Facial Plastic Surgery at University of California Irvine

Facelift

Facelift surgery has become one of the most popular and well-known forms of cosmetic surgery. More and more aging people want to look as youthful as they feel physically and mentally.

The surgery is designed to remove or reduce wrinkling caused by loose skin, and to lift and tighten sagging tissues of the lower face and neck. The incisions are placed in front of and behind the ear in the natural creases of the skin and in areas which help hide the scars. The skin is separated from the underlying tissues and gently smoothed back to relieve the redundant folds. We will often perform tightening of the underlying muscles of the face in order to provide this smoother skin a solid foundation to rest upon. The excess skin is then removed and the remaining skin is brought back into position.

The degree of improvement depends upon the amount of wrinkling and sagging of tissues present. The results can be dramatic if wrinkling is marked, but may be more subtle if the patient is younger and has only early sagging. No operation, of course, can permanently prevent aging, but with surgery you can be restored to a more youthful appearance. As the years go by you may wish to have additional rejuvenation procedures to lessen other signs of aging. The facelift does not speed the aging process and actually serves to help slow the sagging.

The surgery is performed on an outpatient basis. You can resume non-stressful activities during the first week. In about ten days you can wear makeup and resume most normal activities. Final healing can take several weeks. It is important to understand what a facelift can and cannot do. It can smooth the skin on the temples, face, check, and neck areas. However, it does not improve the eyelids, eyebrows, horizontal forehead creases, or the small vertical creases about the lips. Other procedures discussed here my be combined with a facelift to give a rejuvenated appearance to the entire face.

For before and after photos of facelift, click here.

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For Appointments: please call Please call 714-456-7018 or email lnungara@uci.edu

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Facelift

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