Facelift & Necklift

The CURRENT lift is a highly specialized type of facelift which is a permanent solution for aging changes of the face and neck.  Facial aging is caused by a variety of factors – and extra skin is only a small part of this.  With normal aging, there is an increase in skin laxity but also loss and descent of volume.  The face has natural ligaments which hold structures in place, and natural aging causes drooping of skin and soft tissue around these ligaments.  The facial ligaments turn into areas of deep wrinkles, such as the smile lines and marionette lines.  Dr. Novis believes that natural facelifting must involve tightening and repositioning these ligaments and the deep facial volume to create a natural result.  This is why Dr. Novis performs versions of the extended deep plane facelift to give maximal and natural results.

Candidates for facelift and neck lift are individuals who notice excess neck skin, loss of jawline definition, the formation of jowls or heavy skin at the sides of the mouth, deepening smile lines and often times a “tired” appearance.  There is no definite age when someone becomes a candidate for a facelift.  Dr. Novis tells her patients “It’s time to fix an issue when it starts to bother you.”  We have facelift patients in our practice ranging from their 40’s to late 80’s.  Dr. Novis individually tailors the procedure to your specific concerns and issues.

There is often confusion regarding the terms facelift and neck lift and they will vary from surgeon to surgeon, as they all deal with the same area.  For Dr. Novis, a facelift addresses facial wrinkles, volume descent, and jowls.  A facelift will give some neck tightening, but in individuals with more neck skin or more laxity, a neck lift is needed in addition.  A neck lift involves an additional incision underneath the chin and extension of the incisions behind the ears to fully address laxity and neck skin excess.  The CURRENT lift is tailored to your specific needs and can include a facelift, neck lift, or combination of the two.

No, the CURRENT lift is performed without general anesthesia.  Patients will take oral sedative medications prior to the procedure, and carefully administered local anesthetic allows for a comfortable experience.  Avoiding general anesthesia significantly speeds recovery and avoids the major risks associated with general and intravenous anesthesia for cosmetic procedures.

No, Dr. Novis is an expert in natural facelift and neck lift.  A “pulled” look comes from placing tension on skin without addressing the underlying issues.  Dr. Novis utilizes a deep plane technique and repositions volume to give natural results.  Excess skin is removed, but there is never tension on the skin flaps, which optimizes healing and gives natural results.  Dr. Novis’ patients often report people complimenting them on “looking more refreshed” or “looking like I lost weight” but not like they have had work done.

Dr. Novis meticulously plans incisions to create virtually undetectable scars.  Incisions in front and behind the ear are placed in the hairline where hair will grow around them.  Dr. Novis never shaves hair and preserves the natural hair follicles to allow hair to grow through the incision sites.  Dr. Novis carefully places incisions in natural creases and inside the ear cartilage to create a natural appearance.

Yes, our facelift and neck lift will address jowls. Jowls are the areas of skin and fat at the corners of the mouth that hang below the jawline. Jowls are caused by a combination of skin excess, soft tissue descent, and sometimes underlying fat pad herniation.   Dr. Novis often performs a facelift for jowls or to address this common complaint.

Through expertise and experience, Dr. Novis has adapted facelift and neck lift surgery so it is well tolerated.  She uses a personally-developed blend of injectable anesthetic agents to provide comfort as well as reduce bruising or swelling.  All patients are given medications pre and post operatively to minimize discomfort and speed healing.  Patients often report more “soreness” or “tightness” and rarely require pain medication for more than 1-2 days.

Yes, a ponytail can be worn after a facelift or neck lift surgery with Dr. Novis.  She uses meticulous incision planning and closure to optimize healing and camouflage scars within the hairline.

Preoperatively you will meet with Dr. Novis to discuss the procedure in depth and answer all instructions.  You will be given all medications before the surgery as well as day by day instructions on how to care for your surgical sites and what to expect.

After the procedure, your head will be wrapped in a gentle compression dressing that will be removed the next day.  You will be evaluated the day after surgery to ensure that healing is progressing accordingly.  At this point, it is normal to have mild swelling and bruising which may progress for 24 – 48 hours after surgery.  Patients are able to walk around without issue, which we encourage.  You should avoid any strenuous physical activity which will elevate your blood pressure or any heavy lifting or straining for 2 weeks after the procedure.

You will return to the office at 1 week for a checkup and removal of some sutures.  Dr. Novis uses a combination of sutures that have to be removed and sutures that dissolve on their own, in order to give you the best healing result for each specific site.  At one week, it is expected you will still have some swelling of your face and neck and resolving bruising.  The incisions around your ears will be pink and may still have mild crusting.  Generally, at this point, patients are feeling much better and ready to return to some activities.  We have had patients who do desk work or work from home return to work at one week.  You may wear makeup over the facial skin, but avoid the incision lines for an additional week. We recommend avoiding strenuous activity and lifting for 2 weeks.

You will return to the office at 2 weeks for an additional checkup.  Often some dissolvable sutures will be trimmed at this point.  In patient who travel to our practice from out of town, this visit can be done via telehealth.  After this visit, you are cleared to return to normal activities.