Are You Seeking a More Youthful Appearance?

As time takes its toll on our bodies, many of us start to see our facial skin become loose and saggy. Other issues tend to arise as well, including fine lines, wrinkles, loss of volume, and loss of jawline definition. However, we don’t necessarily need to accept these frustrating changes as our permanent reality. With a thorough facelift in Chicago performed by a skilled plastic surgeon, you can turn back the clock on your facial appearance and achieve smoother, firmer, more youthful-looking skin.

Your Chicago facelift procedure at a glance

  • Surgery Length: 2 to 6 hours
  • Duration of Hospital Stay: One night
  • Time to Return to Work: 1 to 2 weeks
  • Time to See Full Results: 4 to 6 months
Woman sitting down holding her chin

What Is a Facelift?

A facelift, also known as rhytidectomy, is a popular cosmetic surgery used to create a more youthful face and jawline. The procedure is primarily performed to firm and tighten loose, sagging skin, enhance the contours of the face and jawline, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Am I a Good Candidate for a Facelift?

If you’re an adult who would like to reduce the signs of aging around your face and jawline, you could be a good candidate for a facelift in Chicago. Ideal candidates should:

  • Be in good physical health
  • Have realistic expectations
  • Be a non-smoker
  • Have no medical conditions that impair healing
  • Have loose and/or sagging skin around the face and jawline
  • Have a decent amount of remaining skin elasticity
  • Have the desire to achieve a more youthful facial appearance
  • Be relatively close to your ideal weight

Types of Facelifts

At The Few Institute, Dr. Julius Few offers several versions of the facelift procedure depending on your specific needs, goals, and preferences:

SMAS Facelift

The SMAS (superficial musculoaponeurotic system) facelift is a procedure that addresses the facial skin and the SMAS separately. The SMAS is a layer of connective fibrous tissue located between your facial muscles and facial skin. This facelift procedure involves tightening the facial muscles, removing excess fat, and trimming excess skin around the lower two-thirds of the face. The SMAS facelift can be effective for treating sagging facial skin, hollow cheeks, double chins, and nasolabial folds.

Deep Plane Facelift

Another popular option worth considering is the deep plane facelift. Like the SMAS facelift, the deep plane facelift addresses the SMAS layer. However, during a deep plane facelift, the SMAS layer is carefully elevated from the facial muscles underneath and released from the ligaments that anchor it. This allows Dr. Few to lift the SMAS layer without tension, which results in subtle, exceptionally natural-looking results. The deep plane facelift is an excellent option for patients suffering from moderate to severe signs of aging, including sagging skin, hollow cheeks, and deep folds.

Mini Facelift

If you’re looking to correct relatively minor signs of aging around the lower face and jawline, you may want to consider a mini facelift. The mini facelift involves smaller incisions than other facelift methods and requires shorter recovery downtime. This procedure primarily focuses on lifting the skin of the lower half of the face to reduce sagging skin and enhance the contour of the jawline.

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Facelift Before & After Photos

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Preparing for Facelift Surgery

Before the day of your facelift surgery arrives, Dr. Few will provide you with instructions to prepare for the procedure. To ensure that your surgery goes smoothly and yields optimal results, it’s imperative that you follow all of the doctor’s instructions. Your surgery preparation may include:

  • Taking a blood test
  • Undergoing a medical evaluation
  • Taking or stopping certain medications
  • Stopping smoking
  • Avoiding certain foods and beverages
  • Halting use of recreational drugs

Before your surgery, you should also make arrangements to have a friend or family member drive you home following the procedure. Ideally, you should arrange for someone you trust to stay with you for the first night or two as well. To ensure that your recovery process goes as smoothly as possible, you may also want to spend some time setting up your home to make it comfortable and accommodating.

What to Expect on the Day of Your Procedure

On the day of your facelift surgery, you’ll arrive at our AAAASF-accredited plastic surgery clinic. The surgery is typically performed as an outpatient procedure using general anesthesia. Once the anesthesia has taken effect, Dr. Few will make the necessary incisions depending on your specific treatment plan. Typically, the incisions are placed behind the ears, just inside the hairline. The doctor always makes sure that the incisions are as inconspicuous as possible. Once he has made the incisions, Dr. Few will make the needed adjustments to your facial muscles, SMAS, and skin. He will then close the incisions with sutures and apply bandages to complete the procedure.

