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Facelift

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Achieve maximum facial rejuvenation benefits with a facelift (rhytidectomy) and neck lift. This powerhouse procedure is an ideal choice for rejuvenation of the lower face and neck, providing lasting, dramatic results for male and female patients.

While the facelift portion of the procedure works to correct signs of aging that become visible in the face area—including jowling, deep folds around the nose and mouth, and sagging cheeks—the lower neck lift aspect of the operation provides a special emphasis on areas below the chin and around the neck, helping to eliminate a “turkey wattle” and achieve a more youthful, elegant neck and jawline.

“Dr. Pancholi takes the time to listen to what you would like to achieve. His skill is unequalled. This is my third procedure in 7 years. Each one is still perfect. My biggest concern with the current procedure – a facelift – was that I was afraid of looking pulled or puffy. I had no reason for concern. Friends didn’t even realize I’d had a facelift. They thought I looked “refreshed”.”
—J.F., Actual Patient of Dr. Pancholi, July 2023
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Why should I get a facelift?

Over time, the cheeks and jowls tend to sag, neck skin becomes lax, and fat can accumulate under the chin. This procedure focuses on all of these areas to provide long lasting aesthetic improvement to the lower face, jaw line, neckline, chin, and other more subtle aspects.

Key Benefits

Redefining the neckline: A facelift can tighten loose neck skin and muscles to define the jawline and neck contour.

Improve sagging jowls and cheeks: By lifting and repositioning facial tissues, a facelift can address sagging jowls and cheeks.

Smoothing wrinkles and deep creases: Facelift surgery can effectively diminish wrinkles and deep creases, providing a smoother and more rejuvenated facial complexion.

Restoring facial volume: During a facelift, additional techniques can incorporate fat grafting or dermal fillers to restore lost facial volume.

Long-lasting results: Facelift results can last for many years, providing enduring benefits compared to non-surgical options.

  • Rhytidectomy: The medical term for facelift.
  • SMAS (Superficial Musculo-Aponeurotic System): The deep facial tissue layer that is commonly tightened during a facelift to provide long-lasting results.
  • Mini Facelift: A less invasive facelift procedure that targets specific areas of the face and requires shorter recovery time.
  • Neck Lift: A procedure often performed in conjunction with a facelift to address sagging skin and muscles in the neck area.
  • Incisions: The surgical cuts made in discreet locations to access and reposition facial tissues during a facelift.
  • Anesthesia: Medications used to ensure the patient’s comfort and pain control during the surgery.
  • Bruising: Common post-operative side effect of a facelift, where blood vessels under the skin may break and cause discoloration.
  • Swelling: The temporary enlargement of tissues in the face after surgery, which typically subsides during the recovery period.
  • Hematoma: A collection of blood outside blood vessels, which can occasionally occur after surgery and may require drainage.
  • Sutures: Stitches used to close incisions and promote proper healing.
  • Scarring: The visible marks left at the incision sites, which often fade over time.
  • Revision Surgery: Additional surgical procedures to correct or refine the results of a previous facelift.
  • Facial Aging: The natural process of skin and tissue changes that result in wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging as a person gets older.
  • Facial Rejuvenation: General term encompassing various surgical and non-surgical procedures aimed at restoring a more youthful appearance to the face.
  • Thread Lift: A non-surgical facelift technique involving the use of threads to lift and tighten the skin.

When is a good age to get a facelift?

Deciding on the ideal age for a facelift isn’t solely determined by the number of candles on your birthday cake—it’s a dance with genetics. While some individuals in their golden years sport a timeless glow, others in their 30s may ponder cosmetic enhancements. It’s not about being too young or too old; it’s about addressing specific concerns as they arise. A consultation can help tailor solutions to enhance your unique features, ensuring you age gracefully and confidently.

