Facelift at our Manhattan, New York City Offices
Face & Neck Lift
As you are looking at your different options by visiting various web sites, you should be aware that all facelift surgeons are not alike. What matters most is the surgeon’s experience and the technique he uses. Dr. Constantinides has been Director of Facial Plastic Surgery for the Department of Otolaryngology at NYU Medical Center for 10 years. He has extensive experience in assuring that the surgical result you get is the best and the safest. Today, there are numerous types of lifts available, but only a few surgeons skilled in all of them. Dr. Constantinides is among the best in New York for this procedure. He is board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology. He is a Fellowship Director, so he teaches face lifting at an advanced level to board certified surgeons who wish to specialize further in Facial Plastic Surgery. He is one of only about 45 fellowship directors in Facial Plastic Surgery nationally. This should give you an idea of the depth and breadth of his experience in facelifts. You can certainly find other surgeons who are less expensive, but you will not find another more committed to giving you the best possible result.
A facelift in our Manhattan office in the heart of New York City can make you look years younger. As we get older, the face in the mirror loses its youthful vigor. The skin and fat around the jaw line sags. The furrows between the cheeks and nose deepen. The corners of the mouth turn down. The neckline sags. These effects are caused by the pull of time and gravity on the supporting framework of the face—the SMAS. The SMAS (Subcutaneous Musculo-Aponeurotic System) holds up in youth the muscles, fat and skin of the face. As we age, the SMAS ages too, causing the face to sag and look older. The facelift was developed over the years to restore what time and gravity undo, by restoring a look of youth and freshness to the face. In Manhattan, New York City, and other large cities, the facelift gained popularity quickly, and is now one of the most common cosmetic surgical procedures.
The first type of facelift worked to tighten the skin of the face. Since the SMAS was not tightened, the effects looked unnatural and did not last. More recently, the “SMAS lift” was developed. This tightens the SMAS, but because the pull is back close to the ear, the central areas of the face (the cheek folds and jaw line near the chin) cannot be significantly improved. Since this is a fast, safe technique, most facelift surgeons in New York City still prefer it. However, over the last few years, a far superior facelift technique has been developed. This technique elevates and lifts the entire SMAS all the way to the nose and mouth. Since the pull is deep in the face and not close to the skin, it gives an even more natural-looking result than the SMAS lift. This form of facelift, called a composite lift or deep plane lift, is performed by a handful of talented facelift surgeons in New York City. From his Manhattan practice, Dr. Constantinides is one of the few surgeons who perform both deep plane and SMAS techniques, tailoring his approach to the individual patient. This is far superior to what most surgeons offer: the same facelift technique regardless of what each patient needs.
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Facelift Surgery
Your facelift surgeon will work through incisions at the hairline to firm and tighten the SMAS, the underlying structure of your face. After the SMAS is tightened, any excess skin is removed. Because of incision placement at the hairline, scarring will be nearly, if not completely, invisible. The facelift is often performed in conjunction with some liposuction, or fat removal, around the chin or other areas of the face to further refine your profile. The facelift operation lasts about three hours, and is performed under general anesthesia or IV sedation at our facility in Manhattan, New York City.
Recovery from the Facelift
About two weeks after facelift surgery, most people find that they can return to work. As with any facial surgery, healing continues for six to nine months until every little irregularity settles down and sensation in the skin and ears returns to normal. You should avoid strenuous activities for several weeks following facelift surgery. Your facelift surgeon will give you more information on how to treat your face in the weeks and months that follow.
Immediately after the surgery, you may find that you look strange. However, as swelling and bruising subsides, your face will look progressively better. In the months following your facelift, you will enjoy a youthful new look. You may even feel younger as you enjoy the confidence that comes with looking your very best.
For more information on the facelift procedure offered at our New York City practice, contact our facial plastic surgeon. In a consultation, you may decide that a facelift is right for you. Alternatively, you may be able to find the enhancement you are looking for using less invasive procedures, such as BOTOX® Cosmetic injections or microdermabrasion.
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Three Myths About the Facelift
1. If you have a facelift, it will be obvious because your skin will look stretched and unnatural.
False. The advanced techniques used today at NYU never make your skin look stretched. While facelifts of 20 years ago may have resulted in an unnatural look, a facelift at our New York City practice in Manhattan will look natural and un-operated.
2. Only old people get facelifts.
False. Anyone, young or old, man or woman, who wants to appear younger is a good candidate for the facelift procedure. The answer to the question “when am I ready for a facelift?” is “whenever you notice something along your neck or jaw that looks droopy, lumpy, or poorly defined and that you would like to see improved.” If you choose to undergo a facelift at 45, you can enjoy the results for that many more years. We will assess your features carefully during our first consultation and talk to you in detail about what face and neck lifts can and cannot do for you.
3. If you’ve had a facelift, you will have to have more facelifts.
False. If you undergo a facelift, you can expect to look between five and ten years younger, permanently. For example, this means that if you are currently 55, and undergo facelift surgery so that you appear to be 45, you will continue to look 10 years younger as the years pass. It is important to understand that surgery cannot stop the aging process, but it can help you to look younger. While many people have second operations when they reach a certain point, a second operation is by no means necessary.
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