Facelift sur gery feels like a big deal. We cannot disagree with this. Getting a facelift is a very big deal because this procedure is unmatched in what it can achieve. Sure, there is anesthesia and downtime, also a big deal. However, the primary aspect of a facelift to consider is how you will feel afterward. With so many non-surgical approaches to the signs of aging, many patients wonder if they need a facelift. Here, we discuss how you might know when the time is right.

You Don’t Look Like “You” Anymore

Aging is not limited to the development of lines and creases around the nose and mouth or on the forehead. One of the reasons that wrinkles develop is because the face is changing shape slowly but surely. This change in shape happens because the fat pads in the mid-face break down. Collagen protein fibers beneath the skin break down as well. Finally, the bone structure around the eyes degrades as we age. Combined, these structural changes lead to sagging at the sides of the jaw (jowls), submental fullness (double chin), and deep nasolabial creases. The face may look longer or wider than it used to. One of the best things that a facelift does is make you look like You again!

Skincare and Injectables Aren’t Getting the Job Done Anymore

When the signs of aging are mild to moderate, it is often possible to address them with quality skincare, strict sun protection, and injectables, when the time comes. The more that the face changes shape, though, the more challenging it can be to restore youthfulness using only these techniques. There is only so much dermal filler that can be used before the face starts to look puffy and unnatural. The purpose of having a facelift is to restore the look you had enjoyed throughout your earlier adult years. Dr. Krummen carefully repositions tissue and trims skin to achieve the most natural restoration of your younger self. The benefit of this, too, is that the results of a facelift last much longer than dermal filler treatments.

There are a few telltale signs that you’re ready for a facelift. We can help you make a confident decision about when to have surgery by evaluating your skin and providing you with detailed information about this procedure. To schedule your consultation in our Cincinnati office, call 513.985.0850.

Facelift surgery remains a popular option for many adults who want to correct the signs of aging. This outpatient procedure need not be put off until the “time is right.” Many of our facelift patients are in their forties. Some are in their seventies. Regardless of age, this surgery that lifts and tightens the skin and muscle structure of the lower face can achieve astounding results. The effects of a facelift include a naturally-younger appearance, not one that is overly tight. Also, the effects of a facelift last, which is the primary reason more and more people are turning to this technique as a way to maximize their rewards.

If you’ve been feeling dissatisfied about the signs of aging on your face, chances are you’ve been down the injectable route already. Perhaps you’ve gotten facials or radiofrequency treatments or microdermabrasion. Perhaps you’ve been using the best skin care products you could find, and yet, your face continues to age (as it always will). If this is you, then the best place to go next may be straight to our office to discuss what a facelift can do for you! Here, we touch on two primary areas of focus after a facelift to ensure the best possible experience.

Important Areas of Focus after a Facelift

Comfort

An interesting thing happens with many facelift patients. Before their surgery, they express a fair amount of concern about postoperative pain. We assure them that their pain medication will keep them very comfortable. Then, once patients return home after their procedure and the time comes to take their prescription painkiller, the don’t Why? Often it’s because they feel “good enough” to wait. We encourage you NOT to do this if you have surgery. On the day of a procedure, anesthesia may take hours to fully wear off and return all physical sensations to normal. Waiting to see if pain gets bad enough for medication is a common way that patients cause unnecessary stress for themselves.

After your facelift, take your pain medication as directed. At least for a few days. After that time, you can begin tapering or may switch to an over-the-counter pain reliever.

Rest

Surgery of any kind puts physical and energetic stress on the body. The energy that would normally provide stamina to do household chores, cook, and care for others must now be turned inward. The body needs all of that energy to regenerate tissues and produce the chemicals necessary to heal incisions and tissue repositioning. As nice as it sounds to lie around and catch up on shows for several days, to take naps at will, and hand over the reins of home, pet, and child care to someone else, many patients find this difficult once they’re back in their own environment. If you know you’re going to have a facelift, know that rest needs to be your primary focus as you heal.

Are you ready for facial rejuvenation that lasts 10 years or more? Contact our Cincinnati office at 513.985.0850 to schedule your visit.

