Facelift (rhytidectomy) is a surgical operation which smoothes and tightens the loose skin on your face and neck, reducing the most apparent signs of aging or weight loss in these areas, giving you a more rejuvenated and youthful appearance. This operation reduces the depth and severity of the creases from the nose and mouth, the slacking jaw line, and sagging jowls. Excess fat from the neck and chin areas is removed, underlying muscles tightened, and the skin is redraped on the face and neck. Although a facelift cannot give you a completely new appearance, it can give you a younger, fresher look, and can have a positive effect on your self-esteem and confidence.

It seems that every few years there is some cosmetic surgeon somewhere that is offering a “breakthrough” in facelift surgery—variations in actual facelift operations, such as the “S-lift,” the “Lifestyles-lift,” mini-facelifts with shorter incisions and supposedly quicker recovery, or more recently, the Threadlift, Featherlift, Rejuvalift or other such name for barbed-suture techniques. Then there are the procedures that claim facial rejuvenation “without surgery” such as “Thermage,” “GentleWaves,” “Fotofacial,” and others. The latter are designed to appeal to those patients who want improvements without surgery (usually because of fears about anesthesia, bad scars, or surgery itself), whereas the former attract those patients who know they require some sort of surgical procedure but are hoping to reduce the scars, recovery, cost, or risk. Most intelligent consumers understand that whenever you try to get “Something for nothing,” or more accurately, “more improvement for less cost, scar, recovery, risk, etc.” this is generally marketing hype long on promise and short on delivery. Unfortunately, rather than improve the procedure to live up to the promise, what some do is raise the cost to “justify” the “uniqueness” or supposed desirability of the “breakthrough” technique or process, but what is enhanced is the feeling of disappointment and loss when the results fail to live up to the costs.

At Minneapolis Plastic Surgery, we have mastered the most advanced techniques of facelift surgery, and continue to refine and redefine what works best and gives the best results. It’s not that the above-mentioned procedures and techniques don’t “work.” Each of them does give some degree of improvement for varying degrees of cost, risk, scar, or recovery. In our own evaluation of each of these technologies or “improvements” in technique, we strive to determine what works and what doesn’t, and what fails to deliver or is just plain risky. We would encourage you to see one of our plastic surgeons for a complimentary consultation to discuss your wishes, your ideas, and anything you may have heard elsewhere. With combined thirty years of cosmetic surgery experience, Dr. Tholen and Dr. Gervais are absolutely comfortable discussing the pros and cons of each and every option, including our own recommendations. What you will receive is surgery based on patient-by-patient results, reputation by word-of-mouth and physician colleague referral, and actual results that you and we can be proud of.

Facelift incision are designed to hide in the normal folds and contours around the ear, extending from the scalp near the temple area, around the back of the ear, and then into the scalp high behind the ear to avoid visibility when healed. Support for the underlying facial muscles is not achieved by suturing the cheek to the earlobe, as this fails to secure the skin or deep tissues, and pulls the ear forward and abnormally low, leaving a widened visible scar in front of the earlobe, as well as an unnaturally-pulled “pixie” earlobe. Careful support of the deep tissues to the temporal and mastoid fascia with soft, non-dissolving sutures not only gives long-lasting deep-tissue support and lifting, but also allows healing of the skin incisions without tension and with the least-visible scars. A small incision under the chin allows the fat in this area to be removed, and the underlying neck muscles to be tightened, rejuvenating one of the most important areas to be addressed in the facelift/necklift patient. After surgery you may have one or more tiny drain tubes to allow fluid or blood to escape from under the skin, as well as a well-padded bandage for a day or two. The bandage and tubes are removed by the second day in most cases, when our staff performs a complimentary hair wash and blow dry, after which you will be fitted with a stylish elastic chin strap to help reduce swelling. Head elevation and avoidance of strenuous activities is critical for two weeks after surgery to minimize swelling or bleeding under the skin, which can compromise your results. All sutures are removed by the seventh to tenth day, and most patients are suitable for social contact by two weeks after surgery. Of course, some swelling or residual bruising may take longer to resolve completely, and scars fade over time. Some numbness is normal, and improves as healing progresses. This multi-layered approach to muscle layer and skin tightening, as well as fatty tissue sculpture, gives a natural youthful look that lasts as long as possible for each patient, and much longer than all of the “lunchtime lift” or “fast recovery” techniques.

We do offer short or limited-incision facelift techniques that work, and continue to evaluate and determine what can be safely and effectively done to reduce scars, healing, or costs.

Since facelift surgery is real surgery, there are always risks or the potential for complications. All the years of experience mentioned above do not eliminate the need for care and individual attention to detail, nor do they guarantee a specific result. Since each individual varies in his or her anatomy, physical reactions, and healing abilities, outcomes are never 100% predictable. This is further affected by patient compliance with requirements and recommendations. You must absolutely avoid aspirin or ibuprofen-containing medications, Aleve™, additional vitamin E (the amount in a daily multivitamin is OK), or herbal preparations of any kind a full two weeks before and after surgery, as these can increase the risk of bleeding requiring reoperation. You must also avoid tobacco or nicotine (including gum, patches or sprays) two weeks prior to surgery, as even one cigarette or exposure to second-hand smoke can cause loss of circulation, dead skin, and prolonged dressing changes, skin graft, or additional surgery, and the loss of your cosmetic result. Facial nerve damage is very rare and usually temporary, as is infection. Most complications are minor, infrequent, and resolve with proper attention.

Our goal is to provide the most up-to-date, innovative, and proven techniques that will delight our facelift patients, whether they undergo just a facelift, or add forehead (brow) lifting, eyelid surgery, or rhinoplasty (nose) enhancement.

For more information, or to schedule a complimentary consultation with one of our plastic surgeons, please call: 763-545-0443