Best Deep Plane Facelift in New York City

More about facelifts

How is a facelift performed?

The facelift surgery can be performed in Dr. Kassir's office or an accredited surgical center. The patient is usually given a local anesthetic or sedative for the facelift procedure. An incision is made around the temple along the hairline and goes down to the earlobe. An additional incision is made underneath the chin to tighten the skin of the neck. The skin is then separated from the muscle and fat, and the fat may be trimmed or sucked out via liposuction. Dr. Kassir then takes the SMAS (Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System) and releases it from it's deep attachments in a deep plane. He then repositions it at a higher, more youthful level. Tightening and repositioning the SMAS in this manner gives the jawline a sleeker look, and firms the neck. The skin is then pulled back over the area of the incision and the excess skin is removed with a laser or knife. The incision is then closed with stitches, sutures, or tissue glue. The stitches are placed within the hairline so they are hidden. The surgery takes about 2 to 4 hours depending on the extent of muscle and tissue work. The incisions are hidden in the hairline and behind the ear. See our recent blog post for some examples.

There are also other methods to achieve a younger-looking face, that require less time to recover, such as the K-lift™ or liquid facelift with Restylane, Perlane, Belotero, Radiesse, Juvederm, Scultpra, Artefill, or fat.

Many other types of facial lifts are favorable including the mini-lift due to its short recovery time, the S-lift and the K-lift™ which focuses on the lower part of the face (neck and chin), mid-facelift which includes small incisions in the hairline, above the ear, and inside the mouth, and the Tissue-glue facelift which uses tissue glue to seal the incisions made. Some non-surgical techniques are also available with lower costs and fewer risks. Thermage or Thermacool uses radio frequency to activate the body's natural collagen and causes the skin to tighten and contract. This technique is best used for slight wrinkles, and the results can last from six months to two years. Ultherapy uses sound waves to achieve facial and neck tightening. Another alternative is the ThreadLift or FeatherLift, which involves inserting a needle with a surgical thread (or a non-absorbable suture) into the skin. The thread is then pulled tight, and the muscle and tissue tighten with it. This technique leaves no scars, and the thread remains in the body. Some risks of facelifts include infection, scarring, reaction to anesthesia, hematoma, damage to facial nerves, necrosis, and alopecia at the incision site. These risks are minimal, and the procedure results in a younger-looking you

What is the recovery process like after a facelift?

Most people need about two weeks to recover from a facelift. During this time, you will likely have some swelling and bruising. You may also feel tightness in your face and some numbness. These side effects are temporary and will gradually improve as you heal. To help with swelling, you'll be instructed to sleep with your head elevated for the first week or so after surgery. You should also avoid strenuous activity during your recovery period.

The most important thing to remember after a facelift is patience. The body takes time to heal, and your face will look worse before it looks better. Your face may feel tender and tight after the surgery, and there will be discomfort, swelling, and bruising. Dr. Kassir can prescribe painkillers to alleviate the pain and antibiotics to fend off infection. You should be up and about in a few days, and be sure to walk around 3 to 4 times a day to increase circulation and prevent blood clots. The bruising and swelling will subside, and you should be fine in about two weeks. Full recovery, however, may take 1 to 4 months. Do not bend over or lift heavy objects until Dr. Kassir gives the all-clear. Also, stay away from saunas, steam rooms, alcohol, aspirin, and ibuprofen. If Incisions were made in the mouth, consult Dr. Kassir on what to eat until your recovery is completed. Sleep with your head elevated on a pillow and as still as possible. If you experience any extreme pain, excessive redness, or elevated temperature, contact Dr. Kassir immediately.

After your rhytidectomy facelift surgery, Dr. Kassir will wrap the incisions in light bandages. On the next day, your hair can be carefully washed, and the sutures will be removed a week later.

At first, you may experience swelling, numbness, bruising, and a feeling of tightness or tension in the face and neck. Recovery will be noticed usually within 3-6 weeks, and sensation typically returns to normal within a few months. Scars become less red, raised, lumpy, or itchy in time.

Am I a good candidate for a facelift?

If you're considering a facelift, you likely have one or more of the following and are bothered by it:

Signs of an aging face:

1. Wrinkly skin: Over time your skin's natural collagen and elastin begin to break down, which causes wrinkles, lines, folds, and a sagging look. A facelift can help with the sagging skin, but problems such as lines and wrinkles can be better addressed with injectable fillers and good skin care.

2. Sunken eyes: As fat under the eyes starts to descend, your face develops a more sunken look. This looks like a loss of volume around the cheeks and can be fixed most efficiently with a blepharoplasty, small amounts of fat grafts, or injectable fillers as a non-surgical option. Your blepharoplasty can be performed at the same time as your facelift.

3. A saggy jawline: When the jawbone loses density over time, there is less of a structure for the skin to hang on to, therefore the skin begins to sag. To correct this, the loose skin must be excised, and the remaining skin must be tightened by a facelift.

4. Bone changes: With time, the density and volume of the bones in the face begin to decrease. This makes the eyes appear sunken, the jawline becomes less defined, and the cheeks appear flatter. A facelift can help with these changes.

5. Loss of volume: As your face begins to lose fat, the skin begins to droop. The more fat that is lost, the more pronounced folds and lines are. Fat can be taken from different areas and added during your facelift to add more volume. Fillers can also be injected before or after surgery to give your face more volume.

- People who have loose, sagging skin on their face

- People who have deeper wrinkles and folds

- People who want very natural-looking results

What are the different types of Facelifts?

• The SMAS (Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System) Facelift is the traditional facelift that pulls up the SMAS layer and is effective for those with jowls and skin laxity. Dr. Kassir's SMAS facelift works to lift and tighten the lower face and neck muscles as well as the skin to produce a more defined jawline and rejuvenated lower face

• The Deep Plane Facelift is a modification of the traditional facelift that works more effectively on the midface areas such as nasolabial folds. During surgery, Dr. Kassir lifts the fat pads and muscles of the cheeks to restore volume and youth in the midface region.

• The Endoscopic Facelift is a minimally invasive technique using small cameras to guide instruments and allows for lifting the midface and brow. It is most effective for patients seeking to make moderate corrections to a downturned mouth, sagging cheeks, hollowing under eyes, or a drooping forehead. Incisions are only about one inch long and are typically made above the hairline and/or behind the ear, resulting in hidden sutures, a quick recovery time, and almost scarless incision sites.

• The Midface Lift is a procedure to specifically target the areas of aging in the midface; the areas between the cheekbones. Dr. Kassir's midface lift is performed endoscopically to reposition the malar fat pads in the cheek area to restore volume in the midface.

• The Mini Facelift is related to the traditional facelift but involves smaller incisions behind the ear and focuses on adjusting the skin. The best candidates for a Mini Facelift are patients who are just starting to show signs of aging and seek to tighten their skin, reduce sagging, and reduce nasolabial through a minimally invasive procedure.

• The Tissue-glue Facelift is a technique that uses fibrin, a safe biological agent, to close incisions as opposed to sutures.

What are the risks of facelift surgery?

As with any surgery, there are risks associated with facelift surgery. These risks include:

• Bleeding

• Infection

• Swelling and bruising

• Facial nerve damage

• Skin loss

• Scarring

• Anesthesia risks

• Blood clots

If you want to restore your youthful appearance, let us help you take the first steps.
Set up your deep plane facelift consultation.
We look forward to talking to you.