Conveniently located to serve Atlanta and Sandy Springs

At Monarch, our experienced surgeons perform facelifts for Atlanta and Sandy Springs patients. Time and various lifestyle factors can cause facial skin to become lax and harsh wrinkles to form, creating an aged look. Facelifts provide results that last much longer than non-surgical treatments like Botox and facials, making changes to the skin tissues and the deep underlying tissue layers. If you’re ready to restore a more youthful you, read on to learn more about what facelifts have to offer.

What Is a Facelift?

A facelift, or rhytidectomy, is a type of facial plastic surgery procedure performed to address signs of aging like excess lax skin and wrinkles in the mid and lower face. This trusted procedure can rejuvenate the appearance of areas like the jawline and cheeks, turning back the clock on aging.

The incisions created during this procedure are very small and are well-camouflaged. This ensures that the results look incredibly natural and are not marred by any prominent marks.

Facelift Benefits

Facelift surgery offers several benefits. As time passes, the skin of the face sags due to a decline in the amount of collagen protein produced by the body. By tightening this sagging facial skin, this procedure can make facial contours look firmer and more youthful.

A facelift can also greatly reduce the appearance of moderate and harsh midface wrinkles like smile lines, resulting in a smoother appearance for the skin. Additionally, the procedure can address drooping jowls, restoring a better-defined jawline. These changes create very natural-looking results that last for many years.

Pairing a Neck Lift with a Facelift

Numerous patients choose to pair their facelift procedure with a neck lift. This option is particularly appealing because of the comprehensive results that it creates, making a patient’s face and neck look much more youthful. It is an ideal choice for patients who are unhappy with sagging skin on their face and neck.

The neck lift requires a tiny incision beneath the chin. Small incisions may also be created behind the earlobes. The procedure involves reduction of excess skin, excess stubborn fat, and/or sagging muscles as needed. This contours and tightens the neck, addressing sagging skin, a double chin, and a turkey-wattle neck.

If you’re interested in pairing your facelift with a neck lift, this can be discussed during your consultation. Our surgeons will be happy to answer questions about this combination option.

Good Candidates

Many people are good candidates for a facelift. People who want to restore a youthful look to their facial contours are excellent candidates. Ideal facelift candidates have drooping cheek skin or have lost jawline definition. If you’re looking for a long-lasting way to reduce jowls and facial wrinkles like the nasolabial folds, parentheses lines, and marionette lines, this may be the ideal option for you.

The best candidates for rhytidectomy surgery are non-smokers or will quit before the procedure. Smoking greatly increases the risk of facelift complications and can result in a prolonged recovery period. This is due to the effects of smoking on the skin tissues and blood vessels. Because of this, it’s best to give the body several weeks to recover from nicotine’s effects before a facelift operation.

Facelift candidates must be in good overall health and must have realistic expectations in terms of the results that can be achieved. If you are interested in improvements in skin texture or a reduction in upper-face wrinkles, skin treatments or a brow lift may be better options than a facelift.

Why Choose Monarch Plastic Surgery and Skin Renewal Center for a Facelift Procedure?

At Monarch, plastic surgeons Dr. Carmen Kavali and Dr. Teri N. Moak have the experience and precision needed to provide you with subtle, elegant, and natural-looking facelift results.

Dr. Kavali, a dedicated and skilled board-certified plastic surgeon, has been named one of America’s Top Plastic Surgeons by the Consumers’ Research Council of America. She has delivered lectures on facial rejuvenation and has been published in a number of medical publications.

Dr. Moak, an experienced fellowship-trained board-eligible aesthetic plastic surgeon, studied in the Washington University Plastic and Reconstructive Residency Training Program, one of the top programs in the country. She has written textbook chapters and award-winning pieces in medical publications, and she serves on several committees for professional plastic surgery societies.

Our plastic surgeons are on staff at Northside Hospital and Perimeter Surgery Center. They have performed numerous facelift procedures for satisfied patients and are committed to the highest quality of patient care.

The Facelift Consultation

A consultation with one of our experienced plastic surgeons is the best way to communicate your facelift needs and goals. Clearly expressing your goals greatly increases the chances that you will be happy with your results.

During your consultation, you and your plastic surgeon will discuss your aesthetic goals in great detail, focusing on various key areas of your face, jawline, and neck. Your plastic surgeon will perform a physical examination of your face in order to gauge your skin thickness, elasticity, and overall health. She may also take several photos to serve as a reference.

Your surgeon will go over your complete medical history. She will ask you questions about any past procedures, along with allergies, underlying health conditions, and current medications and supplements. She will also ask about various lifestyle factors, such as tanning, drinking, and smoking.

If your plastic surgeon determines that you are a good candidate for a facelift, she will then talk to you about the details of the facelift process. She will go over the details of preparation and recovery in depth, ensuring that you have a full understanding of the process. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Next, she will create a surgical plan for your facelift, and a date will be set for the surgical session.

Preparing for a Facelift

Before the date of your facelift, you’ll need to prepare properly. This will involve first meeting with your plastic surgeon for an informative and comprehensive consultation. During this consultation, your plastic surgeon will give you full and detailed instructions regarding all preparation steps as they pertain to your specific case. You will also need to undergo a blood test.

It will be important to arrange in advance for a friend or a family member to give you a ride to the surgical appoint. They must also give you a ride home afterwards, since you will not be able to drive immediately following the procedure.