Video transcript

“When it comes to getting a facelift, who’s too young and who’s too old? Unfortunately, that really comes down to genetics. We’ve seen some people that are what we consider pretty old and say, “Wow, you look great.” We’d love to know what their secret is, and unfortunately, they never really come up with anything too compelling because it’s genetics. At the same time, we’ve all seen our fair share of people in their 30s going, “You might need to get something done.” And what is that? It’s genetics again. So we don’t necessarily want to go with age, but we know once you start heading into your 30s, mid-30s, you can sometimes start seeing these things catch up to you. It doesn’t mean that you need to full-fledge everything, but you might want to go and at least start down the path of getting a consultation and seeing how can we make things better for you.”–Dr. Samir Pancholi

Facelift Techniques

Facelifts are not one-size-fits-all procedures and should be personalized for each patient. To achieve optimal results, Dr. Pancholi will consider your unique anatomy and aesthetic goals before sharing his professional opinion on which facelift technique is suited to providing results you will love.

Deep Plane Facelift

A deep plane facelift achieves long-lasting, natural face and neck rejuvenation results. By lifting and tightening the underlying facial ligaments that anchor the SMAS (superficial muscular aponeurotic system), the skin’s surface will be better supported with deeper adjustments—thereby avoiding the obviously surgically-enhanced “wind swept” look. Deep plane facelift incisions are thoughtfully placed within the hair of the sideburns and in the front and back creases of the ears to be as inconspicuous as possible. An additional incision made just underneath the chin may be necessary to help contour the neck. Surgical technique is particularly important with a deep plane facelift, as your facial cosmetic surgeon must work around deeper ligaments and nerves.

Video transcript

“So one of the things that you’re hearing a lot about right now are deep plane facelifts. What is a deep plane, and how is it different than anything else? When we look historically over the different types of facelifts, people used to just go and pull the skin back. These are people that you probably look at and just be shocked at why do they look that way. Other times you see people that look much more natural with their facelift, and why is that? So, the deep plane is when we go under the skin, but not right under the skin, the actual muscles and the structures under the skin. If we can lift them up, then we get a much more natural appearance.

A way to go and see what the difference of these things would be is if you go in the mirror and you just pull your skin back, you’re going to look kind of odd. But instead, if you go and you lie down on your bed flat without a pillow, hold the mirror up and look at yourself. Everything has gone and slid backward. That’s a deep plane facelift. That’s the difference in how you look and why you want to look that way instead of having your hands pulling your skin back.”–Dr. Samir Pancholi

SMAS Facelift

Also known as a “standard” or “traditional” facelift, the SMAS facelift technique lifts and tightens the mid-face and neck areas. The underlying ligaments that tether the SMAS to facial bones are not disturbed using this technique. Incision placement and scaring is similar to a deep plane facelift, however some incisions may extend into the hairline behind the ears to achieve optimal lifting in the neck area. This technique may also require an additional incision under the chin to address the neck.

Liposuction and fat grafting are additional techniques that are commonly used to refine a face and neck skin tightening procedure. With any facelift technique, patients who have hair loss or a family history of hair loss may require alternative incision sites to ensure scars are discreet.

What to expect during your Las Vegas plastic surgery procedure

Facelifts are usually performed under general anesthesia, although a mini facelift can be safely and comfortably performed using local anesthetic and sedation.

During the Facelift

Dr. Pancholi will place the incisions for the chosen facelift technique and carefully lift and tighten  muscles and tissues and reposition the skin of the face and neck to sit higher up for a natural, more youthful appearance; deeper adjustments are made during a deep plane facelift. Excess skin and fat is removed to create a smoother, younger looking contour. After all repositioning and contouring has taken place, the incisions are closed with precision and care within the hairline and your natural facial contours to keep them hidden from view.

Facelift Recovery

Your ears and chin will be bandaged for the first couple of days to minimize swelling and bruising concerns, until Dr. Pancholi removes them at your post-operative appointment. Any postoperative pain can be easily managed with medication, although some soreness and tightness is to be expected for the first couple of weeks or so.

