Put Your Best Face Forward
With a Facelift
A Facelift, also known as a rhytidectomy, is a procedure to rejuvenate the lower face and neck. As we age, the superficial muscular aponeurotic system (SMAS), a layer of tissue deep under the facial skin that helps maintain our facial structure, weakens and loses its flexibility. This can result in jowling and excess skin under the chin and on the neck. A Facelift in Houston helps tighten the SMAS of the lower face and neck and removes excess skin. The result is smoother, tighter skin and a more youthful appearance.
Facelift Before & After
double board-certified facial plastic surgeon
Dr. Rodman is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon. This means she only operates on the face, making her a specialist in facial cosmetic procedures. Further, her office at Face Forward Houston is one of the few offices that offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBO, has been shown to help wound healing and speed recovery. HBO treatments before and after the surgery are complimentary for all Houston Facelift patients.
At our practice in Houston Facelift can be combined with a brow lift and eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) to rejuvenate the upper face or any other facial rejuvenation procedures. Many patients opt to have fat grafting and skin resurfacing done at the same time as a Facelift. This restores lost volume with fat, tightens the skin with the lift, and resurfaces all fine lines.
An alternative to the Facelift is skin tightening through Renuvion. Similar to a Facelift, Renuvion also tightens the skin of the lower face and neck to reduce jowling. However, the main difference is that Renuvion does not remove any excess skin. It only tightens the existing skin, basically “shrink wrapping” it to the lower face and neck. A Facelift tightens the skin and underlying tissues by lifting the tissues and removing the excess.
The ideal candidates for a Facelift are people with sagging facial skin, especially under the chin or along the jawline. Those who feel their aging appearance does not match the youthful way they feel are the best candidates for the procedure.
People with high blood pressure, heart disease, take blood thinners, have bleeding-related health conditions, or depression are not good candidates for this procedure. People with unrealistic expectations and those who do not have enough time for recovery may not be suitable candidates as well. Patients who smoke may need to address this before undergoing a Facelift.
discuss your available options
During the initial consultation, you will discuss your goals and expectations for a procedure with Dr. Regina Rodman. Be open about your general health, medical history, and smoking history. Dr. Rodman will examine your face, consider your medical history, and discuss your available options. She might suggest minor procedures or discuss additional beneficial surgeries that might be performed in conjunction with a Facelift. The cost of the procedure will also be discussed. The staff may take before and after photos for documentation.
achieve a natural-looking result
During a Facelift Houston patients will have an incision made in front of the ear. This loops around behind the ear and hides in the hair. Sagging skin is adjusted, extra fat, tissue, and skin is removed, and the underlying musculature is re-suspended with long-lasting sutures to prolong the lift. The objective is to achieve a natural-looking result rather than a tight “wind-blown” appearance. That’s why the skin is gently re-draped upward, but never pulled with tension, to create a more natural appearance. Any scars usually lie in a skin crease, generally heal well, and are well hidden.
Your Facelift will be performed in Dr. Regina Rodman‘s surgery center located in Houston, TX.
The results of a facelift may last up to 10-15 years. The procedure itself takes around 5-7 hours and is usually done under general anesthesia.
Patients should expect bruising and swelling for about 10-14 days after surgery. Swelling in the face will continue to fade for several weeks after surgery. Houston Facelift patients should plan for two weeks of downtime. Patients should walk daily, but spend the majority of time resting and recuperating the first week. The second week patients often feel more energized, but activities should still be limited, and bruising or swelling will likely still be visible. In the third week after surgery patients may begin to resume daily activities again. Patients should not perform strenuous exercise for 3-4 weeks after surgery.
At Face Forward Houston, we take pride in our attention to detail and post-operative care. All Facelift patients are offered complimentary treatments in our hyperbaric oxygen chamber. Hyperbaric oxygen has been shown to improve wound healing and reduce recovery time. Facelift patients are advised to use the hyperbaric chamber the day before surgery, and everyday after surgery for the first week, and every other day the second week (if possible). The day following a Facelift Houston patients will return to our clinic for a follow-up appointment, and the original dressing will be replaced. During the first two weeks and over the year, we will see you back for several follow-up appointments to remove sutures, check on healing, and perform any treatments needed to improve results. Patients are given all supplies needed to care for their surgical site at the pre-operative visit. This includes all supplies to clean and care for the incisions, and medical-grade silicone scar gel with sunscreen.
Health insurance will not cover the cost of a Facelift, since it is a cosmetic procedure. The total price may be impacted by anesthesia fees, the techniques utilized, and the total time needed to perform the surgery.
Schedule Your Houston Plastic Surgery Consultation Today
The Face Forward process starts with a consultation. You will meet with Dr. Rodman (either in the office or via video call) to discuss the result or look you want to achieve. Dr. Rodman will review and educate you about your options and schedule you for the procedure of your choice. Follow-up appointments will be scheduled as necessary. Achieve your look and enjoy the new you! Schedule your consultation for plastic surgery in Houston at Face Forward today.
1900 North Loop West, Suite 370, Houston TX 77018