Facelift surgery has long been known as an effective way to turn back the hands of time, cosmetically speaking. Reviving a youthful appearance can renew one’s sense of confidence and enable them to generally feel better about how they look. The objective of facelift surgery is to correct signs of aging like jowls, flat cheeks, and deep creases around the nose and mouth. In a broader sense, facelift surgery is about looking like you, only better. Knowing this, one of the most common questions about facelift surgery revolves around timing.

Age is Just a Number

We can’t really say that there is a right age for facelift surgery. This is because every person ages differently. Cosmetic aging is a matter of biology more than time, and also about lifestyle. Studies suggest that people with naturally oily skin tend to age more slowly and that fine lines and wrinkles develop sooner on people with lighter skin. Furthermore, people who consume alcohol or use tobacco products demonstrate the signs of aging more quickly and profoundly than those who do not smoke or drink. From stress to sun exposure to skin care, there are numerous factors that can contribute to aging.

Facelift Timing is Purely Subjective

Because aging is such a personal event, the timing of facelift surgery or other facial rejuvenation efforts can span over many decades.

Age 35-40

It is often between the age of 35 and 40 when the signs of aging begin to appear. At this time, most people are not ready for a facelift. The creases that are forming between the brows or around the nose and mouth can usually be mitigated nicely and very quickly with injectable treatments. Botox is the product recommended for upper-face rejuvenation and dermal fillers are commonly used on the lower face to smooth wrinkles. It is at this time when proactive steps can also pay off down the road. Options to consider include fractional skin resurfacing, microneedling, and chemical peels.

Age 40+

Studies show that the decade of the 40s may be an optimal time to get the best results from facelift surgery. This correlates with the prime state of SMAS tissue in the deep plane of the face during this decade of life. According to research, the deep plane facelifts performed at this time have fewer revisions than other techniques. A facelift during your 40s is likely to be less invasive, possibly leaning toward the mini-lift side of the spectrum, to address mile skin laxity. An alternative option that some people consider is the thread lift, available in our Cincinnati office.

Age 50-60

While a mini-lift may be ideal for mild laxity in the 4^th decade of life, the 50s and 60s may require a bit more restructuring. At this time, tissue on the lower face and upper neck may need to be addressed simultaneously. The traditional facelift technique may be ideal or may also be combined with a neck lift to achieve the best results. Additionally, more extensive signs of aging can benefit from fat injections or dermal fillers in the temples, mid-face area, or lips. This is because a fair amount of facial aging relates to the deterioration of bony structure and fat pads.

Schedule Your Consultation

An experienced plastic surgeon can help you discover your way back to your most vibrant self. Call 513.985.0850 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Krummen.

Facelift surgery has been popular for decades. However, alongside consistent interest has been lingering fears related to this procedure. The most common concern that patients have is that the results of a facelift might be too much, that they will look tight and windblown. This is usually not the case. One of the critical factors to an optimal outcome from facelift surgery is to select a board-certified plastic surgeon to conduct this procedure. Beyond that, it is necessary to understand what a facelift can and cannot do.

Why Choose to Have a Facelift?

When we have so many non-surgical treatments available, why would a person choose to have a facelift at all anymore? Injectables like Botox and dermal fillers can achieve impressive results. In fact, injectables make a fine complement to facelift surgery for many of our patients. However, the primary limitation of this method of facial rejuvenation is that results last months rather than years. This is the reason why facelift procedures are still in demand; because patients want to look several years younger for several years at a time.

If you’re considering a facelift, know that your procedure can:

• Reposition muscle and other superficial tissue. The modern techniques employed in facelift surgery achieve better results than those used years ago because surgeons now do much more than pull back and remove excess skin. Today’s facelift procedures involve repositioning of muscle tissue over the bony structure to provide more support and a slower aging process.
• Pass the “street test.” Here is where you really want your facelift to count. The ultimate goal of surgery is to look younger, not “done.” The street test dictates the success of a facelift. Passing the street test means people would observe your face and never know you’ve had work done.
• Turn back the clock 7 to 10 years. The average rejuvenation of a facelift is said to be 7 years. Patients can maintain this by practicing good sun habits (wear sunscreen!) and utilizing quality skincare products. Injectables and routine non-surgical treatments also help to extend the results of a facelift.
• Facelift surgery cannot:
• Improve the tone or texture of the skin. If part of your concern is that your skin has become rough or mottled with sunspots, know that a facelift will not correct these problems. However, laser treatments can! Many people schedule laser skin resurfacing to coincide with their facelift to achieve maximum rejuvenation. The use of medical-grade skincare products is also recommended.
• Lift the brow. A common misconception about facelift surgery is that a full facelift will correct the signs of aging on the entire face. Not so. The forehead and brow area are not included in facelift surgery, only the lower face is involved in the procedure. If the eyes and brow are a concern, blepharoplasty or brow lift surgery may be performed at the same time as a facelift.