Most patients feel confident going out in public about 10 to 14 days after their facelift , when post-op swelling and bruising have subsided significantly. Patients can gradually resume their exercise routine 3 to 4 weeks after surgery, and results are typically “photo-ready” about 3 months after a facelift. Dr. Pancholi will go over your anticipated recovery timeline at your consultation and advise you on how to avoid any risks or complications.

Download our patient handout for facelift recovery

Video transcript

“When we start talking about recovery with brow lifts, face lifts, and neck lifts, the biggest thing is the pain tends to go away after about a week or so. However, because there’s so much blood supply there, we don’t want you exercising, getting your heart rate up, or blood pressure up. That includes even doing things around the house. We just want you to relax for a little bit and certainly not go to work if you have a physical job. On the other hand, if you have a desk job, you should be pretty mentally clear to be able to do that type of work after a couple of weeks. Going into public is a little bit different, and you should wait 3 to four weeks before considering doing anything that requires you to be in front of the public.”–Dr. Samir Pancholi

Facelift Before and After Results

Before & After View Patient Results & Save Your Favorites > Face Lift Before and After Gallery

With Dr. Pancholi’s artistic eye and extreme precision, he designs the results of a facelift to look natural, with the goal of rejuvenating the face without over-tightening the skin or altering your fundamental facial characteristics, the ones that make you you. As for longevity, while the results are long-lasting, they are not permanent. The durability of a facelift varies depending on factors such as the patient’s skin quality, age, genetics, and lifestyle choices, but typically, the results can last for several years. It’s important to maintain realistic expectations and understand that a facelift does not stop the aging process; however, you will continue to look younger than if you had never had the procedure.

Video transcript

“How long a facelift lasts is another one of the similar type questions of genetics. When we see people that age soon and they’re getting a facelift in their early 40s late 30s, their facelift is not going to last as long. Why? The skin just likes to relax, and the structures underneath relax with it. When we see people that are getting their facelift when they’re in their 60s, they seem to be able to go quite a bit ways with that facelift because it’s taken them that long to age.”–Dr. Samir Pancholi

Enhancing a Facelift: Combining facial rejuvenation procedures

While a face lift concentrates on the cheeks and jowls, many patients also have sagging skin or folds in the brow that creates a tired or even angry look. Likewise, aging often takes its toll on the thin skin around the eyes, causing drooping or puffiness. By adding a brow lift and/or eyelid rejuvenation procedure to your treatment plan, you can achieve a more refreshed appearance to your eyes that complements your newly rejuvenated face and neckline.

At your consultation, Dr. Pancholi will discuss all of your options, so you can best decide the procedure or combination of procedures you would like to have to achieve your goals.

Surgical options for enhancing your facelift results

The secret to a natural-looking facelift is adding procedures that will achieve complete facial and neck rejuvenation results. For example, a facelift rejuvenates the midface and neck areas but doesn’t address your forehead, so if you have a heavy brow or wrinkled forehead, a smoother midface and neck appearance will highlight imperfections of the upper face. To restore the youthful appearance you enjoyed years ago, Dr. Pancholi can help you decide if an augmented treatment plan will be the best approach to meet your aesthetic goals.

  • Brow lift to restore a lifted, more youthful brow and forehead appearance
  • Eyelid surgery to remove excess skin and fat around the eyes for a brighter, refreshed look
  • Buccal fat removal to create a slimmer cheek appearance
  • Cheek implants to add structure to your cheekbones for a striking look
  • Rhinoplasty to reshape and refine the nose to balance your features
  • Chin implants to enhance your profile and reduce a create balanced facial proportions
  • Ear pinning to reshape or reposition the ears for a natural ear contour
  • Submentoplasty to target fat beneath the chin and tighten neck muscles

Non-surgical options for enhancing your facelift results

A facelift can dramatically improve your appearance and it’s likely one of these non-surgical enhancements can add greater refinement to your facelift results. Time and sun exposure causes our skin to sag and age—and while very effective at contouring changes, a facelift will not fully address the surface condition of your skin. These treatments will help improve your skin’s appearance and help achieve even greater facelift results.

