Facelift

Facelift Surgery

Aging of the face is a process that involves many factors, the two primary being the downward pull of gravity and the loss of fullness (fatty tissue) in the face.

While gravity causes jowls to form, due to sagging in the jawline, it also causes the neck to droop to produce something called “turkey neck”. Alternatively, the loss of fatty tissue can accentuate the “smile lines” and cause hollow appearance under the cheeks and around the eyes.

Before & After

Improved neck and jawline after facelift.

The Allure Approach to Facial Surgery

Each person ages differently, so we adopt an individualized approach to ensure the best possible results. Each facelift and mini-facelift performed at our Staten Island, NYC facility is tailor-made to the patient's individual body and goals.

Dr. Miller and Dr. Heller are double board-certified and have trained under some of the top facial plastic surgeons in the country. They have brought their time-tested methods to Allure Plastic Surgery. To learn more, please book a free consultation at our office in NYC by calling (646) 844-5683 today.

Is A Facelift The Right Choice For Me?

When it comes to facelift surgery, those who are looking for a reliable plastic surgeon should consider a few important criteria before choosing a doctor. Seek out doctors who are willing to share their knowledge with you so that you’re a well-informed consumer.

Understanding your options and the benefits of various approaches is an important part of the decision-making process when it comes to facelift surgery.

Work with a plastic surgeon who will help you make the right choice when it comes to what you have done and the manner in which you proceed.

It is essential when choosing the doctor for your facelift that you work with someone who will treat you as an individual, customizing your surgery and providing you with the best options to achieve the results you desire.

To do that, the doctor must understand your primary concerns and desired results. With that as a starting point, the surgeon can work with you, explaining every aspect of the process, what to expect and offering a specific plan to address any and all issues.

While most facelifts utilize one of two primary methods, the full facelift and short scar procedures, your surgeon will likely be aware of other techniques that could be used to procedure the appearance you're looking for.

Dr. Miller and Dr. Heller will analyze your face during your consultation, and, together with your input, they will determine the best plan for your facial rejuvenation or facelift.

We use computer imaging to help you understand what a particular procedure might do for you. While a facelift and mini-facelift at our Staten Island, NYC office attempts to re-create what you looked like 10 years ago as naturally as possible, it's extremely important that our patients have realistic expectations about the procedure and its outcomes.

The Facelift Procedure

Facial surgery is performed in our accredited Staten Island, NYC surgery suite under either IV sedation or general anesthesia. Every effort is made to make the procedure undetectable.

The incision is started in the hairline and when it comes down toward the ear, it goes inside the ear a little bit.

This allows there to be no incision seen on the cheek. As it goes behind the ear, the incision stays in the crease and gently courses back into the hairline so it is hidden.

After the skin is lifted, the muscle and fatty tissue is significantly tightened. In the middle of the neck, excess fat is removed and the muscles are tightly sutured together. This treats the band that many patients have in their neck. Then, the excess skin is trimmed, while putting no tension on the skin.

Since there is no tension, the resulting incision lines should practically disappear. Also, since the skin is not pulled tight, our patients do not get that “wind-blown” appearance. When the surgery is complete, patients are discharged home the same day.

Which Facelift Procedure Is Right for Me?

We work very closely with each one of our patients, taking care to make sure we’re creating a treatment plan that is tailored to your individual goals, and we’ll help you choose your facelift procedure accordingly. We offer a variety of facelift procedures at our Staten Island, NYC facility, including:

Deep plane facelift
Mini-facelift (S-lift, or weekend facelift)
Necklift
Cheeklift
Threadlift

Different Types of Facelift

Deep Plane Facelift

The deep plane facelift lifts tissue in a deeper plane before tightening, giving consistently better results that are longer lasting, especially in patients with heavy jowls and neck. Recovery is the same, and if done correctly, has no greater risk than the SMAS facelift, and the deep plane lift is safer for patients who smoke (although it is preferable for all patients who smoke to quit smoking 30 days before a procedure).

Mini-Facelift

Also called an S-Lift or weekend facelift, mini-facelifts are only useful in a small percentage of the population. These procedures typically use shorter incisions, are done under local anesthesia, and have less recovery time than other types of facelifts performed in our New York offices. The skin is lifted a short distance, the deeper tissue is tightened, the excess skin is trimmed and the incision is closed. This procedure is useful in patients with minimal jowling and neck sagging.

Neck Lift

A neck lift, as its name implies, focuses only on the neck. This procedure would be done for a patient who has a heavy neck but no jowling. The incisions are not as long as a full facelift and recovery is shorter. Excess fat is removed from the central neck, and the muscle is tightened in the middle. The neck muscle is also tightened from behind, so a tight sling is created, allowing the neck to look much more youthful.

