Facelift Surgery in Carmel, IN

Facelifting is a term that actually doesn’t “say it all” about facial rejuvenation. Is aging only a falling down of skin? No! Aging is a change in stressed tissue: trying life events, environmental poisons like nicotine or ultraviolet rays, altered body chemistries from weight or hormone shifts.The results: fat loss and relocation, thinning and drying of skin, color changes, skin redraping inward and downward.

The goal of surgery is to turn these pages backward, and therefore requires the orchestration of pharmaceutical agents which help the skin chemistry (through better collagen, elasticity, texture, color, and thickness) and surgery which repositions skin and fat, and strategically enhances volume. What better affirmation of success than for loved ones or even strangers to comment: “What a glow!” “You must be younger than that!” “ You look rested!”

The best candidates (i.e. those who can reasonably expect nice improvements) are those who generally are healthy: non-smokers (at least 8 weeks total nicotine abstinence), reasonable weight, controlled blood pressure, treated skin conditions (e.g. rosacea), absence of active acne or Herpes, on healthy low-salt diet with minimization of white starches.

A skin-care program to prepare the skin for quick and easy healing can be started 6-8 weeks before surgery. During the week prior to surgery all blood thinners must be halted including prescribed agents, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, Vitamin E, fish oil.

Surgery involves going under the skin via incisions around the ears and possibly also under the chin, optionally up in the scalp, adjusting the underlying tissues to create in women a beautiful pear shape and in men a squared shape in the lower face, to tidy up the unwanted hanging neck skin, to smooth the uneven jowls along the jawlines, to highlight the cheekbone prominences, to refine the eyelids, to highlight the shape and position of the eyebrows
Surface-smoothing treatments may be included (e.g. dermabrasion, laser, or chemical peeling). The goal is recognizability and naturalness. (Alien beings can only show up at Halloween parties or UFO sightings!!)

One can expect some swelling and bruising for 1-2 weeks on average. Good preventative measures include continuing the low-salt diet, head elevation on extra pillows, skin and scar moisturizers and good SPF sun protection. Strenuous activities should be postponed for a couple of weeks. The skin typically is numb for several weeks.

It is common to identify small irregularities or asymmetries during the early healing, most often related to focal swelling. A small residual amount of swelling actually creates pleasant additional skin smoothness, winding down over 3 months. The wonderful effect of facial (cheek and neck) rejuvenation typically lasts 5 years or longer.