Common Facelift Concerns

Getting a facelift is an exciting prospect, but many patients worry that making the commitment to plastic surgery could be too risky. Although the Discreet Plastic Surgery team can help you come up with a plan for avoiding these issues and creating the most natural look possible, here are a few common facelift concerns patients ask us about before the procedure: 

Over-Correction

Perhaps one of the most common examples of “botched” plastic surgery, this stretched, strained look is usually the first thing new patients bring up during their consultation. When a surgeon pulls the skin too tightly or fails to consider the patient’s unique facial features, unnatural-looking facelifts may cause a pulled appearance. 

No one wants an overdone, “windblown” look, but this can be avoided with the right surgeon. 

Loss of Expression

Another fear keeping patients from going under the knife to achieve a younger look is losing their facial movement or ability to express their emotions properly. This issue typically goes hand-in-hand with over-correction. If the surgeon pulls the skin too tightly over the face, the worry is that the results will reveal a frozen or mask-like appearance instead of a natural healthy glow. 

However, with careful planning and the right surgeon, this is usually not an issue. 

Visible Scarring

Because facelifts require surgeons to make incisions in the skin, it’s not unusual for patients to express concern that these scars will affect their appearance after the procedure. This problem comes down to scar placement and the skill of the surgeon. Because visible scarring is usually a result of poor surgical technique, taking your time in choosing the right surgeon will help prevent this issue from occurring. 

The Keys to a Natural-Looking Facelift

Problems like over-correction, loss of expression, and visible scarring are all easily preventable concerns. By following these steps, you can achieve a natural-looking facelift without fear of windblown skin or noticeable irregularities. 

#1: See a Qualified Plastic Surgery Expert

The number one way to get the results you desire is to choose a highly-skilled, highly-experienced plastic surgeon. Unnatural, overdone effects are usually the result of an inexperienced surgeon, so choosing the right professional for your needs will make all the difference in your results. 

Remember: the surgeon’s office is not the place to bargain-hunt, settle for less, or feel rushed. Meet with multiple surgeons to make sure you feel comfortable with the professional performing the operation and learn whether their approach fits the facelift results you want to achieve. 

#2: Know Your Goals Beforehand & Communicate Them Well

Coming into your plastic surgery consultation with a general idea of the concerns, needs, and goals you have for your facelift will go a long way toward getting a natural look that you feel comfortable with. After all, only you can decide whether or not you look like yourself, so be sure to explain to your surgeon exactly what you want to achieve. Transparent communication is key here, so don’t hold back or underexplain. 

#3: Combine Your Facelift with Other Treatments

A complete facial rejuvenation is not always complete without additional treatments to the surrounding tissue. For example, a flawless face paired with a sagging neckline could make your facelift much more obvious and unnatural in appearance. Many patients opt to undergo neck lifts, eyelid surgery, or brow lifts in addition to their facelift procedure to maximize the effects within one session. 

#4: Follow Your Post-Op Instructions with Care

After your procedure, it is crucial to follow the post-op instructions provided by your doctor. Allowing yourself the proper healing time will reduce strain against your new incisions, leaving you with the most natural-looking results possible. Doing so will also prevent complications that could arise during this phase of your facelift journey, so take it easy and ask your doctor about any concerns you may have. 

#5: Adopt New Lifestyle Changes & Habits

Moving forward, there are several steps you can take to further protect your skin and maintain your flawless results. The most basic of these tips is to choose a healthy, balanced diet and get enough sleep, both of which will generally improve the look of the skin and slow the aging process. Focusing on preventing sun damage will also help. However, above all, quitting smoking can reduce the effects of aging and improve the look of the skin following a facelift. 

Visit Discreet Plastic Surgery

Our top tip for achieving natural facelift results? Visiting Dr. Doshi at Discreet Plastic Surgery in New York. Dr. Doshi has completed thousands of cosmetic surgeries, and with a focus on facial aesthetics, he’s prepared to help patients get the facelift of their dreams without over-correction, loss of expression, or visible scarring. If you’re considering getting a facelift or other facial cosmetic procedure, contact us today to schedule an appointment!

The post The Key to Getting a Natural-Looking Facelift appeared first on Discreet Plastic Surgery.

Neck Lift 101

A neck lift, or lower rhytidectomy,  is a surgical procedure that reduces the appearance of aging around the jawline and lower neck. This procedure targets excess fat deposits and loose skin around the lower face (jowls), double chins, and abnormal contouring that could be caused by aging, genetics, weight gain, or lifestyle choices. 

