Facelift

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About Facelift in Jacksonville, Florida.

at First Coast Plastic Surgery

Your Initial Consultation

If you are considering a facelift in Jacksonville at First Coast Plastic Surgery, the first step is to meet personally with Dr. Csikai for your initial consultation. There are a number of different types of facelifts that involve different approaches and techniques. And because we are all different and show the signs of aging in different ways, Dr. Csikai will want to understand your particular goals and carefully examine your face and neck in order to customize a facelift procedure that is tailored to you.

During your consultation it is important to tell Dr. Csikai about any existing medical conditions and any medications and supplements that you are taking as many popular medications today effect bleeding and clotting. It is especially important for Dr. Csikai to know about conditions such as uncontrolled high blood pressure, blood clotting problems, and how your body handles scaring.

If you elect to move forward with your facelift in Jacksonville at First Coast Plastic Surgery, you will be given detailed information about how to prepare for the procedure. You will also be provided with guidelines on eating and drinking alcohol, smoking, and taking or avoiding certain vitamins, supplements and medications.

If you smoke, it is especially important to stop smoking or vaping nicotine products at least a week or more before your surgery and throughout your entire recovery period. Nicotine has been proven to inhibit the healing process and impair tissue regeneration. In preparing for your facelift, you should also arrange for a friend or family member to drive you home and stay with you for a few days after your facelift.

The Basics of Most Facelift Procedures

Some minor facial procedures can be performed with sedation and local anesthesia. However most facelift procedures call for general anesthesia and take several hours. If your facelift in Jacksonville calls for general anesthesia, you will be kept asleep through the entire procedure and closely monitored by our anesthesiologist while Dr. Csikai focuses on surgery.

In exploring the different types of facelift in Jacksonville, one should know that most surgical facelifts involve adjustments to the “SMAS”.  Our faces are comprised of skin, fat pads, and muscles. The SMAS, (superficial muscular aponeurotic system) is a thin 2-3 mm tissue plane in the face that holds the components of our faces in place. The signs of aging begin to appear when the SMAS and skin begin to lose their elasticity. Because of this, most surgical facelift procedures involve adjustments to the SMAS, fat and muscles beneath the skin.

The Different Types of Facelifts

The Cutaneous, (Skin Only) Facelift

The skin only facelift in Jacksonville targets only the skin. The underlying structure of the face is not altered. This technique removes facial lines and wrinkles by tightening the skin. Excess skin is removed and the remaining skin is tightened. While this procedure might sound like the perfect option for patients with minor lines and wrinkles, it is actually quite rare. With most patients, minor lines and wrinkles can be addressed with non-surgical treatments such laser skin resurfacing and chemical peels.

Mini Facelift

The mini facelift in Jacksonville is generally recommended to address mild to moderate wrinkles, lose skin and drooping jowls, the middle and lower areas of the face and the upper neck.

The mini facelift procedure begins with incisions in front of the ear that continue around the bottom of the ear in the crease and extends to the hairline behind the ears. Skin is then separated from the underlying SMAS. The SMAS, muscle and tissue is lifted and repositioned, and the skin is then redraped and tightened. Excess skin is removed and the incisions are sutured.

With the mini facelift, results tend to last around 10 years.

Full Traditional Facelift

The full traditional facelift in Jacksonville actually addresses the face and neck. It begins with incisions that start in front of the ear within the hairline near the temples and continues down around the ears and into the hairline behind the ears. An incision is also made under the chin.

With the incisions made, skin is gently separated from the SMAS, fat and the muscles in the face and neck.

Repositioning and tightening begins with tightening the platysma muscles, (below) in the neck by suturing them together in the middle. These broad, thin muscles cover the front and sides of the neck and run from below the collarbones up into the lower face. Next the SMAS, fat pads and muscles in the neck and face are lifted and repositioned. Skin in the neck and face is redraped and smoothed, excess skin is removed and the incisions are closed.

