As people age, the effects of gravity, exposure to the sun, and the stress of daily life can be seen in their faces. Deep creases form between the nose and mouth, the jaw line grows slack and jowls form, folds and fat deposits appear around the neck.

A facelift can turn back time by removing excess fat, tightening underlying muscles, and redraping the skin of your face and neck.

The skilled physicians of the Duke Aesthetics Center in Durham, North Carolina, are experts in the facelift procedure, as well as many other enhancement procedures.

Procedure Details

The technique chosen for your surgery depends on your features, your surgeon’s preferences, and your desired results.

Typically, the incision is hidden in the natural contour of the ear, and then extends around the earlobe and back into the hairline. If the neck needs work, a small incision may also be made under the chin.

Working through these incisions, your surgeon will free the facial skin from its underlying tissues and pull it upward and back. Fat may be trimmed or suctioned from around the neck and chin to improve the contour.

Deeper facial support structures are mobilized and secured in a more youthful position. The excess skin is then removed. Stitches secure the layers of tissue and close the incisions; metal clips may be used on the scalp.

The surgery typically takes four to six hours and it is an outpatient procedure.

Recovery

You should expect to experience temporary bruising, swelling, numbness and tenderness of skin, as well as tight-feeling, dry skin.

You can typically return to work in 14 days. More strenuous activity may be resumed after two weeks or more.

Bruising may last two to three weeks, and you must limit exposure to sun for several months.

Makeup may be used after one week to help hide bruising.

How Long Will the Results Last?

A number of factors, including heredity and your lifestyle, play a role in how long the results of your facelift will last.

Even though the aging process continues, patients are usually happy with their appearance for many years following a facelift.

Risks

Complications that can occur include:

• Hematoma (a collection of blood under the skin that must be removed by the surgeon
• Injury to the nerves that control facial muscles (usually temporary)
  
• Infection
• Poor healing of the skin, which is most likely to affect smokers

Active smokers are not candidates for this procedure.

Physicians

Physicians offering this service include:

• Erdmann, Detlev
  • Surgery / Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Oral Surgery
• Marcus, Jeffrey R.
  • Surgery / Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Oral Surgery
  • Pediatrics / Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• Zenn, Michael R.
  • Surgery / Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Oral Surgery

Locations

This service is available at:

• Duke Aesthetic Center
  3475 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27705