The 4 Essential Steps of a Facelift Procedure

If you have ever looked in the mirror and wished you looked like you did 25 years ago, you’re not alone. The difference is some women and men decide to do something about it, and they have a facelift procedure. If you have been wondering about what it entails, let’s enumerate the 4 essential steps of a facelift procedure.

Step #1 Deciding on the Anesthesia

You actually have a choice of what kind of anesthesia you prefer. Of course, always ask Dr. Wendy Gottlieb what they recommend for your specific type of procedure.

When undergoing plastic surgery, patients are usually given one of the following types of anesthesia:

• Local: Only the treatment area is numbed while the patient remains completely awake during the procedure. This method is typically used in more minor treatments such as injections.
• IV sedation: Sedatives enter the body through an IV in the patient’s arm. Individuals will become a bit sleepy when the sedative is administered, but will remain awake throughout their procedure.
• General anesthesia: This type of anesthesia is used during many different surgical procedures, and will sedate the patient to the point that they are fully unconscious throughout their treatment.

Step #2 The Incisions Are Made

There are a few variations on the particular incisions your plastic surgeon will make depending on what type and how extensive your face lift is going to be.

With a traditional face lift, the incision begins in the hairline at the temples and winds down around the ear before ending at the lower scalp. A second incision might be needed under the chin area to improve and smooth a sagging neck.

Shorter incisions can be made at the temples that then proceed around the ear for a mini lift.

A more limited incision is used on a neck lift, which concentrates on the jowls and loose neck skin under the chin. This incision begins in front of the ear lobe and goes around to the hairline at the back of the ear.

Step #3 Closing the Incisions

Sutures are used to close the incisions, which will need to be removed by Dr. Wendy Gottlieb at a later appointment, or a dissolvable version can also be utilized to make this process more convenient for the patient.

Step #4 Enjoy the Results

As long as you have a board-certified surgeon like Dr. Wendy Gottlieb to perform your face lift, you will notice a refreshed and more youthful look.

The swelling and bruising will diminish with time and that younger person will be staring back at you in the mirror afterward. You will notice lifted and tightened facial tissue, much smoother folds and wrinkles, and a significant reduction in fat tissue.

Selecting an experienced board certified surgeon greatly reduces the chance of complications from the anesthesia, infection, scarring, blood clots or a poor result.

If you are sick of looking tired all the time and looking older than you feel, maybe a facelift is the exactly what you need.

Contact Dr. Wendy Gottlieb if you are ready to discuss your treatment options, and to learn more about the types of facelift procedures they offer!

As always, if you have any further questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please call (703) 668-9499 or request an appointment online today!