Age brings wisdom, but it also brings wrinkles, sagging skin, and double chins. If you are unhappy with the way your face has aged, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Steele can help restore your contours and confidence.
Facelift, or rhytidectomy, restores the shape of your face and neckline to reduce the visible signs of aging dramatically. This type of facial plastic surgery smooths the sagging skin around your cheeks, eyes, forehead, and neckline. A facelift in Midlothian from Dr. Matthew Steele can help reverse changes from sun damage, aging, genetics, and environmental factors.
Typically, a patient can choose between a full facelift or a limited incision facelift, sometimes called a mini lift. A full facelift involves a long incision around the hairline, extending down to the temples and around the ears, front to back, ending at the lower scalp. Dr. Steele will make an incision below the chin to access the neck. Though more invasive, a full facelift will gently pull facial and neck tissues and muscles and secure these in place to create a more youthful appearance.
A mini facelift involves a shorter incision that runs along the hairline to the front of the ears. A mini facelift is great for patients who wish to improve their appearance but have not yet seen the drastic signs of aging requiring the full facelift. Results of a mini facelift may not last as long as the full facelift in Midlothian.
The most important quality in a candidate for a facelift procedure is good health. Unhealthy individuals should not undergo a facelift, because underlying health conditions may impede the healing process. Only people with a clean bill of health as determined by a board-certified plastic surgeon should be considered for a facelift.
Before a facelift, patients should get their blood work done and schedule a complete review of their medications with Dr. Steele. Some medicines will need to be stopped or adjusted, and patients should stop smoking at least six months before a facelift procedure in Midlothian. Aside from the health benefits of quitting, lingering nicotine in the blood supply can prevent wound healing and worsen the appearance of scarring.
Facelift procedures last between 4 to 6 hours and take place at our accredited outpatient surgery center under general anesthesia. Once the anesthesia gets administered, Dr. Steele will make the incisions, lift up the skin, tighten the muscles, remove excess skin, and close the incision with sutures.
Dr. Steele will provide detailed instructions for post-op care, including wrapping the face with a bandage, taking pain medications, applying topical treatments, and properly caring for drainage sites to prevent infection.
After a couple of days, we will remove stitches, evaluate the incision sites, and schedule additional follow-up appointments. Results will be visible within two weeks, though complete recovery will take two to three months. You must follow all your surgeon’s instructions to facilitate healing and best results, including:
Any questions or concerns you have after your facelift in Midlothian should be addressed to our medical team.
When you are dissatisfied with your facial appearance, you can choose to do something about it. Get the youthful, vibrant face you need for living the lifestyle you want. A facelift in Midlothian from Dr. Steele can help. Schedule a consultation at our office today and learn why we are a trusted name in plastic surgery!
