Facelift

faceliftSurgical treatments have evolved tremendously. The “pulled look “ or “wind tunnel” appearances of some facelifts are completely unacceptable to Dr. John Vartanian, our board-certified facial plastic surgeon. A facelift should restore your facial appearance without looking artificial. Your face is generally the first area of your body that others notice when they look at you. With its many nuances and unique characteristics, its features can portray your individuality and sense of self. Over time, our facial features tend to change, and not always for the better. As we age, our skin often succumbs to the effects of gravity which can lead to a lax, worn appearance.

Dr. Vartanian employs a number of facelift techniques that can be the best options for patients seeking long-lasting facial rejuvenation. As a board-certified facial plastic surgeon, he has a specialized knowledge of the face and its structural characteristics including the skin, deeper tissues, and bones. After assessing your personal aesthetic goals, Dr. Vartanian will determine the most effective facelift technique to help you achieve a beautiful rejuvenation result that is natural-looking and more youthful in appearance. While called a facelift, a neck lift is included, and it is often the most dramatic area of improvement after a facelift.

For more information on facelift surgery, or to schedule a consultation, please contact Dr. John Vartanian today.

Benefits of a Facelift Procedure

Facial appearances, as well as the effects of aging, can be influenced by a number of factors. These include heredity, lifestyle, health, and time. A facelift from Dr. Vartanian can restore your youthful appearance without a “pulled” look or “wind tunnel” appearance. With careful skin closure techniques, advanced skin glues, and minimal tension at the incision site, he can achieve hidden incision lines.

Dr. Vartanian uses a number of facelift techniques including: deep plane facelift, SMAS facelift, mini-facelift, and cheek-mid-face lift techniques. His chosen technique is based on your cosmetic goals and the extent of the rejuvenation. Based on his training and extensive experience in facelift surgery, he performs all facelift methods with a maximum level of safety and the best cosmetic results in mind. With each technique he uses great care and precision to hide any possible scarring from the naked eye. During your consultation, Dr. Vartanian will recommend the customized technique that can best achieve your individual facial rejuvenation needs.

Additionally, your facelift surgery can often be combined with other facial rejuvenation procedures like neck liposuction, facial fat injections, and facial filler injections, depending on the method utilized and your ultimate goals.

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The Facelift Procedures

Modified Deep Plane Lift – Vartanian Lift

Dr. Vartanian’s preferred face-lifting technique is his improved version of the deep plane method. The Vartanian Lift is designed to reposition the deep tissues of the face to their previous, younger position. The direction of deep tissue repositioning is designed to match and reverse the direction of normal facial aging, so tissues are repositioned backwards as well as vertically (upwards). His facelift technique is a modified version of the facelift technique he learned from his mentor, Dr. Frank Kamer, and to which he has added some new elements. Using Dr. Vartanian’s deep plane facelift technique, he can safely reposition deeper facial tissues to their original pre-aging position, allowing a natural redraping of the overlying skin and tissues.

The advantages of Dr. Vartanian’s facelift technique are many and include:

  • With this technique the pulled or windswept look of other facelift techniques are avoided.
  • By placing the tension and repositioning pull on the deeper tissues, the skin incision can heal seamlessly since they are not under tension. Skin cuts heal best when there is little to no tension (or pull) on them.
  • With Dr. Vartanian’s modified deep plane technique, the rejuvenation results can last much longer than non-deep techniques, since the deep tissues don’t stretch and loosen as skin does.
  • The deep plane areas are relatively avascular (meaning they don’t have many blood vessels) and don’t have many pain nerves, therefore there is much less bruising and pain, and less of a chance for other factors that can delay healing.
  • With Dr. Vartanian’s modified deep plane facelift, the deep neck and facial tissues are treated as continuous band of tissues, typically resulting in a powerful, yet natural rejuvenation result.

Besides employing superior surgical techniques, Dr. Vartanian’s meticulous attention to detail and to preserving normal facial feature can ensure the ideal face and neck lift results. Dr. Vartanian’s total attention to preserving normal facial details includes:

  • Incisions hidden in the hairline so patients can wear their hair in a ponytail without any scars visible in the neck hairline.
  • Thinning the repositioned skin so that the details of the tragus (the cartilage in front of the ear canal and ear) are preserved and look normal.
  • Placing the incisions so that they are not visible and do not change the shape of sideburns, hairlines, and the position of the ear.
  • Preserving the shape of the earlobe and preventing the pulled or stretched earlobe look.
  • Use of skin glues and advanced stitching techniques to prevent unsightly scar formations.
  • An individualized approach to each case based on the patient’s facial features.

SMAS Facelift

In certain cases, Dr. Vartanian uses another type of facelift technique called the SMAS-lift, or Sub Muscular Aponeurotic System facelift. This method can also be effective at addressing jowls, wrinkles, and any excess skin on the face and neck. During the procedure, Dr. Vartanian will tighten the underlying muscle structure, which ultimately lifts the skin and can produce a natural look.

Mini-Facelift

In this procedure, Dr. Vartanian uses small incisions and advanced endoscopic techniques to renew and reverse the signs of facial aging. In the right patient, the mini-lift can deliver the benefits of more involved lifts without the additional incision of traditional facelift procedures. The mini-facelift procedure can yield great results with a quicker recovery, as well as a decreased amount of downtime. Almost all incisions used in the mini-facelift are placed in creases and non-visible areas in an effort to eliminate any signs of surgery. The mini-facelift can also be great for rejuvenating the neckline.

Cheek and Mid-Facelift

With this method, Dr. Vartanian can effectively elevate the cheeks and the middle part of the face and restore a more youthful appearance to your cheeks. He is one of a select group of surgeons that performs endoscopic mid-face lift procedures without making any skin incisions on the face. During the procedure, small incisions will be placed either on your scalp or underneath your upper lip – both of which are invisible when completely healed. By using specialized endoscopic instruments, Dr. Vartanian will slightly elevate your cheek muscles and the soft, underlying tissues.

Revision Facelift Surgery

Dr. Vartanian also performs revision facelift surgery, where unsatisfactory facelift results and scars from procedures performed elsewhere can be repaired and corrected. In many cases, ear lobe size and position can also be corrected during such corrective surgery. Other areas of dissatisfaction can also be addressed and corrected by Dr. Vartanian.

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Recovery from a Facelift Procedure

Recovery and downtime will vary depending on the technique Dr. Vartanian selects to address your needs. In our practice, facelift surgery is an outpatient procedure and you should be able to return home the day of your operation. Mild bruising and swelling can be expected, and any soreness or discomfort can be managed with medication. Dr. Vartanian will discuss what you can expect in greater detail at the time of your consultation.

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What to Expect

  • Length of Procedure? Facelift procedures can last anywhere from three to five hours depending on the technique utilized and the extent of your needs.
  • Who performs the procedure? Dr. Vartanian will perform your facelift procedure.
  • What should I expect during recovery? Recovery will vary per individual, but most patients experience some degree of bruising, mild swelling, and minimal discomfort (which can be alleviated with medication). Most patients are back to normal activities within two weeks.
  • How about results? Dr. Vartanian’s facelift is designed to produce facial rejuvenation in line with the patient’s request, with results that are natural-looking and long-lasting.

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Schedule Your Consultation

Given Dr. Vartanian’s customized approach to facial plastic surgery, an in-person consultation can help to determine what treatment will work best. For more information about our facelift techniques, or to learn which method will be the best to accomplish your goals, please contact our office today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Vartanian.