If you are considering facelift surgery like the many men and women that have visited us from New Orleans, Metairie, Houma, Baton Rouge, Mandeville, Covington and beyond please come in for a free consultation.  If you’ve grown unsatisfied with the sagging appearance of your face, you’re not alone.  Many men and women of varying ages call our office in Metairie, LA to consult with our board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. Summer Black or Dr. Elliott Black for facelift surgery or nonsurgical treatments to help with their facial appearance.  Men can greatly benefit from certain aspects of facelift surgery, such as helping to soften the normal aging process so that males appear more alert and awakened, while diminishing the effects of sometimes looking angry or tired. This can be especially helpful in the workplace as men work to keep their competitive edge. The current look of your facial features may be caused by a variety of factors, including heredity, gravity, environmental conditions such as sun exposure, and stress.  During your consultation, our board-certified plastic surgeons will come up with a plan to revitalize your appearance and improve the visible signs of aging in your face and neck. 

Also known as rhytidectomy, facelift surgery, or male facelift surgery involves removing major wrinkles and sagging skin, leading to a more youthful appearance.  Between aging, the sun, genetics, and more, you may have noticed dramatic changes in your look. Your skin on your face and neck may hang more than it used to.  A facelift is just the thing to take 5 – 10 years off your appearance!  Keep in mind that facelifts are not simple procedures.  Our team at Dr. Black Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery aims to create a natural appearance that is suited to your desires.  Facelifts are often performed in conjunction with eyelid lifts, forehead lifts, fat grafting, and liposuction under the chin to create an overall rejuvenation of the face.

 SMAS facelift

This is considered a traditional facelift approach, which many consider the gold standard for facelift surgery. It is a process that goes beneath the superficial layer of skin and manipulates a group of tissue known as the superficial musculo-aponeurotic system (SMAS). This surgery does garner more dramatic and perhaps longer lasting results. The incision is placed along the hairline from behind the earlobe to the temple so that the skin can be separated and lifted. Once the deeper facial structures are in their new position, sutures are used to tighten, and secure the skin for a natural appearance.

While facelifts are generally reserved for older adults, the common age range for patients is between 50 – 70. Younger patients may opt for a brow lift or a neck lift, or possibly a mid-facelift before considering a full facelift procedure. In addition, there are numerous nonsurgical procedures that can help delay surgery, such as BOTOX®, fillers, laser treatments, and nonsurgical skin tightening.  If your skin laxity is in poor condition, if you are older in age, and have droopy features that a nonsurgical approach cannot treat, it is safe to say that a facelift may be a suitable procedure for you.  On average, a facelift will allow you to look 5 – 10 years younger, and help with:

• Sagging of your face
• Loose sagging skin on your neck
• Significant creases along your nose that reach to the corners of the mouth
• Facial fat that has started to droop or has disappeared completely
• A loss of toned skin in the lower face – jowls
• Loose skin and excess fat under the chin that leads to the creation of a double chin

Today's facelift surgeries are much different than in the past.  There are numerous techniques used, depending on the age of the patient, as well as the condition of the skin, and amount of laxity.  Some techniques address the skin's surface only, while other goes deeper into the underlying tissues.  In addition, a full facelift will address the entire face and neck, while a forehead lift, cheek lift, or neck lift, addresses the top, middle, and/or bottom sections alone.

General anesthesia is normally used at Crescent City Surgical Centre, a boutique hospital in Metairie,LA.  Incisions are made adjacent to or inside the hairline along the temple, the front of the ear, around the earlobe and behind the ear, ending at the scalp. We remove excess skin and correct sagging soft tissue and sometimes remove fat deposits.  Surgical drains may be placed to allow drainage of the site, but will be removed within 24-48 hours.  Recovery time is usually 10-14 days, depending on the procedures performed. 

Complications are rare but may include bleeding, infection, loss of skin, facial nerve injury, discoloration of the skin, numbness, contour irregularities, asymmetry, and scarring.

If you miss seeing the youthful face that reflects your energy and confidence, a facelift can help to make you look natural, but revitalized. 

Using different surgical methods and advanced techniques based on your needs and goals, a facelift can help you look the way you feel. Contact our office to learn more about facelift surgery and schedule your consultation at Dr. Black Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery.