.
Most patients are not aware that there are many different ways in which a facelift can be performed. It was not too long ago when surgeons would perform facelifts by cutting out a portion of the skin and tightly sewing it back together. Unfortunately, this resulted in an unnatural "pulled" appearance, sometime called a "windswept" look.
Modern techniques focus on repositioning the deeper facial tissue. This deeper tissue is called the SMAS, sometimes referred to as the "muscle layer." Modern techniques vary based upon where and how the SMAS is treated. Newer techniques of performing facelifts in a deeper plane insure a nonsurgical natural appearance to the face. These techniques may also provide greater longevity than traditional facelift surgery.
SMAS stands for the Superficial Muscular Aponeurotic System. This is the tissue layer that surrounds the deep tissue of the face and neck. The effects of aging and gravity results in sagging of the deep facial tissues. Since the SMAS surrounds all of these tissues, elevating the SMAS will restore your face to a more youthful position.
The type of lift performed makes all the difference. Basically, facelift techniques vary by the types/length of the incisions, the direction in which the deep tissues are repositioned, the portions of the SMAS tightened, the direction of the lift, and whether or not the facial ligaments are released and repositioned.
There are several different facelift techniques, which differ based upon how the deep tissues (SMAS) are lifted.
SMAS Facelift This is a general term which refers to a technique in which the SMAS layer is lifted. In this type of lift, the SMAS is usually treated close to the ear and farthest away from the sagging tissues. Tissue elevation with this technique occurs furthest away from the jowel and sagging tissues, limiting the results.
Extended SMAS Facelift In this technique, the SMAS is lifted closest to the jowel and sagging tissues. Dr. Steiger performs his SMAS lift in an almost vertical direction in order to produce a natural appearance.
Deep Plane Facelift The deep plane facelift is similar to the extended SMAS facelift, but also includes elevation of the cheek fat (mid-face).
Vertical Facelift The vertical lift is a revolutionary face lift technique where the deep tissue is elevated in a straight vertical direction.
All of them!
Aging, just like health, is significantly impacted by our unique genetic makeup and physical environment. This is what distinguishes us from each other, and is why we each age differently. During your detailed consultation, Dr. Steiger will evaluate your unique aging pattern in order to determine which type of facelift will serve you best. As a plastic surgeon dedicated to the face, he is skilled with the most advanced techniques aimed to create a natural and more youthful appearance for you.
A facelift is designed to treat the jowls and the neck. The deep plane facelift can also lift the midface as well.
Click on this facelift results video to see a detailed explanation of before and after photos of a deep plane facelift surgery.