Reasons for Treatment

Getting a neck lift procedure from Discreet Plastic Surgery is a highly personal decision, and there are many reasons patients seek treatment, including: 

Visible Effects of Aging

One of the most common reasons for this procedure is to combat the visible signs of getting older. The skin begins to lose its natural elasticity and ability to retain shape as we age, allowing gravity to pull the face and neck downward. These effects can cause emotional discomfort for many patients, leading them to seek treatment for a more rejuvenated look.

Weight Loss

Another major reason men and women alike seek neck lift surgery is to reduce stubborn fat deposits in the neck and jaw area. Diet and exercise alone are often not enough to produce weight loss results in these areas, so opting for a neck lift can relieve double chins or invisible jawlines by removing surrounding fat stores to reveal the facial structure beneath. 

Good Candidates

Like any surgical procedure, your board-certified physician must determine whether you are a viable candidate for treatment. In general, you must be physically healthy enough to receive anesthesia and undergo an operation with a full recovery outlook. Typically, patients who smoke are unable to move forward with this process. 

Aside from your physical ability to undergo a neck lift procedure, it is also important that a candidate has a positive attitude and realistic expectations for their results. Neck lifts can reduce the appearance of aging, but they cannot stop the aging process. Similarly, your results may last years, but they are not permanent. Good candidates will take risks and expectations into consideration before moving forward with treatment. 

What To Expect from Your Procedure

At your initial consultation with your Discreet Plastic Surgery physician, you’ll discuss your neck lift options and treatment goals, learn if you are a good candidate for treatment, and review risk factors and expectations. 

Some patients pair their neck lift with a facelift procedure for total rejuvenation, but this is not always necessary. Neck lifts may be performed independently or in conjunction with other procedures like a brow lift or eyelid rejuvenation without a total facelift. If you’re interested in combining procedures, be sure to discuss this with your doctor during your consultation. 

Once you decide to proceed with treatment, it’s time to prepare for your operation.

Procedure Overview

Your neck lift operation will take place in a hospital setting where your doctor will administer either IV sedation or general anesthesia before beginning the procedure. Then, they will make  a series of small incisions along the hairline, around the ear, or beneath the chin. 

Your physician will then use a liposuction technique to contour the neck and jaw to achieve the desired results, as discussed in your consultation. Once the fat-removal process is complete, they will close the incisions using sutures or skin glue and wrap your face and neck with a compression bandage to allow the post-op healing process to begin.

Neck lifts are outpatient procedures, so after your doctor gives you the okay, you’re ready to go home to begin recovery. 

Recovery 

While you’re in recovery, we recommend asking a friend or family member to stay with you overnight as your anesthesia wears off. You should follow all instructions provided by your Discreet Plastic Surgery physician, including taking the prescribed medications, keeping your head elevated, attending follow-up appointments, and avoiding strenuous physical activity. 

You can expect to see bruising and swelling in the neck area for the next few weeks, but this is a natural part of the healing process. By the fourth week post-op, you should be able to return completely to your normal routine, but the healing process could last up to six months before you see the true results of the procedure. After this period, however, you’ll be ready to enjoy the results of your neck lift and approach the world with confidence. 

Tips from Dr. Doshi

For most patients, facelift results won’t be fully apparent for days, weeks, or even months after the procedure. The best way to speed up recovery is to relax and concentrate on healing the site. Follow these tips from our experts to keep your recovery on track for success. 

• Get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids. 
• Avoid drinking alcohol, smoking, or taking any illicit drugs.
• Take pain medications as prescribed to you by your surgeon. Do not take any pain medications other than Tylenol (acetaminophen) or those prescribed to you by your surgeon.
• After three weeks post-op, you can try a simple silicone-based scar gel to apply to the incisions in non-hair-bearing regions.
• After four weeks post-op, you can slowly resume physical activity. Be sure to listen to the needs of your body as you re-introduce your exercise routine. 
• Avoid sleeping on your face or on your sides until cleared by your surgeon.
• Avoid direct sunlight for six weeks post-op. 

Find Your Confidence at Discreet Plastic Surgery

Getting a neck lift is an exciting decision that can reduce the signs of aging and weight gain and give you the refreshed look you deserve. Whatever your reason for getting a neck lift, Dr. Kaufman and Dr. Doshi are here to help. Both doctors are board-certified professionals with years of experience specializing in cosmetic surgery. If you’re considering getting a neck lift or other aesthetic procedures , it’s time to book your consultation at our office in New York. 

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What Causes Wrinkles?

