Some faces age faster than their youthful owners would like. Heredity, gravity, the shrinking skull and decreased skin tone can all contribute to the wrinkles, deep jowls, laugh lines, double chin and sagging neck that mark the passage of years. When the clock seems to be moving far too quickly where your face is concerned, it is time to consider fighting back - surgically.

Rhytidoplasty, commonly referred to as the face lift, helps the skin of the lower face fit more snug upon its underlying framework, thereby imparting a more youthful appearance. The skin is lifted and re-draped around and behind the ears along hidden incision lines, and the excess is removed. Muscles and connective tissue below the surface are also tightened and realigned. If there is unwanted fatty tissue, it can be removed with liposuction. To achieve the desired result, the face lift may need to be supplemented with additional procedures. For instance, laser resurfacing or chemical peel can correct surface irregularities, such as fine wrinkling; filling substances can be used to fill out depressed areas or implants may be placed inside the cheek or chin. All of these options will be explained during your consultation. Imperfections of the upper face are corrected with separate operations, such as forehead lift, eyelid surgery, or eyebrow lift. A combination of these procedures will be recommended to meet the individual needs of each case. Most can be performed at the same time.

A 50-year old face cannot be made to look 20 or even 30; turning back the clock seven to ten years would be a reasonable expectation. More lasting results usually occur in patients whose skin has a relatively good tone. In those who have extremely lax skin, a tuck-up procedure later will make the results last longer. The face will continue to age at the same rate as before. Thus, if a face lift made you look 40 when you were 50, you can expect to look 50 again when you are 60. You will have recaptured 10 years of youth.

Some medical conditions require patients to have a complete physical and receive clearance from their regular doctors before proceeding. We, too, will evaluate your risks and advise you accordingly. Heavy smokers are warned that their healing will take longer than it does for non-smokers. Smoking interferes with blood circulation to the skin.