Thinking About a Facelift? Get to know the facts.
Facelifts can offer a beautiful, natural-looking transformation with long lasting results. At Oakville Plastic Surgery, we approach facelifts in a holistic way to maximize results. Your facial rejuvenation plan is as unique as you are. Each person’s skin type, face shape, and goals vary, and we take all of this into account when we’re building a strategy to meet your goals. Skilled surgical technique with a seasoned surgeon like Dr. de Kleer and careful attention to pre and post-procedure care helps optimize your outcomes.
A unique approach to facelift procedures
When we approach a facelift procedure, we’re always thinking ahead. Our surgical strategies and treatment plans are customized for each patient –– and may include medical grade skincare products, laser treatments, neuromodulators like BOTOX® and Dysport®, and facial fillers. Our office uses a tag-team approach to facial rejuvenation to improve potential results. This means going beyond a surgical solution, to incorporate treatments and products that elongate results. Skincare can help prepare your face and neck for surgery. It is essential that skincare be optimized before and after the procedure as a facelift will remove excess skin, and skincare will smooth wrinkles and improve the texture of the skin. That’s why every facelift patient receives a full facial assessment at their consultation.
Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering a facelift.
Is a facelift right for me?
Facelifts can offer a beautiful result and can be right for a range of age groups. But make sure you ask questions during your consultation to establish whether non-invasive or surgical results are right for you. A facelift is ideal for patients whose goals can’t be reached with non-surgical treatments like injectables, laser treatments, or medical-grade skincare regimens. Neuromodulators can smooth wrinkles, dermal fillers can restore lost volume, and laser treatments can trigger cell regeneration.
But if you have persistent concerns about sagging skin or signs of aging, you might be wondering if a facelift is right for you. Facelifts are ideal for addressing the deep folds that many of us notice along the jawline and hanging skin around the face or neck. If you’re wondering whether a facelift is right for you, book a consultation to explore both surgical and non-invasive options that target your concerns.
What does a facelift do?
Facelift surgery removes excess skin and tightens deeper structures to refresh the appearance. It can be done in conjunction with a neck lift to address loose skin in the neck as well. Most patients can expect an improvement in submental and upper neck laxity, some sharpening of a blunted submental angle, more jawline definition, some restoration of mid facial volume and some correction of the nasolabial folds.
Some people get an eye or brow lift along with a facelift, to address multiple concerns at once and to allow healing to happen in one time frame. Here’s what a facelift does:
- Contours and redefines the jawline and face
- Smooths and lifts loose skin
- Tightens tissues below the skin’s surface
- Can remove excess fat to smooth the surface of the skin
What’s the right age for a facelift?
There’s no perfect age for a facelift, but it’s important that you’re old enough that your face has assumed its adult shape, and to be well informed about the surgery and expected outcome. A facelift for someone who is 40 will require a different surgical strategy than for someone who is 75. But each facelift is unique to the person undergoing the procedure. Each face is unique and a facelift should honour the nuances of your face shape, jawline, contours. This includes the way aging has changed your face. Most facelift patients have concerns about excess skin, hanging skin, or fat that is exacerbated with age. As we get older, collagen and elastin production naturally slow down and can cause skin to sag or fold. Facelifts can address these concerns with attractive surgical outcomes.
What is facelift surgery like?
Before you book your surgery, you’ll have a consultation at our Oakville clinic with Dr. de Kleer to get the full scope of your goals, concerns, medical history, and the outcome you’re hoping for. When you come in for your facelift, you’ll know exactly what to expect so you can be well prepared for a comfortable, safe surgery. Facelift surgery requires an experienced surgeon like Dr. de Kleer, who comes to each process with decades of experience and a wealth of education. She’ll make intentional incisions that ensure optimal healing.
Facelifts involve several techniques
- Careful incisions are made at the temples, along the hairline and around the ear to ensure they heal as well as possible.
- Excess or loose fat and muscle tissue may be removed or repositioned and excess skin is trimmed for a smoother, more contoured appearance.
- This results in an overall lift and a more youthful appearance.
What is facelift recovery like?
You’ll want to book a few weeks off of work to give yourself time and space to heal beautifully from your facelift. The surgery itself takes a few hours in one surgical visit.
For the first 24-48 hours, you’ll want to ask a friend or family member to help out in case you need assistance. You’ll likely have redness, swelling, and bruising which are a natural part of the healing process as you recover. During your consultation, Dr. de Kleer and the Oakville support team will supply you with answers and resources that give you the full scope of how you can prepare and effectively recover from surgery. Ice packs, supportive garments, and pain medication will all help reduce swelling and encourage healing. When you’re totally healed and enjoying your results, you’ll have small scars from the facelift, but a skilled surgeon ensures these scars are small and can be effectively camouflaged or hidden by the folds along the ears or the natural hairline. Full recovery requires about 2-3 weeks of intentional downtime.
Ready to explore the possibilities?
Book a consultation with us today.
