A facelift is one of the most effective ways to reverse the effects of aging on your face. With strategic incisions and modifications, Dr. Erickson can take a decade or more off your face, reintroducing you to your youthful self.
Primary Facelift
The Erickson Difference
With hundreds of aesthetic plastic surgeries under his belt, Dr. Erickson is a highly-acclaimed facial plastic surgeon specializing in cutting-edge techniques. He takes a personalized approach to facelifts to ensure your results match your anatomy and goals. Instead of transforming your facial appearance, he focuses on subtle changes to restore your youthful appearance, making you look how you looked a decade ago. The goal is to make you look elevated, not different.
What is Primary Facelift?
A facelift, also known as rhytidectomy, is a cosmetic procedure to improve the appearance of the face. The procedure typically includes the removal of excess skin and fat and the tightening of facial muscles. The plastic surgeon makes incisions along the hairline and behind the ears to trim away excess skin, remove excess fat deposits, and tighten the underlying facial muscles, taking decades off your face. The term “primary facelift” refers to an individual’s first facelift.
Types of Facelift
Mini Facelift
A mini facelift, sometimes called a weekend facelift, is a less invasive version of a standard facelift with smaller incisions, and the recovery period is shorter and less painful. A mini facelift can address moderate signs of aging, such as sagging skin and wrinkles, but it won’t address more serious concerns, such as deep facial creases between your nose and mouth.
Lower Facelift
A lower facelift is a type of facelift that targets the lower part of your face. The incisions for a lower facelift typically extend down in front of the ear and continue behind the earlobe to the lower scalp. A lower facelift can improve the appearance of a saggy jawline and jowls. It can also tighten the skin of the neck.
SMAS Facelift
A SMAS facelift, also known as a two-layer facelift, is the most extensive and comprehensive type of facelift available, suitable for patients with extreme skin laxity. This procedure involves tightening the SMAS layer of muscles underneath the skin tissues to make the face look more firm and contoured. It can also help with a sagging jawline and jowls.
Revision Facelift
A revision facelift is performed to correct the results of a previous facelift. This may be necessary if you are not happy with the results of your original facelift or if your results have begun to fade over time. A revision facelift can also touch up your existing facelift. Revision facelifts should only be performed by highly-skilled facial plastic surgeons.
Goals of Primary Facelift:
- Removing deep facial creases and folds
- Reducing facial wrinkles and sagging skin
- Improving the jawline and neck contours
- Improving the quality and texture of the skin
- Enhancing and rejuvenating the under-eye region
- Improving the contours and appearance of the brows
- Improving overall facial contours
- Removing sagging folds of facial skin
Dr. Erickson’s Primary Facelift Technique
Most people think of a facelift as a one-size-fits-all type of surgery. And while there are some common elements to the procedure, every patient is unique. Dr. Erickson offers a personalized primary facelift after thoroughly evaluating your facial anatomy, concerns, and goals. He determines the appropriate type of facelift for your needs, curates a personalized surgical plan, and walks you through every step of the procedure so you know what to expect.
Facelift surgery is performed under local or general anesthesia at our accredited surgical facility. Dr. Erickson makes incisions along the hairline, the natural crease of the ear, and behind the earlobes. Through these incisions, he gently lifts and repositions the underlying tissues and muscles, trims away excess skin, and removes excess fat deposits. In some cases, liposuction is used to remove fatty deposits from the neck and jowls, following which your skin is re-draped over the new facial contours.
A facelift takes 3 to 5 hours, but it can take longer if you combine other procedures.
Recovery After Primary Facelift
The side effects of a facelift can include bruising, swelling, tenderness, and numbness around the incision sites. This is usually worse in the first few days after the procedure, but the side effects can linger for several weeks or months. Pain is common in the first few days and can be controlled with medication. Sleeping with your head elevated for the first week or two to reduce swelling is important.
You will also have to wear special compression garments on your face to reduce facial swelling. Most patients can resume light activities and work after a week or two, but you must avoid strenuous activities and exposure to direct sunlight for 4 to 6 weeks to allow your incisions to heal and reduce the risk of infections. You must follow Dr. Erickson’s post-treatment recovery guidelines accurately to ensure optimal healing.
Dr. Erickson will offer you his personal number and support you throughout your recovery.
Candidates for Primary Facelift:
- Have loose skin, especially around the jawline and neck
- Have deep wrinkles, creases, or folds in the face
- Have excess fat deposits around the jowls and jawline
- Have a “tired” look, even when they’re well-rested
- Have a sagging or jowly jawline
- Are usually in their late 50s and beyond
- Are nonsmokers or willing to stop smoking
- Have good skin elasticity
- Are in overall good health
- Have realistic expectations for what a facelift can achieve
Consult Dr. Erickson
Dr. Erickson is a highly-skilled, acclaimed, and reputable facial plastic surgeon with hundreds of successful plastic surgeries under his belt. He follows a patient-centered surgical plan to ensure you feel supported through every stage of your facelift surgery. Furthermore, instead of offering a cookie-cutter treatment, he personalizes each surgical plan to reverse the signs of aging on your face while ensuring safe, consistent, and subtle results. Please consult Dr. Erickson if you’re prepared to reverse facial aging.