The results of a full traditional facelift will last for 10-15 years. A healthy lifestyle and diet will greatly contribute to longer lasting results.

Next the SMAS, fat pads and muscles in the neck and face are lifted and repositioned. Skin in the neck and face is redraped and tightened, excess skin is removed and the incisions are closed.

The results of a full traditional facelift will last for 10-15 years. A healthy lifestyle and diet will greatly contribute to lasting results.

Deep Plane Facelift

The deep plane facelift in Jacksonville takes a different approach to lifting the lower face. It begins with incisions that run from just below the ears at the back of the jaw up to near the corners of the eyes. What allows a deep plane facelift patient to avoid that overdone or stretched appearance is the releasing of 4 ligaments that hold the SMAS in place near the nasolabial folds around the mouth. When these ligaments are released, the SMAS, deeper muscles and connective tissues of the face can be lifted and repositioned instead of being stretched.

This technique can dramatically reduce nasolabial folds and drooping jowls. As with the full facelift, skin is redraped and smoothed, excess skin is removed, and the incisions are sutured.

Midface Lift | Cheek Lift

The midface lift procedure is a relatively new procedure that can address multiple areas of the mid-face including under eye bags, hollow appearance in the upper cheeks, sagging cheeks and to significantly reduce nasolabial folds.

The incisions made in the midface lift are usually similar to those of a traditional facelift, (without the incision under the chin). In most cases, incisions begin within the hairline near the temples to around the bottom of the ear and into the hairline behind the ear.  Incisions are made throughout the muscle tissue of the face that allow for the fatty tissue and muscle tissue of the mid face to be lifted and sutured in the new position. Lose skin is smoothed, excess skin is removed and the incisions are sutured.

Liquid Facelift

The liquid facelift in Jacksonville is a non-surgical technique that uses cosmetic fillers such as Restylane to replace lost volume and fill lines and wrinkles and reduce the depth of the nasolabial folds. Restylane offers seven different fillers, each designed for a specific area of the face. But while this treatment is a great way to reverse the signs of aging without surgery, one should know that the results only last for about a year because our bodies absorb all types of cosmetic fillers, some faster than others.

Thread Lift

The thread lift facelift in Jacksonville is also a non-surgical treatment that makes use of biodegradable PDO, (Polydioxanone) threads, some with tiny barbs and some without. The threads that are used in a given treatment will depend on the patient’s goals and guidance of their surgeon. The thread lift treatment is used to lift, smooth and remove wrinkles in the skin. Another advantage of the thread lift treatment is that the threads cause increased collagen production that will further improve the condition of the skin in the treated areas.

During a thread lift treatment, threads are injected below the surface of the skin with a hollow syringe. Once positioned, the syringe is removed leaving the threads in place to hold facial tissue in its lifted position. The number and type of threads injected will depend on your unique treatment.

Recovery After A Facelift Procedure

There isn’t usually significant discomfort after facelift surgery. If there is, it can be lessened with over the counter or prescription pain medication that Dr. Csikai can prescribe. Severe or persistent pain or a sudden swelling of your face should be reported to Dr. Csikai immediately. Some numbness is quite normal. Feeling usually returns completely within a few weeks.

It will be important to keep your head elevated and as still as possible for a couple of days after your facelift in Jacksonville. This will help to keep swelling down. If a drainage tube was placed, it will be removed within a couple of days. Most patients are up and about within a couple of days. Bandages are usually removed at some point within about five days depending on your procedure. You should expect to initially appear pale with some bruising and some swelling. As you recover, most swelling and bruising will fade within about 2 weeks. But you will need to be delicate with your face and scalp until it is no longer tender.

Dr. Csikai will give you specific guidelines based on the extent of your surgery. Most patents are cleared to gradually resume normal activities but to avoid activities such as and heavy lifting, housework and other strenuous activities for at least two weeks. Walking and mild stretching is good for recovery but facelift patients are always advised to avoid alcohol, steam baths, and saunas for several months. Above all, get plenty of rest and allow your body to spend its energy on healing.

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