Your face is the mirror of your soul. If you are concerned about looking years older than your actual age, a facelift may be the answer. The facelift is a popular choice for addressing facial wrinkles and is the fourth-most-commonly performed procedure in the United States.

A facelift can trim away excess skin and can remove and alter deeper underlying fat and muscle tissue, effectively removing wrinkles and creases. Your jawline and side profile can be corrected, too, taking years off your skin!

What Causes Wrinkles?

Wrinkles and creases can be caused by many factors:

  • Family History: Rough skin texture and wrinkles are some of the conditions that can be inherited from parents.
  • Free Radical Damage: Smoking, alcohol, certain medications or drugs, and a bad diet rich in sugars and harmful fats are some of the factors that can cause free radical damage. The process is very much like how rust develops on iron exposed to air for a long time. Excess unstable oxygen radicals are created in the body because of the above reasons. The radicals damage other healthy cells in the body, setting up a cycle of destruction. The skin cells on the face are prone to this damage as well, resulting in wrinkles.
  • Exaggerated Expressions: People who are very expressive in terms of using their facial features to emote tend to develop more creases, lines, and wrinkles.
  • Squinting: If you squint and frown frequently, wrinkles around the face and eyebrows tend to develop.
  • Stress: Excessive mental and physical stress can release certain stress hormones that make the skin age faster.
  • Environmental Pollution: Smoke, dust, and exposure to sunlight are other causes of wrinkles.

Whatever the causes, wrinkles don’t look appealing. You can easily get rid of them with the facelift procedure.

How Is A Traditional Facelift Performed?

The traditional facelift procedure involves the following steps:

The plastic surgeon first makes an incision starting from the hairline near the temple. The incision goes around the ear and ends behind the ear at the scalp. To correct any jowls or a sagging jawline, another incision may be created on the chin.

The surgeon then lifts the skin up and removes excess fat. Deeper tissues may also be tightened, repositioned, and sutured. Extra skin is trimmed, and the remaining skin is redraped and tightened.

Dressings are applied, and they will be removed after a couple of days. Sutures may be self-dissolving; these will not need to be removed.

When Can I Resume Normal Activities?

You may be sent home the same day as your procedure after a period of observation. You can resume most activities at home. Avoid heavy exercise and other strenuous activities for a period of one month or until you are completely healed.

The results are long lasting and permanent – you will be able to enjoy younger-looking skin that is taut and smooth for years to come!

Have You Made Your Appointment?

Have you made an appointment for a facelift consultation with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Alexander Golger? Contact our office today to get started on your road to more youthful looks.