Facelift

The Facelift (rhytidectomy) is a surgical procedure used to smooth the loose skin on your face and neck, and to reduce the most apparent signs of aging in the facial area, giving you a more youthful appearance. The procedure involves reducing the creases from the nose and mouth, the slacking jaw line and sagging jowls and fat deposits around the neck by removing excess fat and tightening underlying muscles, and redraping the skin on the face and neck. Though the procedure cannot give you a completely new look it can give you a younger, fresher look, and can also have a positive effect on your self-confidence.

The best candidates for a facelift are those who have:

- Face and neck skin which has begun to sag, but whose skin has elasticity and whose bone structure is strong and well defined.

-Loss of a well-defined jaw line

-Deep wrinkles in the cheeks

-Loose skin, wrinkles or excess fatty tissue in the neck

Dr. Treece performs a mini-facelift call the S-lift. It is associated with less swelling and bruising and therefore a quicker recovery. It may be combined with other procedures such as liposuction to the chin, lip enhancement or injection of fillers to plump out wrinkles or troughs around the mouth. The incisions are made into the hairline above the ear, down along the natural crease in front of the ear and extending up BEHIND the ear so the scars are virtually hidden. The scar extending back from the ear through the posterior hairline is NOT associated with this procedure, allowing you to wear your hair up without an obvious scar. Drains are not placed with this procedure.

After surgery you will wear a head band type bandage as instructed. Bruising, if any, will disappear in about 2 weeks. Some numbness may occur and it is normal for your face to "feel funny". A few stitches will be removed at the first post-op visit but don't fear-you won't feel a thing.

During a facelift, complications are infrequent and usually minor. As each individual varies greatly in their anatomy, physical reactions and healing ability, outcomes are never 100% predictable. Complications that may arise include a hematoma or collection of bloody fluid under the skin which we must drain, injury to facial nerves (usually temporary), infection, poor healing and scarring and reactions to medications or anesthesia. Smokers are more prone to complications.