At-home facial enhancements for patients

Protect and extend your facial rejuvenation results by using medical-grade skin care. Professional products provide greater enhancement because they are formulated with higher concentrations of active ingredients. Using quality skincare products will improve your skin’s overall health and protect your investment.

“I have been a client of Dr. Pancholi’s for three years. He is an artist and a tremendous surgeon. My husband is a physician and has worked with many cosmetic surgeons in Las Vegas; Dr. Pancholi was his professional choice for me. I could not be more pleased with all of my injections and surgeries.”

—B., Actual Patient of Dr. Pancholi
References »

Surek CC, Moorefield A. Deep Plane Anatomy for the Facelift Surgeon: A Comprehensive Three-Dimensional Journey. Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America. 2022 May;30(2):205-214. doi: 10.1016/j.fsc.2022.01.015. 

Raggio BS, Patel BC. Deep Plane Facelift. 2023 Apr 3. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan–. 

Rohrich RJ, Novak M. Male Face-Lift Finesse. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2023. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000009839.

Quatela V, Montague A, Manning JP, Antunes M. Extended Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System Flap Rhytidectomy. Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America. 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.fsc.2020.03.007.

Rousso DE, Adams AS. Nuances in Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System Rhytidectomy. Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America. 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.fsc.2020.03.010.

Quatela V, Montague A, Manning JP, Antunes M. Extended Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System Flap Rhytidectomy. Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America. 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.fsc.2020.03.007.

Rousso DE, Adams AS. Nuances in Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System Rhytidectomy. Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America. 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.fsc.2020.03.010.

Gentile RD. Laser-Assisted Facelifting and Energy-Based Rejuvenation Techniques During Rhytidectomy. Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America. 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.fsc.2020.03.006.

Bater KL, Ishii LE, Papel ID, Kontis TC, Byrne PJ, Boahene KDO, Nellis JC, Ishii M. Association Between Facial Rejuvenation and Observer Ratings of Youth, Attractiveness, Success, and Health. JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery. 2017. doi: 10.1001/jamafacial.2017.0126.

Hammoudeh ZS, Stevens WG. Nonsurgical Adjuncts Following Facelift to Achieve Optimal Aesthetic Outcomes: “Icing on the Cake.” Clinics in Plastic Surgery. 2019. doi: 10.1016/j.cps.2019.06.002. 

Jacono AA. A Novel Volumizing Extended Deep-Plane Facelift: Using Composite Flap Shifts to Volumize the Midface and Jawline. Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America. 2020 doi: 10.1016/j.fsc.2020.03.001.

Gentile RD. Laser-Assisted Facelifting and Energy-Based Rejuvenation Techniques During Rhytidectomy. Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America. 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.fsc.2020.03.006.

Bater KL, Ishii LE, Papel ID, Kontis TC, Byrne PJ, Boahene KDO, Nellis JC, Ishii M. Association Between Facial Rejuvenation and Observer Ratings of Youth, Attractiveness, Success, and Health. JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery. 2017. doi: 10.1001/jamafacial.2017.0126.

Your facelift consultation with Dr. Pancholi

To learn more about the benefits of a facelift, contact Cosmetic Surgery of Las Vegas for a consultation. We believe that you’ll really appreciate the renewed appearance that is possible with this procedure.

Dr. Samir Pancholi is a highly-experienced cosmetic surgeon and offers patients a wide range of facial cosmetic surgery procedures such as eyelid lift, rhinoplasty, and scar revision. Dr. Pancholi also offers body contouring procedures such as mommy makeover, male breast reduction, and breast implant removal. We look forward to helping you achieve all your aesthetic goals!

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