If the onset of age has brought on wrinkles, droopy skin or unwanted fat deposits through your lower face particularly, you may be considering a facelift. A facelift can help combat the more advanced signs of aging to give you a younger-looking reflection.
Dr. Ricardo A. Meade is a board certified plastic surgeon and facelift specialist serving the entire Dallas-Ft. Worth metro area, with offices in Dallas and Plano, Texas. In addition to facelifts, Dr. Meade offers a full range of facial cosmetic surgery procedures for both men and women, and has helped thousands of patients feel more confident about their appearance.
Also known as a rhytidectomy, a facelift gently tightens the skin and lifts the underlying fatty tissues and muscles, restoring a more youthful and toned look throughout your lower face. A facelift can be a great option for men and women who feel their outer appearance no longer accurately reflects their inner vitality. Sometimes, a facelift can be combined with eyelid surgery to rejuvenate the upper face as well.
Please contact us online or call 214.823.1691 for more information on facelift surgery at our Dallas or Plano plastic surgery offices. We encourage you to view facelift photos in our real patient before and after photo gallery to get a better sense of what this procedure can achieve.
Your Consultation
In your consultation, you will have the chance to thoroughly discuss your goals, available options and the components of a facelift with Dr. Meade in order to see the best possible results after surgery. Upon gaining an understanding of your hopes for the procedure, Dr. Meade will explain the impacts and benefits of facelift surgery, as well as how best to maintain your results. You will also be provided with a cost estimate for your facelift with detailed price information.
Preparing for Surgery
In the weeks before surgery, Dr. Meade will likely request further medical evaluations or laboratory testing. He may ask you to stop taking certain medications or supplements, and you will need to stay hydrated and refrain from smoking, drugs and drinking alcohol.
The Face Lift Procedure
A facelift specifically addresses prominent signs of aging in the face and neck, such as sagging and loose skin around the cheeks and mid-face, significant jowling or a fallen lower face.
Dr. Meade offers three facelift options:
- In a complete facelift, discreet incisions are made along the hairline, and the muscles and fatty tissue are repositioned before finally tightening and redraping the skin.
- The limited facelift requires shorter incisions, and only tightens the skin without repositioning muscles or tissue.
- During a neck lift, an incision is made behind the ears to remove loose, sagging skin and fatty deposits in the neck area.
In some cases, these more complex surgeries may be combined with medical grade skin care for even longer-lasting results, or nonsurgical treatments like BOTOX® Cosmetic injections or dermal fillers for improving signs of aging in the upper face and forehead. Dr. Meade will go over more specifics of these options as well as discuss the choice he feels is best for you during your consultation.
Recovery and Results
Recovery from a facelift is a little different for everyone and varies according to the type of facelift performed, although most patients can expect minimal pain after surgery and only mild bruising and swelling. Typically, our patients are comfortable enough during recovery that they don’t even finish a prescription of 40 pain pills. To avoid complications, it’s important to strictly follow Dr. Meade’s post-surgical instructions.
Dr. Meade may insert a drain, to be removed the morning after surgery, as well as give instructions on lymphatic massaging that should be practiced for a few days. He usually recommends that you avoid vigorous activity for 2 or 3 weeks, and plan to wear shirts you can button or fasten instead of pulling them over your head.
You should see an immediate difference in your face after surgery, although your results will continue to become more apparent as swelling subsides. For the best facelift results, Dr. Meade advises maintaining a healthy lifestyle and taking care to protect your skin from the sun so that you can enjoy your new look for many years to come.