Facelift Surgery

A traditional plastic surgery face lift is an operation in which the skin and supporting structures of the face are tightened and re-draped over the facial skeleton. There are now almost as many different types of face lifts as there are Hula teachers in Hawaii. These multiple options benefit you in the various stages of the aging process. Here in our Hawaii face lift clinic we offer many of these options depending on your unique needs.

What Type of Facelift Do I Need?

In the old days the term facelift (or face lift) conjures images of the super wealthy patient with a secret Swiss surgeon hidden away in the Alps out of sight. The stereotypical scene of a person having their bandages unraveled to miraculously unveil this completely unrecognizable, fully healed and beautiful individual looking magically younger. This of course is the 1950’s image of plastic surgery popularized by movies and media. It is somewhat different than that.

Today with the popularity of plastic surgery reality television, we see this concept of the facelift (or plastic surgery in general) is long gone. Modern plastic surgery i3s both affordable and more openly discussed.. Facelift surgery is both safe and effective at taking years off someone face. The typical facelift patient ranges in age from 45 up to 70 years old and most say they want to look like they feel. They feel healthy, energetic and enjoy life. However the loose saggy skin or loss of a bright eyed appearance motivates them to see a facelift expert like Dr. Pasquale. Occasionally face lifts are done on patients as young as 23 for such reasons as acne scars or deformity.

Face Lift Consultation

As mentioned there are different types of procedures, all of which fall under the general term of “facelift”. Some of the procedures are surgeries specifically meant for the eyes, ears, nose or mouth, but they are performed in conjunction with a facelift surgery in order to make more comprehensive improvements to the face. A facelift by itself will not correct problems with your eye bags, but a facelift with a blepharoplasty would. In our Hawaii clinic we will choose the techniques best suited for you in terms of your desires, your work, available downtime and your budgetary considerations. Perhaps you’re simply very nervous about having a surgical procedure as many are. After speaking with us about facial improvement and rejuvenation it is our goal to make you feel comfortable so that you can make a good decision with Dr. Pasquale that you will never regret.

allow the facelift expert to guide you

Together the patient and the plastic surgeon will go over the patient’s concerns, expectations and goals in regards to their appearance. The surgeon gathers all the information necessary during the consultation in order to complete a patient analysis and produce a surgical plan that is reasonable, within budget and addresses the patient’s concerns. Oftentimes a few surgical options and alternatives are presented as well for the patient to consider. A patient is seldom going to understand or grasp the full spectrum of surgical procedures & treatments at a plastic surgeons disposal or how they can be combined and customized into 1 surgical procedure.

Patient Analysis & Facelift Surgical Plan

In regards to face lift the face is traditionally divided into three zones by a plastic surgeon. The zones are as such in the graphic below. All of these zones must be considered to accomplish successful facial rejuvenation or improvement of the patient’s facial appearance.

How is the Facelift Plan Created?

There are specific procedures which address each of the zones and the areas to be corrected. Take the person below which is an actual patient of Dr. Pasquale. She had multiple issues which needed to be addressed. This is a complex patient for facial surgery and a plan was developed by considering all three zones for facelift. Each of the zones were analyzed and a plan was developed as shown below. When this is put together with the skill and artistry of Dr. Pasquale, you can see the incredible improvement in the before and after picture below. This is essentially a Total Facial Rejuvenation which combines several procedures at once.

A good facial surgeon should look at each aspect of your face with you and discuss possible corrective procedures and put this plan together. They should examine you closely and plan a procedure to correct each zone individually and integrally.

At your consultation, Dr. Pasquale will sit down with you and review all your options, complete with photos and drawings. This will make it very easy to understand the procedures from a technical standpoint as well as the reasons for his recommendations. Each zone of the face should be addressed and a plan to make corrections developed for your facelift procedures.

The endoscopic mid-face lift and endoscopic forehead lift may be the best way to address the early signs of aging that emerge in the upper and middle regions of the face. The rhytidectomy (traditional facelift) addresses the later signs of facial aging that emerge in the neck and lower region of the face. These procedures can be performed individually or in conjunction with each other, depending on the particular facial rejuvenation needs, you may even be right person for a non-surgical face lift such as Thermage procedures.

Types of Facelift Surgeries

There are about as many facelift techniques as there are facelift surgeons, but these are some of the more common generic facelift surgeries that are performed by plastic surgeons.

