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Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder:
Part of the total facial evaluation involves looking at the brow, the eyelids, the position of the cheeks, whether there are jowls, quality of the skin, whether the skin has pigmentation, sun exposure, how much skin excess there is and of course, lines and vertical bands on the neck. It is a general held principle that it is best to have any kind of facial rejuvenation done at one time so there is only one healing period. Then the need for additional procedures later on is reduced. Dr. Ress will make sure that you understand all the various treatment options available to you.
In our current day and age the number of options has increased dramatically. For example, in years past many women in the 30’s and 40’s underwent face-lift. Today, many of these patient’s can be treated with Restylane® and Botox® or Thermage®to delay surgery.
The other goal of facial rejuvenative surgery is to get a balanced nature look. The days of the over pulled obviously operated look is gone.
The Procedure
The modern face-lift procedure involves not only removing extra skin but also recontouring the deeper structures of the face to make it look nature, youthful and rested. Face-lift procedures highly individualized to your specific needs. A face-lift can only be performed surgically and non-surgical techniques, as discussed, may help delay the time until the point when a face-lift becomes appropriate. You should be reassured that your face lift procedure will not change your basic appearance but will restore to a more youthful version of yourself. After which, you will continue to age naturally as your own biological clock dictates. The procedure itself is done in a certified operating room either in an outpatient center or at the hospital, where you can stay overnight afterwards and receive personalized nursing care.
The Healing Process After Surgery
After surgery there will be a thin tube present to drain any excess blood or fluid that may collect under the skin in order to prevent this fluid from staying under the skin. You will need to have a family member, friend or caregiver be able to help you with your recovery, which is generally very straightforward. They will need to know how to care for the surgical site, help you take medications and to help drive you to your follow up appointments with me, as you will not be able to drive until you are off pain medications.
Initially after surgery you will have some mild swelling and mild discomfort that should easily be controlled with medications. In fact, most patients do not need more than one or two pain pills a day after the second day following surgery. It is important to keep your head elevated to help the swelling diminish as rapidly as possibly. Most patients return to light normal activities several days after surgery. Full social activities occur anywhere from 2-4 weeks after surgery. With the use of cosmetics that can camouflage any residual bruising. All sutures are removed at about 2 weeks after surgery. Healing continues for several more weeks as swelling softens and the incision scars mature. It will be important not to resume aerobic exercise at least 3 weeks following the surgery, as exercise can caused increase in blood pressure and heart rate that may result in persistent swelling. I frequently recommend use of a special facial garment, much like a pantyhose, to compress the facial skin and tissues, which also helps eliminates swelling and allows the skin to shrink in a controlled fashion.
Final Results
It may take several months for swelling to fully diminish in full and in general will be completely resolved in six months of time. Dr. Ress generally recommends a post surgical rejuvenative program to maximize the improvement of your skin, tone and color with physician level prescribed skin care products Retin A and bleaching creams as medically indicated.
The Cost of Surgery
At the time of your initial consultation you will be quoted a price that will include Dr. Ress’ fee as well as the fee for the hospital and anesthesiologist. Fees are due in full at least two weeks prior to your surgery and a security deposit will reserve a specific time and date for your surgery.
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