Facelift (Rhytidectomy) Plastic Surgery in Coral Springs and Lighthouse Point, Florida with Board Certified Plastic Surgeon F. Leigh Phillips, M.D.

If you’re considering facelift plastic surgery……

As people age, the effects of gravity, exposure to the sun, and the stresses of daily life can be seen in their faces. Deep creases form between the nose and mouth; the jawline grows slack and jowly; folds and fat deposits appear around the neck.

Facelift plastic surgery (rhytidectomy) can’t stop this aging process. What it can do is “set back the clock,” improving the most visible signs of aging by removing excess fat, tightening underlying muscles, and redraping the skin of your face and neck. At his fully accredited in-office surgical suites in Coral Springs and Lighthouse Point, Florida, facelift plastic surgery can be done alone, or in conjunction with other procedures such as a forehead lift, eyelid surgery, or nose reshaping.

If you’re considering facelift plastic surgery with board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Leigh Phillips in South Florida, this page will give you a basic understanding of the procedure- when it can help, how it’s performed, and what results you can expect. It can’t answer all of your questions, since a lot depends on the individual patient. Please ask Dr. Phillips about anything you don’t understand.

The Best Candidates for Facelift Plastic Surgery

The best candidate for facelift plastic surgery is a man or woman whose face and neck have begun to sag, but whose skin still has some elasticity and whose bone structure is strong and well-defined. Most patients are in their forties to sixties, but facelifts can be done successfully on people in their seventies or eighties as well.

A facelift can make you look younger and fresher, and it may enhance your self- confidence in the process. But it can’t give you a totally different look, nor can it restore the health and vitality of your youth. Before you decide to have facelift plastic surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with Dr. Phillips.

All Surgery Carries Some Uncertainty and Risk

When a facelift is performed by a qualified plastic surgeon, complications are infrequent and usually minor. Still, individuals vary greatly in their anatomy, their physical reactions, and their healing abilities, and the outcome is never completely predictable.

Complications that can occur include hematoma (a collection of blood under the skin that must be removed by the surgeon), injury to the nerves that control facial muscles (usually temporary), infection, and reactions to the anesthesia. Poor healing of the skin is most likely to affect smokers.

You can reduce your risks by closely following Dr. Phillips’ advice both before and after surgery.

Planning Your Facelift Plastic Surgery

Facelifts are very individualized procedures. In your initial consultation Dr. Phillips will evaluate your face, including the skin and underlying bone, and discuss your goals for the surgery.

Dr. Phillips will check for medical conditions that could cause problems during or after surgery, such as uncontrolled high blood pressure, blood clotting problems, or the tendency to form excessive scars. Be sure to tell Dr. Phillips if you smoke or are taking any drugs or medications, especially aspirin or other drugs that affect clotting. Smokers should plan to stop smoking a minimum of two weeks prior to surgery.

If you decide to choose facelift plastic surgery with Dr. Phillips, he will explain the techniques and anesthesia he will use, the type of facility where the surgery will be performed, and the risks and costs involved. Don’t hesitate to ask Dr. Phillips any questions you may have, especially those regarding your expectations and concerns about the results.

Preparing for Your Facelift Plastic Surgery

Dr. Phillips will give you specific instructions on how to prepare for surgery, including guidelines on eating and drinking, smoking, and taking or avoiding certain vitamins and medications. Carefully following these instructions will help your surgery go more smoothly. If you smoke, it’s especially important to stop at least a week or two before and after surgery; smoking inhibits blood flow to the skin, and can interfere with the healing of your incision areas.

Whether your facelift plastic surgery is being done on an outpatient or inpatient basis, you should arrange for someone to drive you home after your surgery, and to help you out for a day or two if needed.

Where Your Facelift Plastic Surgery Will Be Performed

A facelift may be performed in a Dr. Phillips’ office-based facility, an outpatient surgery center, or a hospital. It’s usually done on an outpatient basis using twilight anesthesia. Certain conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure should be monitored after surgery, and may also require a short inpatient stay.

Types of Anesthesia

Most facelifts are performed under twilight anesthesia.

The Facelift Plastic Surgery

Facelift plastic surgery usually takes several hours-or somewhat longer if you’re having more than one procedure done. For extensive procedures, Dr. Phillips may schedule two separate sessions.

Incisions usually begin above the hairline at the temples, extend in a natural line in front of the ear (or just inside the cartilage at the front of the ear), and continue behind the earlobe to the lower scalp. If the neck needs work, a small incision may also be made under the chin.

In general, Dr. Phillips separates the skin from the fat and muscle below. Fat may be trimmed or suctioned from around the neck and chin to improve the contour. Dr. Phillips then tightens the underlying muscle and membrane, pulls the skin back, and removes the excess. Stitches secure the layers of tissue and close the incisions; metal clips may be used on the scalp.

Following surgery, a small, thin tube may be temporarily placed under the skin behind your ear to drain any blood that might collect there. Dr. Phillips may also wrap your head loosely in bandages to minimize bruising and swelling.

After Your Facelift Plastic Surgery

There isn’t usually significant discomfort after facelift plastic surgery; if there is, it can be lessened with the pain medication prescribed by Dr. Phillips. (Severe or persistent pain or a sudden swelling of your face should be reported to De. Phillips immediately.) Some numbness of the skin is quite normal; it will disappear in a few weeks or months.

Dr. Phillips may tell you to keep your head elevated and as still as possible for a couple of days after surgery, to keep the swelling down.

If you’ve had a drainage tube inserted, it will be removed one or two days after surgery. Bandages, when used, are usually removed after one to five days. Don’t be surprised at the pale, bruised, and puffy face you see. Just keep in mind that in a few weeks you’ll be looking normal.

Most of your stitches will be removed after about five days. Your scalp may take longer to heal, and the stitches or metal clips in your hairline could be left in a few days longer.

Getting Back to Normal

You should be up and about in a day or two, but plan on taking it easy for the first week after surgery. Be especially gentle with your face and hair, since your skin will be both tender and numb, and may not respond normally at first.

Dr. Phillips will give more specific guidelines for gradually resuming your normal activities. They’re likely to include these suggestions: Avoid strenuous activity, including sex and heavy housework, for at least two weeks (walking and mild stretching are fine); avoid alcohol, steam baths, and saunas for several months. Above all, get plenty of rest and allow your body to spend its energy on healing.

At the beginning, your face may look and feel rather strange. Your features may be distorted from the swelling, your facial movements may be slightly stiff and you’ll probably be self-conscious about your scars. Some bruising may persist for two or three weeks, and you may tire easily. It’s not surprising that some patients are disappointed and depressed at first.

Your New Look

The chances are excellent that you’ll be happy with your facelift-especially if you realize that the results may not be immediately apparent. Even after the swelling and bruises are gone, the hair around your temples may be thin and your skin may feel dry and rough for several months. Men may find they have to shave in new places-behind the neck and ears-where areas of beard- growing skin have been repositioned.

You’ll have some scars from your facelift, but they’re usually hidden by your hair or in the natural creases of your face and ears. In any case, they’ll fade within time and should be scarcely visible.

Having facelift plastic surgery doesn’t stop the clock. Your face will continue to age with time, and you may want to repeat the procedure one or more times-perhaps five or ten years down the line. But in another sense, the effects of even one facelift are lasting; years later, you’ll continue to look better than if you’d never had a facelift at all.