Facial Plastic Surgery / FaceLift
Face Lift | Mini (S Lift) Lift | Neck Lift
We believe that it is natural to want to look your best. It is our goal at Laser & Cosmetic Surgery Specialists, PC to help our patients feel revitalized and more confident through our specialized services. This is why people who consult with Dr. Rubinstein receive individualized recommendations and care that are based on their needs, goals, and lifestyles. Their sense of wellbeing and their desire to project a specific image to the world are of utmost concern to him, and to everyone who works at our facility. Countless patients have already benefited from his expert touch.
When we are young, we enjoy smooth, round faces due to evenly distributed fatty tissues in facial contours and firm collagen support. Over time, the skin loses its elasticity, and the folds around the chin, jaw line and neck become prominent. Not only does a facelift improve facial appearance, but it also has a dramatic effect on the neck, enhancing its contour and profile. Many of Dr. Rubinstein's facelift patients proclaim that their results make them look ten years younger.
Dr. Rubinstein's specialty is facial plastic surgery, hence his patients often have a number of options available to them with regards to face, brow and necklift. In many situations, should it be in the patient's best interest, less invasive procedures can be done with very dramatic results. In any case, because of our central Hudson Valley location, our medi-spa is an ideal place for facelift surgery that provides a relaxing recovery setting away from busy Manhattan.
Face Lift
Facelift surgery, technically termed rhytidectomy, is designed to restore a more youthful appearance by removing major wrinkles and sagging skin. It involves tightening of the facial and neck muscles as well as the removal of any excess skin.
Dramatic as the end results are, a face lift is not a simple procedure. There are multiple techniques for traditional facelift, sometimes requiring up to five hours of surgery in hospital. It usually requires 10 days to two weeks of recovery.
Before Surgery
Dr. Rubinstein will evaluate your medical history in order to determine your overall health. He will discuss with you how your face could look based on different techniques, as well as what you can expect from facelift surgery. His objective is to create a natural appearance that is pleasing to you that recalls what you looked like when you were younger. Of course, you will have ample time to ask questions about his recommendations. Browse our Face Lift Case Studies to see before and after photographs which reveal what facelift surgery has accomplished for some of his New York patients.
Preoperative Instructions: Avoid drugs that contain aspirin or ibuprofen several weeks prior to facelift surgery to minimize excess bleeding. Avoid herbal supplements unless authorized by Dr. Rubinstein. However, Arnica and Bromelain are strongly recommended. You may be required to take antibiotics to prevent infection. You may be instructed to shampoo your hair the night before surgery. A small amount of hair may be shaved around your ears and temples to facilitate your facelift surgery.
The Procedure
A face lift is frequently performed in conjunction with blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), forehead lift, chin augmentation, and/or liposuction, to create an overall rejuvenation of the face. The procedure can be repeated as gravity continues its effects after the first surgery.
All Face Lift surgeries are performed in our accredited surgical suite. Local anesthesia with intravenous sedation is most commonly used, with premedication to help you relax. General anesthesia is generally not required but can be used if desired.
The surgeon will make incisions inside the hairline at the temple, in front of the ear, then around the earlobe and behind the ear, ending at the scalp area. Excess skin is removed and sagging muscles and connective tissues are tightened. In some cases, fatty deposits are removed from beneath the chin and neck. Incisions are closed with small sutures.
Face lift surgery may take up to 5 hours depending on whether any other procedures are performed at the same time.
Post Operative Care and Face Lift
It is necessary to have someone drive you home and stay with you for the first 24 hours. Initially you will have a large dressing wrapped around your head. You may have surgical drains attached to bulbs hanging at your neck. These will be removed in approximately 24 hours. Stitches around the ears will be loosened or removed in a few days. The scalp sutures will be removed in 7-10 days.
To minimize scarring, the doctor may remove the sutures in stages. Scarring fades quickly. Swelling and discoloration decrease within two weeks. Tightness in your face will be present for several weeks and there may be slight changes in your hair pattern around the incision.
We recommend that you avoid the sun for several weeks after facelift surgery.
