Aging is a constant in life. Unfortunately, so is developing signs of aging on the face—but that doesn't mean you have to live with them! With a facelift at the Philadelphia area's Buinewicz Cosmetic Surgery, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Brian Buinewicz can address sagging, creases, and more to restore a more youthful look.

Because of the highly effective and very visible results, facelift surgery remains one of the most popular cosmetic surgery options in the world. Patients tend to see results that reduce their visible age by about 10 to 15 years. Of course, time will continue to impact the newly tightened and sculpted facial tissues, but women and men choosing this procedure can expect to enjoy results that last a decade or longer.

What Is a Facelift?

A facelift is a highly customizable procedure designed to address specific signs of aging that develop on the face—typically in the lower third to two thirds. The extent of the procedure may be minimal or dramatic, depending on the state of the patient's tissues and their desired end goals.

Most commonly, facelift surgery can involve removing excess skin that has begun to droop and sag, tightening lax facial muscles and other tissues to sculpt more youthful contours, removing or repositioning small amounts of fat as necessary, and suturing the remaining skin in place to sit smoothly over the newly sculpted underlying tissues. What many people consider to be the "gold standard" of facial rejuvenation involves addressing facial sagging, jowls, marionette lines, and a double chin all at once.

Facelifts tend to focus on the lower face because this is where gravity pulls skin and underlying muscles down over time as it loses its structure and elasticity. The migration of skin, fat, and other tissues can also change the overall shape of the face from an inverted triangle to a triangle with a wide base, making the face appear "bottom heavy." Altering this shape with a facelift creates a refreshed look with more youthful angles, proportions, and balance.

Patients who make the best facelift candidates have sagging in the mid-face, jawline, or both. They also typically have deep, extending creases that run from the nose to the outer edges of the mouth (known as nasolabial folds), lines that extend from the corner of the mouth on both sides and run downward toward the chin (marionette lines), fallen or displaced facial fat (decreased volume), sagging and decreased muscle tone seen in the lower portions of the face (jowls), loose and excess fat deposits under the jawline and chin (double chin), and wrinkled, creased, and sagging skin on the neck.

What Are the Details of a Facelift at the Philadelphia Area's Buinewicz Cosmetic Surgery?

Before any facelift surgery decisions are made, Dr. Buinewicz leads a thorough consultation with the patient. This allows him to get a medical history, ask questions in order to understand the ultimate aesthetic goals, develop a personalized treatment plan, answer questions to ensure patients are fully informed and comfortable with his recommendations, and more.

There are two types of facelift surgery Dr. Buinewicz performs: traditional and mini. These techniques differ a bit in how they work, as well as in the results that are possible. Dr. Buinewicz will suggest a specific strategy, chosen based on the degree of correction needed.

All facelift surgeries involve the use of an anesthetic to reduce sensation and keep the patient comfortable. This can range form an "awake facelift" performed in the office under local anesthesia to a full general anesthesia where the patient is completely asleep.

Sometimes patients have other issues as a result of aging that can be addressed at the same time. These can include textural changes and wrinkles that can be addressed with lasers or volume issues that can be addressed with either fat injections or fillers.

Traditional

For a traditional facelift, Dr. Buinewicz makes incisions along the hairline and around the ear, allowing him access to lift and reposition the underlying facial tissues, remove excess skin, and tighten the remaining skin. This procedure can address deep wrinkles, sagging skin, and jowls, resulting in a more defined jawline and smoother, more toned skin. Sometimes the aging process expands onto the neck with excess skin and muscle "banding." The "turkey gobbler" lines and the neck also get addressed and rejuvenated at the same time.

Mini

A mini facelift is considered a "less invasive" alternative to the traditional technique, providing a more subtle rejuvenation to the lower face and neck. This variation involves smaller incisions around the ears. He will then lift and tighten the underlying muscles and tissues, removing excess skin as needed. A mini facelift can address mild to moderate sagging skin and wrinkles.

What Happens After a Facelift?

A patient's recovery timeline and experience will depend on the type of facelift they receive, as well as individual healing factors and other unique variables. In general, expect a degree of swelling, bruising, and discomfort in the days after the surgery. These side effects can last for a few weeks, but will gradually ease and resolve on their own.

Dr. Buinewicz typically recommends that patients take a week to rest and keep their head elevated in order to minimize swelling. Side effects tend to peak at day three or four. The first week post-op typically ends with removal of any sutures. After this, most facelift patients can return to work and light activities—but nothing that could increase their blood pressure and heart rate, such as strenuous exercise. All normal activities may typically be resumed after four to six weeks, and the ultimate results should be apparent by the third month after the surgery.

Throughout all this time, it is important to avoid direct sun exposure and to wear sunscreen whenever going outside. In addition to prematurely aging the skin, ultraviolet rays can also cause healing scars to darken and become more visible.

Why Choose Buinewicz Cosmetic Surgery & Medspa for a Facelift in the Philadelphia Area?

As a highly experienced and triple board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Brian Buinewicz has performed hundreds of facelift procedures over several decades. Not only does he focus on delivering beautiful and natural-looking results for his patients, but he has a passion for furthering education in the community of doctors who perform facelift surgery—as well as for patients considering or enjoying the results of their own surgery.

Are There More Facial Procedures Besides Facelift Available?

Face surgery options at Buinewicz Cosmetic Surgery include a brow lift for the forehead area, blepharoplasty to address aging eyelids, and rhinoplasty to shape the nose. Many of these procedures can be combined for a full-face rejuvenation. Certain patients may also be good candidates for a neck lift alone, if their signs of aging are limited to the area below the face. Nonsurgical procedures to tighten and refresh the skin, such as Sofwave^™ and Exion, or to lift and tighten the muscles and skin, like EmFace, are also available. These treatments offer no downtime or scarring, with a full return to normal activity.

For patients with fine lines, spots, and other superficial signs of aging to address, nonsurgical strategies like BOTOX^®, Daxxify^™, and other wrinkle relaxers; RHA^®, Juvéderm^®, Restylane^®, and other dermal fillers; or laser treatments may be more appropriate.

Any and all of these options—and more—can be discussed at the initial facelift consultation. Remember, you don't have to know what procedure you want. Start with a discussion of the features you want to focus on, and the cosmetic issues you would like to address, and Dr. Buinewicz and his team can develop the ideal plan of action for you.

For a facelift in the Philadelphia area—Doylestown in Bucks County, PA, or Flemington in Hunterdon County, NJ—call Buinewicz Cosmetic Surgery & Medspa at 215.647.9668 or send a message online.