• Skin Only Facelift – Remove and arrange only excess skin without changing the deeper tissues of the face. This procedure has less downtime and costs less as it involves less surgery. Skin only facelifts are also less invasive and oftentimes look more natural. It’s best for patients who are concerned with midface sagging and less signs of aging in the neck area.
• Deep Plane Facelift – This type of facelift operates on the deeper tissues of the face as well as the skin at the same time. There is less separation and manipulation of the individual sub layers of tissue compared to the SMAS technique.
• SMAS Facelift – This surgery pulls and tighten the sub-muscular layers and skin of the face individually as separate planes. This allows for a more customized facelift, giving the surgeon many more options in regards to possible asymmetry, the usage of different angles as well as it can have an added effect on the lower face and neck if need be.
• Short Incision Facelift – This procedure uses a very small and well hidden incision best for patients who aren’t in need of a more complicated or technical procedure.
• Brow Lift – This facial procedure improves the appearance of the forehead brow area, including glabellar and forehead wrinkles as well as it can improve the upper eyelid areas of the face.
• Mid-Face Lift
• Neck Lift
• Facial Rejuvenation

The types of facelifts mentioned above are just a few of the techniques and there are many more that may need to be considered when you speak with one of our consultants. Each facelift should be individualized and is a comprehensive process that can only be decided between you and your cosmetic plastic surgeon. We at the Infinity Life Center here in Hawaii have the resources to draw and years of experience to help you make the right decision about type of face lifting.

Facelift Cost

If you are comparing the prices for a face lift or other facial cosmetic procedures, make sure you know what the quote you receive from your surgeon includes. (Plastic surgeons typically charge more than other specialists who also may perform facial cosmetic procedures because of their additional training.) When evaluating a fee quote, be sure to consider the following points:

Is it simply the surgeon’s fee? Does it include anesthesia and, if so, what type?

The price of facial cosmetic procedures varies widely depending on the type of procedure chosen. To give you some idea, a face lift, on average, can cost from $5,000 to $10,000 U.S. dollars. Anything less and you need to question why it is so inexpensive. (Does the surgeon need the experience so he/she lowers the price?) Obviously, less involved procedures – those that do not, for example, require general anesthesia or full surgery – will cost less.

Ask your surgeon what the arrangements are if a revision is needed. Will he or she charge you a full fee or just cost? Although revisions are generally not common, they are a possibility and it is important to understand how your surgeon will charge you for them.

There are websites that promise very cheap prices, but remember: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Can you put a price tag on your health? If you are interested in learning more about the specific costs associated with a facial cosmetic procedure from Dr. Pasquale, please contact us. Prices differ amongst procedures and may also depend on the surgical techniques you require.

Can I Afford a Facelift in Time and Money?

another question you should ask yourself is whether or not you can afford the procedure. This would mean not just in actual cost but in time off work which is about 2 weeks in most cases. Can you take care of things or get the help you need in recovery. You should not burden your budget with some of these costs and it needs to be planned.

Facelift Recovery

Having a face lift is perhaps the biggest type of plastic surgery you can have on the face. Other surgeries, such as a brow lift or a blepharoplasty involve much smaller areas of the face and, thus, will generally require less recovery time. A face lift, on the other hand, involves a large area of the face and changes the shape of the face to a greater degree. The recovery time after a face lift is greater than most facial procedures.

In order to understand how long does facelift takes to recover, you need to understand how the face lift procedure works. It involves making an incision beginning at the temporal aspect of the hairline and extending it down across the front of the ear. Sometimes part of the incision goes up behind the ear. Incisions are all hidden. The skin is carefully dissected (separated) from the underlying muscle and fat. Excess fat is treated with excision and muscles are tightened to make the face seem younger. Sometimes fat is added as well. The skin is then redraped over the new face and part of the excess skin is trimmed away so the face will be smoother, have less wrinkles and sag.

The facial skin is then sutured together and a compression bandage is applied. The compression bandage holds the facial skin tight to reduce swelling and bruising. Even so, swelling and bruising to some degree is likely and you can expect it to take at least a week or two before the bruising goes away. Swelling tends to go down within a week. The sutures are removed after about five days. Yet the face is still sensitive and one must be very caereful of the incision which is healing. Within 10 days, the incision heals fairly well and you can think about putting makeup on the face after these ten days have passed.

Common side effects after a facelift

The face lift recovery period depends on a couple of factors. Common side effects of a face lift that can alter the recovery period include swelling, bleeding, hematoma formation and infection. If you get a hematoma, which is a blood clot formed beneath the skin from excessive bleeding, you may need to have another surgery to remove it if heat packs to the area does not resolve the hematoma. Infection is also treated with local heat and the use of antibiotics to settle down the infection. Any of the latter two side effects will extend the recovery period.