Complications following face lift surgery are rare. These include bleeding, infection, loss of skin behind the ears, facial nerve injury, discoloration of the skin, numbness, asymmetry and scarring. Infection is rare due to the large blood supply to the face. As mentioned, the risk of bleeding is greater if you take aspirin or blood thinners within 2 weeks of the surgery. The risk of wound complications increases in diabetics, persons with a history of radiation, autoimmune and collagen disease as well as in smokers.
By following our facelift pre- and post-operative instructions, you will minimize potential problems.
Recovery: What to Expect
In the weeks following face lift surgery, the facial skin and area around the ear may be numb. There may also be some temporary discoloration as healing begins, which may take a few months to disappear. Occasionally, the facial nerve is bruised during face lift surgery, resulting in temporary loss of function or sensation. However, actual permanent damage to the facial nerve is rare.
The healing process following a typical face lift procedure is gradual, so you will not notice final results for up to 6 months. However, a single facelift procedure done in our comfortable New York location often achieves the desired results. Most patients who have had face lifts are pleased with their new, more youthful appearance.
Mini (S-Lift) Lift
Deriving its name from the "S" formed skin excision, the S-Lift is a minimally invasive procedure providing an overall lift to your neck and the lower face. It can be quicker than a traditional facelift, with fewer complications and a much faster recovery. Ideally beneficial for younger to middle-aged patients with early laxity, it can make impressive changes with minimal risk of complications and scarring.
Using local anesthesia with sedation, an S-Lift procedure may be performed in your doctor's office or in an outpatient surgical facility.
Advantages of an S-Lift procedure:
- Extremely safe
- Local anesthetic
- Quicker recovery time
- Lower cost to patients
- Minimal complication risk
- Minimal scars
For maximum results the S lift can be combined with other procedures such as liposuction, fat extraction, chemical peel or laser resurfacing of the face.
Consult your doctor to determine the best treatment to reach your desired results.
Neck Lift
Frequently performed in combination with a facelift and eyelid surgery, a neck lift is a surgical procedure designed to reduce sagging skin in the neck and under the jaw line. Performed with minimal incisions well hidden behind the ear, a neck lift is actually a set of procedures used to enhance the appearance of your neck:
- Cervicoplasty is the procedure used to remove excess skin
- Platysmaplasty removes or alters neck muscles
Preparing for a Neck Lift
During your consultation, Dr. Rubinstein will instruct you on what medications to avoid prior to your surgery.
If you are a smoker, you will need to quit at least two weeks before the surgery and two weeks after. You cannot just plan to cut down. You must not smoke for this time period to ensure proper healing. Avoid drugs that contain aspirin or ibuprofen several weeks prior to facelift surgery to minimize excess bleeding. Avoid herbal supplements unless authorized by Dr. Rubinstein. Arnica and Bromelain are encouraged.
Wear loose, comfortable clothing on the day of surgery.
Recovery
You should plan to take at least one week off from work to recover. Based on your personal situation, most people can return to work in two weeks.
If you participate in sports or are physically active, you will have to wait at least three weeks, if not longer, to resume those activities.
To make recovery more comfortable, the following products are highly recommended:
- Ice packs
- Gauze and towels
- Thermometer
- Supply of comfortable, loose clothing (preferably button down shirts or blouses that do not have to be pulled over your neck and head)
- Petroleum jelly and antibacterial ointment for incision sites
- Telephone within reaching distance of where you'll be lying or sitting most of the time
- Supply of pillows which will allow you to keep your head in a comfortable position
- Someone who can stay with you at least the first 24 hours after surgery
Complications and Side Effects
Swelling and bruising can last several days. You may experience tightness, tingling, burning, pulling, and numbness. These are all very normal in the first few weeks following surgery and should not be cause for concern.
As with any surgery, you run the risk of infection. Please keep a watchful eye on your temperature. At the first sign of a fever, contact your doctor. If you have unusual discharge from the incision site, such as pus, contact your doctor immediately.
Although rare, you could have an allergic reaction to the anesthesia. That's why it's very important to disclose any drug allergies to your doctor in a pre-operative consultation.
certified cosmetic surgeon and Manhattan / New York face lift surgery expert