Cheek Lift

Different procedures can be done to lift the cheeks. Long stitches are placed under the skin of the face, neck, and eyebrow to lift sagging tissues. This produces a refreshed appearance without major surgery or anesthesia. The cheek lift procedure has been performed for several years and a nice, long-term improvement has been noted.

Thread lift procedures can easily be performed with fat injections, upper eyelid surgery, or chemical peels, all under local anesthesia, to provide a nice rejuvenation.

Recovery from a Facelift

After your facelift or mini-facelift surgery in Staten Island, NYC, you'll develop swelling and bruising, but the discomfort is usually minimal. Cold compresses will help the swelling, which will start to improve after a couple of days. Usually in seven to 10 days, you'll be able to go back to work.

Since the incisions are carefully hidden, it should be difficult for anyone to notice you had surgery performed. Other people may think you had a relaxing vacation or that you changed your hair. Strenuous activity should be avoided for two to three weeks.

Board Certified Surgeons

Combining a Facelift with Other Procedures

We pride ourselves on our ability to customize our treatments and ensure that you're getting exactly ther results you've been hoping for. The facelift procedure can be done by itself or in conjunction with other procedures. Take a look:

Fat injections are often done at the same time to improve the smile lines and creases between the nose and lips. This improves the loss of fullness that occurs with facial aging.
A cheek lift can raise the sagging cheeks at the same time as a facelift.
Eyelid surgery and brow lifting can also be done to completely rejuvenate your face. Let’s look at some examples.

Case #1

This patient only wanted improvement of the neck and jawline. Her face is still fairly full, so it doesn’t need fat injection, and she was still happy with her eyes. We performed a facelift, and you can easily see the nice improvement of the jawline and neck.

Case #2

This patient not only desired improvement in the neck and jawline, but also the folds between the nose and lips and the heaviness around the eyes. For her, we performed a facelift plus fat injection, which gave her an excellent result.

Facelift FAQ

Do I need a neck lift for my loose skin?

A neck lift is the best procedure for improving the natural beauty of the neck by correcting loose skin and excess fat. Most people will notice loose skin when they turn their neck or chin in certain directions. If your neckline looks contoured in its normal position, you probably won’t benefit from a neck lift. There is no ideal age for neck procedures. As long as you are a good candidate, your age can range from early 20s to the elderly. To find out if you are a good candidate, speak with an experienced facial plastic surgeon in Manhattan or New York City.

Can I have a facelift at the age of 76?

A facelift is designed to improve signs of aging by correcting lax facial and neck skin, as well as removing excess fatty tissue from beneath the chin and jaw. The aesthetic results typically last 5-10 years, depending on the level of care you provide for yourself and your lifestyle. A facelift doesn’t stop aging however; your appearance will remain better than if you had never had the procedure. What’s more important than age when it comes to having a face lift is your health. If you can safely tolerate anesthesia, then why shouldn’t you feel better about the appearance of your face and neck? It’s important to participate in a consultation with a board certified facial plastic surgeon in New York who can address your concerns and identify if the addition of another procedure is necessary. If you have an above average amount of wrinkles laser resurfacing may be added at the same time to improve your results.

What do you do when a brow lift or facelift begins to sag?

The results of brow lift and facelift procedures usually last 5-10 years. The range reflects how differing levels of care and overall health affect how long the results last. Smoking, sunbathing constant weight fluctuations shorten the longevity of the pleasing aesthetic results face lift patients are initially left with. As time passes, you won’t begin to look “weird” as the goal of a good plastic surgeon is to give you a natural, rejuvenated appearance. Certain techniques such as a more vertical lift to tissues instead of a posterior pull allow for a pleasant aging process.

Learn More About Facelifts at Allure Plastic Surgery

Dr. Miller talks about the minimally-invasive procedures we offer.

Dr. Miller talks about his approach to facelift and necklift procedures.

To achieve the best results it’s very important to locate a NY facial plastic or plastic surgeon who has vast experience in face lifting. Please view some more facelift before-and-after pictures and contact Dr. Miller and Dr. Heller’s office for your free facelift consultation by calling (212) 661-2563 or completing our online contact form.

A.S.

Dr Heller and Staff were amazing. Truly felt comfortable and very relaxed and a surgery I was originally so nervous about. The staff was the best!!!! Hands down...

J.R.

Absolutely wonderful, trustworthy staff, especially Jackie. And Dr Heller himself is amazing. I would not go to anyone else or trust anyone else. He’s amazing a...

N.D.

BEST place to go to for any plastic surgery needs! Dr. Heller and his staff made me feel extremely comfortable especially since I never had any surgeries before...