Bandages and stitches after a facelift

When you first see the doctor a few days after surgery, you will still be bandaged and will be swollen with some bruising. Your sutures or clips will be removed after about five days. The doctor may leave them in longer if necessary. Your bandages will probably be removed after a week.

When can I shower or return to normal after a facelift?

During your face lift recovery period, you will need plenty of rest. After a week, you will be able to move around more, however movement should be minimized as to reduce altering your bandages. Your face may feel numb for a while, but this will resolve after a few weeks. Do not tug on your hair because half of the incision is in your hair line. Do not restart smoking because it will slow the healing process. Avoid alcohol for a few months while you are healing. You should also not take very hot showers, or go into steam baths or saunas for several months following the procedure.

When can you return to work after a facelift?

Most people can return to work after about two weeks. Some bruising or swelling may still be present but should be minimal at this point. You can hide the bruising with certain cosmetics products if desired.

Are there psychological effects after getting a facelift?

In some patients, mild depression can occur after having a face lift procedure. This is mainly due to high expectations for surgical outcomes, on top of the longer recovery period for face lifts compared to other facial plastic surgeries. You will look different from what you are used to, and it may take some time getting used to. Allow yourself to become adjusted to your new fresh face, as most people are satisfied with their face lift once the healing process is finished.

The extras we do for facelift recovery.

At the Infinity Life Center we have many ways beyond the normal plastic surgeons office to help you heal as rapid as possible.Since we are an integarated wellness center we have the expertise near by. The little things and these details count. One basic way is to provide you with comprehensive instruction and follow up by our team. We also believe in using various therapies such as high dose Vitamin C, and other healing nurtient IV therapies after surgery. These added benifits of our center can be used during the healing of a facelift. Although many of these extra services are optional, we offer that extra care to make sure your facelift recovery is as smooth as possible.

Face Lifts in the Media

Today we hear much talk about face lift in the media. Here in Honolulu, Hawaii we may see it on the local news with the latest technology claiming a weekend no downtime facelift. We hear about the thread face lift or the Aptos face lift, min lift or the Hawaii face lift. We see on Oprah the no downtime Thermage procedure. Much of this information that you hear in the media be it in Hawaii, Japan or on the mainland is marketing material well written and designed to get you hooked. We really sped the time to discuss facial rejuvenation from the nonsurgical to the traditional plastic surgery options. Why Dr. Pasquale’ clinic should be your clinic.

One of the reasons our practice is different and sets us apart is excellent patient care and service regarding face lifts, or any of the other procedures and services we offer. In our Hawaii clinic we are one of the few practices which assign you your own personal coordinator to make your experience a good one. Dr. Pasquale and his team will help you learn about face lifts and the facts, making sure that you are able to get past the marketing and truly understand your options. Dr. Pasquale will show you before and after photos of the minlift, the thread lift and the traditional plastic surgery procedures of face lift. You can learn and feel comfortable at our Hawaii clinic in making your decision.

Dr. Pasquale has some of the highest credentials and training in face lifts available. As a board certified plastic surgeon with a long history of good results for many years you can feel confident in his ability and skills in helping you make your decisions about facial rejuvenation. Unlike some, we have the training and technology available to improve your facial wrinkles, sun damage, or any aging facial features.

A facelift is a common term which people use for a host of procedures of the face, so we want to clarify the meaning. When we talk about a facelift we are talking about a surgical facelift performed by a plastic surgeon. This procedure involves an incision that is very hidden, so it is not noticed. The skin and underlying tissues are arranged or modified in such a way to make the individual look younger.

Natural Appearing Facelift

This takes not only technical skill, but an artistic eye for the best results. As you have seen so many people especially in Hollywood have that crazy pulled look. We at the Infinity Life Center feel these are not good facelifts. The best results are those which look natural and as if nothing was done that people can see. We produce excellent results but not overly done and the “”wind swept” look of the face.

We strive to provide a significant youthful appearance in such a way that the facelift appears both natural and not looking like someone has had plastic surgery. How we perform our facelifts are catered to each individual as the starting point is different for everyone with various signs of aging. As example, some individuals have considerable jowls and others may have loose skin around the cheeks. So the facelift treatment must be tailored to take the global look into consideration.

What makes a Face Attractive?

Just about everyone is interested in beauty, what is beauty, the science of beauty and in particular – what makes a face attractive. The Korber foundation organized three psychologists and a biologist to conduct a study “Causes and consequences of attractiveness”. The site BeautyCheck.de is an excellent resource for people interested in this topic as a science. As this web site points out there are some definite and measurable aspects of facial appearance which we can point to as attractive features.