The skin is a remarkable tissue – it protects us from disease, it heals itself, and it has an amazing elasticity that allows it to bounce back from nearly any strain. This is because your skin contains two important proteins: collagen and elastin. These proteins allow your skin to stretch and move naturally.

As you get older, however, your body’s protein production begins to slow down. The collagen and elastin proteins that are so important to your skin’s elasticity decrease in number, leading to drooping skin, fine lines, and wrinkles. Depending on your lifestyle and genetic factors, these effects can become even more exaggerated, leaving you to feel the effects of the aging process.  

How a Facelift Can Help

For many patients experiencing drooping or sagging skin around the face or neck, it can be hard on their self-esteem. Fortunately, choosing to get a facelift at Discreet Plastic Surgery can help improve the look of your skin and restore your self-confidence. 

This surgical cosmetic procedure eliminates excess skin by creating folds in the tissue. By pulling these folds up and back, as well as removing extra skin or fat deposits beneath the surface, a facelift removes large-scale wrinkles and gives patients a more youthful appearance. The discreet incisions we make around the temple, earlobe, or above the ear allow for a nearly seamless look once the scars have healed. 

Who Is a Good Candidate? 

The first step to a successful facelift procedure is meeting with Dr. Doshi to decide whether the surgery is right for you. Facelifts are invasive procedures that require the help of heavy sedatives or anesthesia, so ensuring you are a good candidate for surgery is key. 

Facelift patients must fit several conditions to qualify for the procedure. In general, a patient must be over the age of 18 and in good health. Our team recommends waiting until you are around age 50 before considering this procedure, however, as this is when a facelift will prove most effective and long-lasting. 

Dr. Doshi will also assess your skin’s elasticity to ensure that the procedure will work for your skin type. Although facelifts are a solution for lost elasticity as a part of the aging process, you should still have some degree of suppleness to qualify. 

Finally, good candidates for a facelift are committed to the process and to their recovery. They’re willing to follow their surgeon’s instructions in post-op, so their skin heals properly, and they get the most out of their results. Patients looking for a facelift typically voice concerns about: 

• Jawline contour
• Sagging jowls or sunken cheeks
• Severe wrinkles
• Loose skin
• Double chin

If you’re worried about fine lines and wrinkles, a facelift might not be the right choice for you. This surgery works on a broader scale to fix severe wrinkles and loose skin, rather than laugh lines or crow’s feet. Be sure to communicate your desired results with your doctor during your consultation so that the Discreet Plastic Surgery team can find the right solution for your needs. 

What to Expect: Procedure and Recovery

Once we’ve determined that a facelift is right for you, we’ll schedule the procedure and start the process. Dr. Doshi will provide you with pre-operative instructions specific to your needs, but you should generally avoid smoking or drinking several days or weeks before your surgery.

The night before your operation, we’ll ask you to follow several steps. First, you’ll wash your hair and face with a germicidal shampoo and face wash that will sanitize your skin and surrounding areas. You’ll also avoid eating after midnight before your procedure to prepare for general anesthesia the next day. 

After your surgery, you may experience numbness, swelling, or bruising, but this is a normal part of the recovery process. You should spend the first few days following your doctor’s instructions, using cool compresses to reduce inflammation, and elevating your head. About a week into recovery, we’ll meet to check your progress and remove the stitches. 

Recovery Tips from the Pros

For most patients, facelift results won’t be fully apparent for days, weeks, or even months after the procedure. The best way to speed up recovery is to relax and concentrate on healing the site. Follow these tips from our experts to keep your recovery on track for success. 

• Get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids. 
• Avoid drinking alcohol, smoking, or taking any illicit drugs.
• Take pain medications as prescribed to you by your surgeon. Do not take any pain medications other than Tylenol (acetaminophen) or those prescribed to you by your surgeon.
• After three weeks post-op, you can try a simple silicone-based scar gel to apply to the incisions in non-hair-bearing regions.
• After four weeks post-op, you can slowly resume physical activity. Be sure to listen to the needs of your body as you re-introduce your exercise routine. 
• Avoid sleeping on your face or on your sides until cleared by your surgeon.
• Avoid direct sunlight for six weeks post-op. 

Turn Back the Clock at Discreet Plastic Surgery

If you’re looking for a cosmetic procedure that can melt years off your age, getting a facelift from Discreet Plastic Surgery may be the right move for you. Most facelift results last up to ten years post-procedure, so you’ll experience the youthful effects for years to come. Schedule your facelift consultation in New York to get started today!

The post All About Facelifts appeared first on Discreet Plastic Surgery.