Rediscover Youth with Facelift Benefits
Facelift surgery is a gateway to restoring the youthful appearance that many desire but find elusive. With advancements in surgical techniques, we can now achieve natural-looking results that renew your confidence and align how you look on the outside with how young you feel inside.
Youthful Rejuvenation
Turn back time with a lifted, fresher look that radiates vitality while improving your neck contour and achieving a smoother jawline.
Improved Self-Esteem
Fulfill your cosmetic goals so that you feel confident, knowing that you look as vibrant as you feel, both inside and outside.
Long-Lasting Results
A facelift is a permanent solution to aging, It addresses skin laxity and gives you a natural lift that defies the visible signs of aging.
Revive Your Inner Glow
Environmental factors like sun exposure, stress, genes, and the natural aging process, which changes as women age, can all cause the facial skin to sag. The result is a tired or worn-down appearance that doesn’t reflect the vibrancy a person feels inside. Facelift surgery can restore your youthful look, especially when extensive procedures are used for both the face and soft tissue.
Dr. Goretti Ho Taghva, MD, is an experienced plastic surgeon with exceptional skills in facelift techniques and full facial rejuvenation. Patients from Newport Beach and throughout Orange County know her state-of-the-art plastic surgery center, LEA Plastic Surgery, for its deep focus on patient care and its consistently beautiful and natural-looking results.
What is a Facelift?
A facelift is a cosmetic procedure that revitalizes the lower-to-mid area of the face and addresses the neck skin to produce a more youthful look. During the surgery, facelift incisions are made, and the physician stretches back the skin to contour the face while shaping and firming up underlying deeper tissues. This targets common signs of facial aging while simultaneously shaping and firming up the natural creases in the skin.
Comparing a Traditional Facelift with a Mini Facelift
During a regular facelift, the doctor also performs a neck lift to curtail the drooping of the neck and jowls. Typically, clearing away a “turkey neck” or “turkey wattle” will optimize the outcomes of a facelift. In some cases, nevertheless, a comprehensive facelift is not necessary, as a mini facelift could allow people to attain their ambitions. A mini facelift takes care of just the area from the cheeks to the jawline.
Deep Plane Facelift
Although a traditional facelift (also known as a superficial musculoaponeurotic system—or SMAS—facelift) addresses the lateral part of the skin and SMAS layer of the face, a deep plane facelift goes a step further. It lifts the underlying facial structures, especially those that are medial or central, including facial muscles, ligaments, and connective tissue. This specifically addresses the areas of the face affected by aging, such as the nasolabial folds, jowls, and peri-oral laxity. The outcome is natural and avoids the windswept or “overdone” look that SMAS facelifts can sometimes produce. Results also tend to last longer with a deep plane facelift than with a traditional SMAS facelift.
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Customizing Full Facial Rejuvenation with a Facelift
Nowadays, facelift procedures can be tailored to meet the individual needs of both men and women. Additional treatments such as brow lifts and eyelid surgery may be included in the patient’s surgical plan to address specific aging issues like loose skin. Furthermore, combining facial fat transfer treatments with a facelift helps to replace facial volume loss, leading to a more natural-looking outcome. This is considered to be a comprehensive rejuvenation approach.
It is important to note that facelift surgery addresses only the quantity of skin, not the quality of the skin. To improve skin quality and treat problems such as dark spots, thinning of the skin, acne scarring, and fine lines, physicians often recommend laser treatments or other collagen-boosting facial rejuvenation procedures as an option for people with these specific issues.
Should I get a Facelift?
Selecting plastic surgery is an individual choice. Generally, those who are suitable for facelift surgery must be in good physical condition and non-smokers without other medical problems that could disrupt recovery. Furthermore, they should have a positive attitude and realistic expectations of the outcomes of full facial surgical treatment.
Most facelift patients are between the ages of 40 and 70, although this age range does not automatically limit your suitability. The best way to determine whether you are a good candidate for the surgical procedure is to schedule a consultation with a facial plastic surgeon to discuss your goals.
Facelift Before-and-After Pictures
Your Initial Consultation for a Facelift
Those interested in full facial rejuvenation and a facelift should schedule a consultation at our office as a first step. You should come prepared with a list of questions. However, our board-certified facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Goretti Ho Taghva, will often answer questions before they are even asked! You can also bring photographs to the consultation. During this meeting, you will discuss your surgical goals, any medical conditions, previous surgeries, and current medications, as well as the cost of the procedure.
Dr. Goretti Ho Taghva may suggest alternative or additional procedures depending on your desired outcomes. She will measure and examine your face and recommend the best treatment plan personalized for you.
