The facelift is a surgical procedure used to significantly reduce the wrinkles, folds, and lines that can develop as the facial skin gradually loses its elasticity during the aging process. During facelift surgery, the patient is given a smoother, more youthful look with minimal scarring by lifting and tightening the underlying tissue and removing excess skin.

Facelifts at Radiance Plastic Surgery

When it comes to your face, it’s absolutely essential that it’s handled with the utmost care and treated by a board-certified plastic surgeon like Dr. Lori Cherup. Having performed thousands of facelifts, she has the experience necessary to provide her patients with the natural-looking results they deserve.

What Does a Facelift Cover?

Facelifts are wide-ranging procedures used to address skin laxity in multiple ways, most notably regarding:

  • Jowls
  • Double chin
  • Sagging cheeks
  • Marionette lines
  • Nasolabial folds

More advanced facial plastic surgeons like Dr. Cherup also emphasize adding plumpness to the cheeks, tear troughs, and lips. In addition, she will work to eliminate excess skin and fat on the upper neck to ensure your profile stays smooth and consistent.

What’s the Difference Between a Facelift and a Mini Facelift?

With a mini facelift, we are more narrowly focused on the midface, including the cheeks and nasolabial folds. The incisions can also be smaller. Candidates for a mini facelift typically have less significant symptoms. A standard facelift procedure addresses the midface, jawline, and upper neck and is more appropriate for patients with severe skin laxity.

How Old Should I Be to Have a Facelift?

Patients for mini facelifts are usually in their mid 30s to early 50s, while full facelift candidates can be in their 40s to 60s or older. Again, it depends more on the degree of facial aging that has occurred over time in the form of jowls, folds, and hanging skin.

For example, milder wrinkles and fine lines might not even require surgery quite yet. Instead, Dr. Cherup may suggest minimally invasive or non-invasive techniques such as laser resurfacing, dermal fillers, or Botox®. The preventative use of these modalities has been found to delay the onset of more severe symptoms for many patients.

Can a Facelift Be Combined With Other Facial Procedures?

Yes! In fact, Dr. Cherup often recommends complementing a facelift with laser resurfacing in order to treat any smaller, more moderate wrinkles. And, while a traditional facelift does not involve the forehead or eyelids, browlifts and blepharoplasties are frequently combined with them, giving patients the convenience of one day of surgery and one recovery period.

How Long Does a Facelift Last?

With proper skincare, the results from a facelift can last 10 years or longer, depending on patient genetics and other environmental factors. Since aging is ongoing, some patients eventually opt for a follow-up treatment to keep the effects consistent.

Your Improved Face

The ultimate goal during facelift surgery is to make sure your features keep the essence of who you are, but the best version of who you are. If you’re interested in a facelift in Pittsburgh and would like to receive more information about the procedure, Dr. Cherup, and Radiance Plastic Surgery’s private outpatient surgery center, contact us today!