• A narrow heart shape is more attractive (left) than a round face (right).
• The eyebrow angle looks better if slightly higher on its outer edge than towards the middle.
• The lips are more attractive when they are fuller.
• A narrow nose is more attractive than a wide nose.
• A hairline more forward is considered more attractive.

Facial Aging and Different Racial Distinctions

Facial aging effects all of us. Yet some more than others and sometimes this depends on your race, Asian, Caucasian African ,Hispanic or many mixes find different changes take place. Our Asian patients seldom age the same way as our Caucasian patient do. As example Asian patients tend to have “age spots “more than Africans. Caucasians tend to have those wrinkles around the corners of the eyes known as crows feet. When considering face lifts your race is an important factor. A good facial surgeon will consider the aging patterns accordingly when he helps guide you through the process of choosing a face lift procedure. In Hawaii we have one of the most diverse populations for face lifts in Dr. Pasquale’s practice. Lets first look at the aging process in general.

Description of Facial Aging

• 1. The nose widens and lengthens with age.
• 2. The brow falls and the outside corners of the eyes turn down.
• 3. The jaw line develops sagging and excessive skin.
• 4. The distance between the nose and lip gets longer.
• 5. The face widens or in some cases narrows with an unappealing loss of tissue.
• 6. Bags or hollows form under the eyes.
• 7. Various wrinkles form and corners of the mouth turn down.
• 8. The cheeks sag and develop hollow areas.

When a face lift surgeon looks at your face he or she should have a tool bag full of techniques and procedures – solutions to correct the aging process. Dr. Pasquale at his Honolulu Clinic will ask you what is the area that is the most concern for you. Together you will go through your aging process and consider the points above (perhaps more or less). Dr. Pasquale will explain to you the procedures which can specifically address each area of concern. Depending on your desire circumstance and needs he can tailor your face lift procedures or nosurgical procedures for the optimal result.

Dr. Pasquale, as a plastic surgeon fully trained in surgical and non-surgical procedures has a toolbag full of many options. Unfortunately, unless you see a fully trained plastic surgeon who is also well versed in non-surgical treatment you may not be offered all the options available today. There are many physicians today who will offer treatment for the aging process, but so many only have a few tools to use. This gives great credence to the saying “if you only have a hammer everything looks like a nail”. The point is when seeking someone to help you correct facial aging be sure to seek a fully qualified and trained plastic surgeon who has experience in both non-surgical and surgical treatments of the aging face.

Face lifts are many in types and amount of detailed surgery. There are simple skin face lifts which involve only the skin. There are face lifts which involve rearranging not only the skin, but the muscles themselves and even more complex procedures of changing the facial bones. There are most likely more than 100 types of face lifts and related procedures. There are many non-surgical treatments such as fillers, Botulinum Toxin and thermage which are available as well.

When thinking about face lifts and comparing surgeons, make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Don’t expect to pay either in recovery time or money the same for a simple skin face lift and a SMAS face lift as the latter takes longer, requires more skill and more effort. The recovery time when deeper tissues are addressed is longer and takes more of the surgeons skill and time. You will have to decide with Dr. Pasquale which face lift procedure is best for you.

Facelift Risks & Complications

A face lift is a major surgical procedure. It takes a large portion of your face and redrapes it into a wrinkle-free shape. If performed with other procedures such as a chin implant, a cheek implant, a brow lift or a blepharoplasty, the complication risk increases. Surgical face lifts normally have great outcomes with minimal complications and side effects. However, if the face has very little elasticity or if there are several severe wrinkles, the face lift may not turn out as predicted or desired.

The face lift is performed by making an incision into the hair line and behind or in front of the ear. The skin is separated from the fat and underlying tissue and excess fat is removed. Any loose muscles are tightened and the skin is redraped over the face and the excess skin is trimmed away. Then the remaining skin is sutured back to the original suture line, which is hidden beneath the hair.

Minor face lift complications however are fairly common. Just about everyone gets some degree of swelling and bruising initially, which will slowly subside and resolve. There can be some external bleeding or hematoma formation. Hematomas are blood clots that form beneath the tissue and skin. It forms a lump that can be removed with heat compresses, or in certain cases, surgically. Hematomas start out as hard but then soften as the red blood cells are broken down naturally by the body. The serum within the hematoma can be evacuated with a needle.

Infection is possible with a face lift, although it is uncommon. Infections may present as redness, crusting and pain, with some resulting in abscesses to form that require drainage. Antibiotics and abscess drainage are the best ways to manage these infections, which could result in asymmetry of the face or increased scarring./p>

Other face lift complications include personal satisfaction with the face lift results. The desired outcomes and expectations for your procedure will be discussed with you and your surgeon, to result in the best and ideal outcome for you.