Learn more about facial rejuvenation and modern facelift techniques. Contact our Cincinnati office at 513.985.0850.

Facelift surgery has persisted in its popularity even as the last two decades have brought us numerous non-surgical methods of refreshing the face. While we routinely use Botox and other injectables to smooth lines and correct mild to moderate signs of aging, there are times when we need to up our game. Facelift surgery is how we do that. If you’ve been using injectables and are wondering what more you could gain from a facelift, you’re asking a great question. Here are a few of the facelift details you need to know.

1. A lifted face isn’t a wrinkle-free face. A standard facelift does not correct all of the signs of aging that occur. This is because this anti-aging technique focuses on the lower face. Incisions are made in the ear area where the lower cheeks, jowls, and neck can be adjusted. Therefore, do not expect to be free of crow’s feet and worry lines after your facelift. Don’t worry, though; we have ways to correct these problems.
2. Your face can look great for years. One of the main reasons to undergo a facelift as opposed to injectable and laser treatments is because the results of surgical technique last longer. They are also more dramatic, but that’s another story. After a facelift, many patients look about ten years younger than they did before surgery. Ten years after surgery, they still look many years younger. The more you pamper your skin with nutritious foods and quality products, the longer your results can last.
3. Lifting tissue is just one way to refresh the face. Before extensive research was put into dermal fillers and other anti-aging techniques, the standard facelift procedure involved lifting skin and underlying tissue to a higher seat on the skeletal structure of the face. This was good, but we could do better. Today, facelift surgery attempts to reposition tissue in a way that puts adequate volume back where it should be across the midface. Tissue lifting doesn’t always achieve this to the degree we want, so dermal fillers or fat injections may also play an integral role in maximizing facial rejuvenation.

Facelift surgery is still relevant and can offer huge rewards. Learn more by scheduling a consultation in our Cincinnati office at 513.985.0850.

Men and women around the world routinely consult with trusted cosmetic surgeons to lift brows, erase worry lines, unpack under eye bags, and more. You would think that, with the long history of facelifts behind us, there would be little question about what’s possible with this procedure. In fact, the opposite has happened.

It isn’t that patients wonder whether or not a facelift will make them look younger. More often than not, the apprehension that some people feel stems from worry about looking “done.” You may know what we’re talking about. We’ve all seen images of high-profile people who have decided to turn back the hands of time. They don’t look younger. They barely look like themselves. The problem with poorly-planned facelifts is that they can look obvious. But that is not the objective.

A facelift is performed with the intent of repositioning tissue that has fallen from its youthful glory. Eyebrows may droop below the upper orbital rim, the bony structure of the eye. Eyelids become loose and heavy. Cheeks flatten, and jowls develop.  A facelift can address each of these concerns or all of them. But it’s not that simple. Facelift surgery has changed to such an extent that you could meet someone who’s had one and never know it. Here’s why:

• Every facelift surgery is unique. This is how it should be, right? To have a facelift today doesn’t mean the same thing it did just a few decades ago. Today, we may lift only the upper face to open up the eyes and smooth worry and frown lines. A mini facelift may address only midline structures like the cheeks and temples. Each patient has specific needs, and our job is to meet them.
• It’s not all about the lift. Youthful facial features are not overly tight; they are smooth and curvaceous. The cheeks are high and rounded; lips are plump, the jawline sharp. Tightening alone cannot restore such an appearance. To do so, surgeons now frequently combine facelift surgery with volume replacement. This may be accomplished with fat from the patient’s own body, or with soft tissue fillers. Ultimately, volume restoration changes the entire outcome of facial plastic surgery.
• The lift is more conservative. Because volume needs to be present for the face to look younger, the degree of tissue lifting and “tucking” that takes place during the facelift procedure is typically much less dramatic than it used to be.

Discover your best option for facial rejuvenation in a consultation with a friendly, experienced Cincinnati cosmetic surgeon. Call 513.985.0850.