Facelift

Facelift Scottsdale

Facelift Scottsdale

As the face begins to age, the skin loses its elasticity and strength and begins to sag. Gravity takes its toll on the underlying structures of the face, including the muscle and fat, resulting in further sagging and pronounced aging changes. Drooping of the jowls and the skin under the chin becomes apparent, as well as muscle banding in the neck. These aging changes can be corrected or improved with a surgical procedure known as a facelift, or rhytidectomy, at the Scottsdale, Arizona practice of Dr. Ronald Caniglia.

Facelift surgery is designed to re-suspend sagging muscles, reposition and re-contour the underlying fatty tissues, and remove excess skin of both the cheeks and neck in order to rejuvenate the facial appearance. To learn more about facelift surgery, or to schedule a consultation, contact our Scottsdale practice today.

Candidates for a Facelift

Facelifts may be performed on men and women of various ages, though most patients are in their mid to late forties to early fifties. Provided one is in good health, this procedure can safely be performed into the late eighties. The best candidates for facelift surgery are individuals with:

  • Good skin tone
  • Strong bone structures
  • A strong chin and prominent cheek bones
  • Fullness in the midface
  • Shallow cheek grooves and a deep cervicomental angle.

For those who are lacking good skin tone or strong bony features, additional procedures can be added to the facelift procedure to address these aging changes.

Facelift Surgery Procedure

Most facelift procedures are performed on an outpatient basis and may take anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hours to complete. Additional time is necessary if the facelift is combined with eyelid surgery, a forehead lift, laser resurfacing, or other enhancing procedures.

  • Anesthesia – Dr. Caniglia prefers that all of his facelifts be performed under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation, also known as deep twilight sleep. This allows the patient to feel no discomfort nor remember anything from surgery. A board-certified anesthesiologist is present at all times during and after surgery in order to monitor the patient’s vitals.
  • Incisions – Dr. Caniglia tells patients that if the incisions are placed in the proper position and with proper closure, their hairdresser should have a difficult time knowing that they had a facelift. The incision begins above the ear, and then follows the natural curvature of the ear, preferably falling inside of the ear behind the tragus in order to avoid a visible scar. The incision then continues behind the ear within the natural crease, high up and then straight over into the hairline.
  • Tightening – Dr. Caniglia will first elevate the skin of the cheek and neck. He will then enter the “Deep Plane” or below the muscle, as well as the fibrous layer known as the SMAS. It is the repositioning and tightening of the muscle layer in the cheek, jowls and the neck, that allows for tightening and removal of excess skin. This “Deep Plane” repositioning of tissues allows for a more natural and longer lasting result.
    The vector or direction of tightening is extremely important. There are 3 different vectors to ensure a natural looking result and to ensure no disruption or change in the hairline above and behind the ear.
  • Closing incisions – Prior to closing all of the incisions, many of them with dissolvable sutures, a revolutionary product called Tisseel is used, which is a natural tissue glue that is sprayed under the cheek and neck skin prior to closure of all the incisions, therefore there is no need for drains or compression garments in the first week following surgery.
  • Dressing – A light gauze dressing is applied. The patients are then dismissed to the recovery room, whereby they are discharged and allowed to return home after approximately one hour.

Recovery from Facelift Surgery

The recovery time for facelift surgery has been dramatically decreased due to the use of Tisseel, or natural tissue glue. Most sutures dissolve on their own, and the few surgical clips used in the hairline are removed after one week. Some patients are out and about as early as one week and most within ten days. Nearly all patients are back to work and most normal activities within two weeks and some as early as seven to ten days after surgery. Dr. Caniglia advises patients to wait two weeks before resuming their normal workout routine.

Risks of a Facelift

As with any procedure, there are risks. However, if a facelift is performed in the hands of a very skilled facelift surgeon, like Dr. Caniglia, these risks are greatly minimized. Some complications such as hematoma or blood under the skin, infection, and skin loss or nerve paralysis are extremely rare. Dr. Caniglia has been performing facelift procedures for over 20 years and he has the necessary training and experience to provide you with a beautiful facelift result.

Learn More about Facelift Surgery

If you are interested in achieving a gorgeous, youthful facial appearance, contact our Scottsdale plastic surgery center for more information about facelift surgery.