It will also be necessary to arrange in advance for help during the start of your facelift recovery process. Someone will need to stay with you and help out for the first two days. Assistance with petcare and childcare will be necessary, since you will not be able to do any bending over or heavy lifting for a time.

Additionally, you will need to contact your work and arrange for time off to recover. The details of your facelift will determine the exact amount of time off required. Generally, at least one to two weeks off will be required.

You may be asked by your plastic surgeon to make changes to the schedules and doses of certain medications you are currently taking. This will include avoiding NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and herbal supplements for at least two weeks before the facelift procedure, since these can result in increased bleeding during surgery.

Avoid smoking, drinking, and recreational drug use before the date of your procedure. These activities can cause major health complications during and after your facelift operation.

To make recovery as comfortable as possible, stock your bedroom with clean towels, washcloths, pillows, a thermometer, prescribed ointments, and gauze. Make sure you have you have plenty of button-down shirts on hand, since these will be much easier to put on and remove during recovery. You won’t want to shop while you’re healing, so it will be best to prepare all of this in advance.

If you’re feeling sick close to your surgical date, inform your plastic surgeon. A fever, cold, or flu can affect the surgical process, and it’s important for your surgeon to be aware of this in advance.

Don’t eat or drink anything after midnight prior to your facelift procedure in order to prevent any negative interactions with general anesthesia. The morning of the procedure, use a germicidal soap to wash your face and hair.

Facelift Techniques

Facelifts can be performed using a wide variety of techniques. During your consultation, you and your plastic surgeon will discuss these techniques, and she will recommend the ideal option for your specific needs and goals.

One facelift option for people with mild to moderate sagging skin and jowls is a SMAS plication facelift. The SMAS (superficial musculoaponeurotic system) layer is a layer of connective tissue, muscle, and fascia located between the skin layers and the facial muscles. Plication involves folding SMAS tissue and placing internal sutures, along with trimming away excess SMAS tissue. This process creates longer-lasting changes for patients.

Another facelift option is the deep plane facelift, also called the sub-SMAS facelift. This technique is best for people who have more extreme skin laxity and jowls. It involves lifting from beneath the SMAS layer, along with disconnecting tight facial ligaments. The deep plane facelift creates very impressive and long-lasting facial rejuvenation.

These techniques avoid the issues created by older techniques like the skin-only facelift. Skin-only facelifts created a “worked-on” appearance that looked unnatural. The newer methods lift from deep beneath the skin, ensuring a more natural-looking appearance.

The Procedure

The facelift procedure is usually performed under general anesthesia. This means that the patient is unconscious for the duration of the surgery and does not feel any pain or discomfort. At the start of a facelift, very small incisions are created near the ears. These curve around the earlobes to meet the hairline.

Next, the underlying tissues of the face are lifted, and the muscles are carefully tightened. Excess skin is removed, and the remaining skin is redraped and tightened. Once all alterations are complete, the incisions are closed using sutures. Dressings are placed, along with a head wrap.

The Facelift Recovery Process

Immediately following your facelift procedure, you will be taken to a recovery room. Here, you will relax and recover for a time. Since the procedure is outpatient, you will not need to stay in this room overnight. Instead, a friend or family member will give you a ride home, where you will continue to rest.

The exact details of the facelift recovery process vary from patient to patient. The healing process differs based on the specific techniques used for each patient’s facelift, the patient’s overall health, their age, and their skin quality.

A patients’ lifestyle can also affect their recovery rate. Patients who experience more stress in their daily lives, drink more alcohol, experience more prolonged sun exposure, and smoke cigarettes may all need more time to recover and heal.

During your rhytidectomy recovery, you will need to follow the post-surgical care directions of your plastic surgeon as diligently as possible. This will help you avoid complications and enjoy a shorter and more comfortable recovery process. It will also increase the chance of preserving your high-quality facelift results.

Bruising, swelling, reduced sensation, and discomfort are normal following a facelift procedure. These are temporary and will resolve over time. Pain medication will be prescribed, along with antibiotics. Keeping your head elevated is key; pillows can be used to help with this while you are sleeping.

During facelift recovery, you will need to stay home from work for at least one to two weeks. You must avoid physically taxing activities like sports and heavy exercise, along with heavy lifting and bending, in order to prevent incision-healing issues. After around six weeks, you will be able to resume all activities safely.

Follow-up visits are an important part of the recovery process. Visit Monarch Plastic Surgery and Skin Renewal Center for your scheduled follow-ups to have your sutures removed and your healing status evaluated. Your surgeon will also check for any complications and address them effectively.

Once all swelling and bruising have ameliorated, you will be able to see the final results of your facelift. Patients report a high degree of satisfaction with their rejuvenated facial contours.

How Much Does a Facelift Cost?

The cost of a facelift procedure is determined based on many factors. Rhytidectomy price is impacted by the type of facelift being performed and the specific techniques being utilized. Additional factors that can impact facelift cost include anesthesia fees, total surgery time, and the facility where the procedure is being performed.

We’ve also partnered with CareCredit and Alphaeon Credit for financing. These companies provide a number of payment plans to help patients finance their facelifts and any other procedures and treatments.

Arrange Your Facelift Consultation

Patients considering a facelift in Atlanta and Sandy Springs are encouraged to contact Monarch Plastic Surgery for a consultation with one of our expert plastic surgeons. To take the first step towards long-lasting facial revitalization, schedule your consultation today.