During this initial meeting, we will also discuss the type of anesthesia for the procedure. Most facelift surgery patients choose intravenous sedation with local anesthesia over general anesthesia. However, this will depend on the extent of the surgery and the needs and desires of the patient.
Facelift Cost
The cost of a facelift in Newport Beach, CA, depends on the extent and complexity of the surgery. Factors such as the type of anesthesia used, the specific technique employed by your surgeon, and whether additional procedures are being combined with a facelift can all affect the cost. During your initial consultation, our staff will discuss all the costs associated with your facelift procedure in detail so that there are no surprises during or after treatment. Most patients find that the benefits of facial rejuvenation with a facelift far outweigh any costs associated with their treatment.
Preparing for facelift Surgery
Before having full facial rejuvenation surgery, our facelift surgeon may ask patients to get lab tests done or undergo a medical evaluation. You should stop using certain medications—or at least adjust them—as directed.
It is essential to stop smoking at least two weeks prior to a facelift. Additionally, you must avoid taking aspirin or any anti-inflammatories for the week or two before surgery, as they may cause excessive bleeding. Before you head into the operating room, make sure someone can drive you there and back, as feeling drowsy afterward is normal.
The Facelift Surgery Procedure
We perform facelifts in Newport Beach on an outpatient basis at our Orange County surgery center. Our beautiful surgical facility, GALEA Center for Advanced Surgery, is located right next door to LEA Plastic Surgery. You do not need to visit a hospital, as our state-of-the-art outpatient ambulatory surgery center is accredited with Medicare and offers the highest level of safety and comfort.
Once the anesthesia has been administered, the lifting procedure can begin. A traditional facelift involves an incision at the hairline near the temples that extends down to the base of the ear and back behind the earlobe.
Depending on your needs, fat may be redistributed using liposuction. The underlying facial tissue is then repositioned, and the deep layers of the face and muscles are lifted. Finally, the excess skin is trimmed, and the skin is gently pulled back and sutured to create a naturally rejuvenated facial appearance. This will also reduce the appearance of wrinkles in some areas of the face.
If it is part of your treatment plan, a second incision is made beneath the chin to lift the skin of the neck, allowing Dr. Ho Taghva to begin removing excess skin and fat. This neck lift procedure is often performed as part of a facelift. Many patients will also opt to undergo an eyelid lift or brow lift in conjunction with a facelift. The procedure can take several hours, depending on the extent of your treatment plan.
The Recovery after Facelift Surgery
After a facelift procedure, you can gradually resume normal activities.
Immediately After Facelift Surgery
Inevitability, you will have some discoloration and inflammation straight after facial plastic surgery. Normally, this persists for two to three weeks, although some people recover faster than others. After the operation, it is prudent to have a friend or family member look after you for at least the first night at home. You should take pain medication as prescribed by the doctor and avoid strenuous activities.
Two Days After Surgery
On the second day after your surgery, Dr. Ho Taghva will schedule a follow-up visit where she will change the surgical dressing. She will also inspect the incisions. If everything looks normal, she will redress the area and review all post-operative care instructions.
The First Week After Surgery
Generally, by days 4 to 6, most people can stop taking pain medication. The swelling should have gone down somewhat, and you can start to be more active. From days 7 to 14, some swelling and bruising may remain; however, it will have subsided significantly.
Sometimes the physician can remove the sutures as early as one week after surgery; other times, it might take two or three weeks. Most people are ready to return to work two weeks after surgery. However, you will need to postpone exercise for several more weeks.
It’s important to understand that recovery times vary from patient to patient. Resuming normal activities should be guided by your physician to ensure the most effective recovery.
Possible Side Effects of Facelift Surgery
When considering a facelift, it is important to choose a board-certified plastic surgeon to reduce the risks. Still, there are possible complications for all types of surgery. For a facelift, these include:
- Bleeding
- Bruising
- Anesthesia complications
- Facial nerve damage
- Hematoma
- Infection
- Hair loss at the incision site
- Numbness
Why Should I Choose Dr. Goretti Ho Taghva?
- Board-certified by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons
- Received additional post-residency training in Korea for Asian Aesthetic Surgery
- Experienced in a diverse range of surgeries including both Western and Asian rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, breast lift, full facial rejuvenation, facelifts, and endoscopic brow lifts
- Understands both Western and Asian cultural background
- Highly skilled in cosmetic surgery and provides natural-looking changes that match each patient’s goals, add beauty, and bring facial harmony while preserving unique aesthetics
- Keenly attuned to the delicate complexities of the nose and facial features