A facelift can literally give your face a lift, restoring a more youthful appearance, smoothing fine lines and wrinkles, and giving you a boost in your self-confidence. Today, more than ever before, facelift techniques and technologies have advanced so that the surgery itself is painless and patients experience only slight discomfort during their recovery.
As you approach your facelift, you’ll naturally be flooded with a mind full of questions about the pre-surgery period, the procedure itself, recovery, results, and more. We want to help with that.
Up ahead, we’ve listed some of the most frequent questions we receive from patients. Please browse these questions and answers to help prepare you as you move toward facelift surgery and your first consultation appointment with Dr. Mason.
Before and After Facelift FAQs
1. How much does a facelift cost?
You won’t be able to receive an accurate estimate for your facelift cost until we are able to meet with you in person. At your consultation appointment, Dr. Mason will go over your goals for surgery, discuss your medical history with you, and assess your anatomy. At this point, she’ll be able to give you a price quote for the cost of surgery.
2. What should I do to prepare for my facelift surgery?
Some patients will require additional testing before they can be cleared for facelift surgery. This will depend on your overall health and the assessment that your plastic surgeon gives at your consultation appointment.
If you are a smoker, you need to stop smoking completely at least a few weeks before surgery and after surgery. Take time off work. Prep meals that will be easy to make while you are healing. Get all of your grocery shopping done. Collect things you’ll need on-hand so that they are close by. And finally, set up a comfortable recovery space in a central area of your home.
3. Is a facelift painful?
Facelift surgery should not be painful during the procedure. After surgery, you will have some soreness. Plastic surgeons regularly prescribe pain medication to help ease discomfort.
4. Can men get facelift surgery?
Absolutely. This is a male female procedure that is available to any qualifying adult.
You should be a non-smoker and in good health. All patients must attend a consultation appointment before being scheduled for surgery.
5. How long is the recovery period after a facelift?
Most facelift recovery periods last around one to two weeks. During this time, take it easy. Do not exercise or lift anything heavy. Stay home and rest, but do take frequent gentle walks to maintain good circulation and avoid a blood clot.
Wear your compression garments and/or bandages as directed, sleep as directed, and eat healthy meals and snacks. Drink plenty of water, and do not smoke or consume excess alcohol.
6. Will there be visible scars after a facelift?
Facelift scars are rarely noticeable. Incisions are made within the hairline most of the time. These will be covered by the hair and will also flatten and fade with time.
7. How do mini facelift results differ from deep plane facelift results?
A mini facelift only corrects a small amount of loose skin and fine wrinkles on the face. A deep plane facelift tightens and smooths the skin but also addresses the underlying muscles and tissues. We invite you to look up mini facelift before and after photos and deep plane facelift before and after photos to see examples.
8. What are the risks of a facelift?
While rare, there are some facelift risks to be aware of, just as with any surgery. These include infection, fluid building, excessive bleeding, scarring, poor results, and others. Talk with your surgeon about risks at your consultation appointment.
9. Can facelift surgery be combined with other procedures?
Yes. To begin with, many patients will combine an upper or lower facelift surgery with a neck lift to reduce excess skin on the neck.
Facial rejuvenation surgery can also be combined with laser skin resurfacing, upper blepharoplasty (upper eyelid surgery), lower blepharoplasty (lower eyelid surgery), brow lift surgery, fat transfer (fat grafting) procedures, a lip lift, and other cosmetic procedures.
10. How long do facelift results last?
Full results should be visible between three and six months post op. After that, most patients are able to enjoy their facelift benefits for many years.
Do keep in mind that each patient is unique, however. Unfortunately, we cannot stop time, so the aging process will continue. We invite you to look up some before and after photos to see examples.
When looking through the pictures, filter cases by qualities that match your situation. See how face and neck lift results look on various people, and try to find someone with similar target treatment areas.
Book Your Consultation with Dr. Mason Today
Are you ready to give your face a more youthful appearance and glow? Dr. Mason and her experienced team are here to help guide you through the process of facelift surgery.
Give us a call today to schedule your consultation appointment with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Rachel Mason. We look forward to your call.