FACELIFT
When to consider a facelift
LOCATED IN BEACHWOOD | SERVING CLEVELAND AND NORTHEAST OHIO
Whether looking into the mirror or out into the world, your face is your first and most prominent feature. Genetics, personal habits, the pull of gravity, and sun exposure all contribute to the rate at which facial aging occurs. The results of these stressors can be seen on your face in the form of sagging skin, wrinkles, or heavy jowls. Fortunately, these all can be improved with modern facelift techniques.
A facelift, or rhytidectomy, performed by double-board certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Diana Ponsky, can improve visible signs of aging in the face and neck by correcting sagging skin, smoothing wrinkles, and flattening deep creases to restore a more youthful face and help turn back the clock on aging. Often performed with other surgical and non-surgical treatments, the result is a natural, refreshed appearance.
How It Helps
Dr. Diana Ponsky’s facelift procedure can effectively reduce the visible signs of aging caused by genetics, sun exposure, smoking, repeated facial expressions, and gravity. It can lift sagging skin, redefine facial contours that have lost their definition over time, soften deep wrinkles, and minimize the appearance of heavy jowls. With modern facelift techniques, the results are more natural-looking than ever, thanks to various customized approaches and methods tailored to each individual’s needs.
BEFORE
What to Expect Before A Facelift
Cleveland facial plastic surgeon Dr. Diana Ponsky will begin your consultation by asking about your goals and expectations and then discuss any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors. After examining, photographing, and analyzing your face, she will discuss potential options, recommended treatments, outcomes, risks, or potential complications.
DURING
What to expect during a Facelift
Medications, including intravenous sedation and general anesthesia, are administered for comfort during the surgical procedure. Depending on the plan agreed upon with your surgeon, other procedures may be performed along with the facelift, such as fat transfer, eyelid surgery, eyebrow lift, or skin resurfacing. Your customized plan may affect your facelift procedure time and recovery. Another option is a mini-lift, a surgical approach that provides similar rejuvenation with less recovery time.
A traditional facelift incision often begins in the hairline at the temples, continues around the ear, and ends along the hairline behind the ear. Fat may be sculpted or redistributed from the face, jowls, and neck, and underlying tissue is repositioned. Skin is redraped over the new contours, and the excess is precisely trimmed. A small incision is made under the chin to address excess fatty tissue and platysmal banding. The incisions are closed with sutures or surgical staples along the hair-bearing areas, which are removed 7-10 days after surgery.
AFTER
What to expect after a Facelift
Immediately after a traditional or mini facelift, a gentle compression dressing is placed over the incisions and around your head. A friend or family member will need to take you home, as the anesthesia may still affect you. Resume light, normal activities within a few days, and expect some bruising and swelling, which will continue to resolve over the course of 1-2 weeks. After 7-10 days, you can wear makeup to camouflage any lingering discoloration. Once healed, the suture lines become nearly invisible within the hairline and the natural contours of the face and ear.