Facelift Specialist

Dr. Michael Pasquale has a well-earned reputation for excellence in facial cosmetic surgery. He combines the science of superior surgical technique with an artist’s eye for beauty. His exceptional results bring patients from Hawaii, the U.S. mainland, Japan, and points beyond. If you are considering facial cosmetic surgery, please contact us today.

Facial cosmetic surgery ranges from the more complex face lifting procedures to smaller, less involved ones such as collagen injections. Dr. Pasquale has extensive experience in all types of facial plastic surgery and skin care, and he can offer a wide selection of techniques to help enhance your appearance. The choice of procedures will be dependent on many factors: your desired results, your skin type and condition, your budget, and the amount of recovery time you are considering.

Asian Facial Features & Asian Facelift

Dr. Pasquale is a board certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon who has completed not only full residency training in plastic and reconstructive surgery, but also an additional two years of training in the subspecialty of cosmetic surgery. Since then, his many years of private practice have only perfected these skills. Of special note, as a practicing cosmetic surgeon in Hawaii, Dr. Pasquale has particular expertise working with Asian facial features and has an in-depth understanding of the Asian concept of beauty. With this unique background, he is able to help both Asians and non-Asians alike achieve the beautiful and natural looking facial results they desire.

Should I Have a Facelift?

You shouldn’t enter into the prospect of having a facelift before asking yourself, “Should I really have a facelift?” You need to begin by looking in the mirror at whatever wrinkles, sagging or lines you may have. Are they making you look older than your stated age? Is the elasticity of the skin poor? Do you have sun damaged areas that need treatment? If you can answer “yes” to any of these questions, you may need to have a consultation with a plastic surgeon. A plastic surgeon can tell you if your eyes need a blepharoplasty or if the brow needs lifting. There are many aspects of aging which you may believe can be corrected with a facelift, but are more easily corrected with a different surgery. The surgeon can tell you if you have jowls that need a bit of lifting or whether or not you need another kind of procedure like a chemical peel or laser skin resurfacing. What will it take to make the correction you want? A plastic surgeon is the only one that can make that determination. There are dozens of different types of facelifts and even more facial surgeries that may be more applicable to your situation.

If for example there are problems with the sagging jowls or cheeks, you most likely need a facelift to raise these sagging areas and get rid of the wrinkles of the face. These are deep structural issues which may require surgery to correct. However, lesser procedures may be very helpful as well. The opinion of one of our board certified plastic surgeons may be just the thing to answer these questions. These questions can be answered in detail by our plastic surgeons.

Am I Healthy Enough to Have a Facelift?

Most important when asking yourself, “should I have a facelift?” you need to consider whether or not you are healthy enough for the procedure. You should be free of serious chronic illnesses and be a nonsmoker for at least a month before and after the procedure. You can take nicotine replacement patches or gum but this this may interferes with healing as well. Other health considerations are very important as you should not risk your health for a cosmetic procedure. We will evaluate this general health aspect as its very important. We want to make sure that you have as little risk as possible before undergoing a facelift.

How Long Will a Facelift Last?

You should recognize that facelifts only last about 7-15 years and the aging process continues as you go on. The aging process of course is not stopped by a facelift. This means that in 7 to 15 years, you will likely need another facelift to get back to a level you are happy with. This will depend on many factors, genetics and how well you take care of yourself. So consider your life expectancy and and your present age. There is no right age to have a facelift and some do this in their 70s and others need it in their 40’s.

Can I Afford a Facelift in Time and Money?

another question you should ask yourself is whether or not you can afford the procedure. This would mean not just in actual cost but in time off work which is about 2 weeks in most cases. Can you take care of things or get the help you need in recovery. You should not burden your budget with some of these costs and it needs to be planned.

The Decision to Have a Facelift

Deciding to have a facelift as you have read now can be a complex decision. We at the Infinity Life Center philosophically and ethically always have your best interest in mind. We want you to make the right decision with helpful information and we do not want to simply sell you a procedure. A facelift is an important decision and should not be considered like just going to the hair dresser as some web sites and marketing would make you believe. Its surgery and needs to be done by an experienced plastic surgeon who is a certified professional.

Our surgeons are experienced in facial plastic surgery some with over 30 years experience and thousands of facelift procedures. Nothing is lost by coming in and speaking with one of our doctors about your facelift questions. That is why we are here at the Infinity Life center. All of our initial cosmetic consultations are without charge so make an appointment.