In total, your facelift in Chicago may take anywhere between two and six hours to complete. Most patients need to stay at the surgery clinic for monitoring for a few hours after the surgery, but after that, you should be able to return home with someone else driving you. In some cases, an overnight stay may be required.

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Your Facelift Recovery

After your facelift, Dr. Few will provide you with thorough instructions to ensure that your recovery process goes smoothly. During the first week or so, it’ll be important to take it easy and get plenty of rest. However, you’ll want to start taking light walks around the house as soon as you feel up to it. For the first few days, you’ll likely experience some swelling, bruising, and discomfort. You can minimize your swelling by periodically applying a cold compress and sleeping in an elevated position.

After approximately one to two weeks, you should be able to gradually resume your normal routine. However, you should avoid moderate exercise for around three weeks and strenuous physical activity for four to six weeks.

How Long Will the Results Last?

Typically, you can see the full results of your facelift procedure after approximately six months, and you can expect those results to last for around 10 to 15 years.

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What Can a Facelift Accomplish?

On its own, a facelift can make your face appear as much as 12 to 15 years younger. The procedure can do a wonderful job of creating tighter, firmer facial skin and reducing signs of aging, including fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin.

Your facelift can also be combined with other procedures, such as a brow lift, blepharoplasty, or neck lift. When performed simultaneously with these procedures, a facelift can completely transform the appearance of your face and neck. Although there’s no way to completely halt the aging process, these procedures can go a long way toward slowing it down.

How Much Does a Facelift Cost?

The exact cost can vary depending on the type of facelift performed and several other variables. During your consultation with Dr. Few, he will give you more specific information on the cost breakdown of your procedure.

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Risks and Complications

Although a facelift is a relatively safe procedure, it does come with certain risks and the potential for complications. The most common complications of the procedure include:

  • Infection
  • Anesthesia reaction
  • Wound healing issues
  • Hematoma
  • Scarring
  • Nerve injury
  • Unsatisfactory results
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Choosing the Right Facelift Surgeon

A facelift is a relatively complex procedure, and to achieve the wonderful, natural-looking results you deserve, choosing the right Chicago plastic surgeon is imperative. Ideally, you should select a surgeon with expertise, skill, and a track record of successful facelift surgeries. It’s also important to choose a plastic surgeon who you can trust. The best way to evaluate a surgeon is to have a consultation with them, get to know them, and ask them questions about the procedure and their approach. This will help you determine if they’re truly an authority on facelifts and whether or not they’re a good fit for your needs.

At The Few Institute, Dr. Julius Few is a skilled, experienced plastic surgeon with numerous successful facelifts under his belt. He will provide you with compassionate, personalized treatment and do everything possible to help you achieve your cosmetic goals.

Facelift FAQs

Are there non-surgical facelift alternatives?

What’s the difference between a mini and full facelift?

What is the best age for a facelift?

Is there a difference between facelifts for men and women?

When can I exercise after my facelift?

How long do I have to wear my facelift bandages?

Are there things not addressed with a facelift?

Will I have to get another procedure in the future?

Will a facelift eliminate wrinkles?

Will my face look tight or pulled back?

What type of anesthesia will be used?

Are there non-surgical facelift alternatives?

Yes, a liquid facelift, which utilizes Dysport and dermal fillers, can be an effective alternative to a surgical facelift.

What’s the difference between a mini and full facelift?

A mini facelift involves smaller incisions and a shorter recovery period, and it’s meant to correct more subtle signs of aging.

What is the best age for a facelift?

Although there’s no universal right age for a facelift, most patients undergo the procedure in their 40s, 50s, or 60s.

Is there a difference between facelifts for men and women?

Yes, because of subtle differences in facial structure and aesthetic preferences, facelifts are performed slightly differently for men and women.

When can I exercise after my facelift?

After your facelift in Chicago, you should be able to resume moderate exercise in around three weeks and strenuous exercise in four to six weeks.

How long do I have to wear my facelift bandages?

You will need to wear your bandages and compression garment for approximately two weeks.

Are there things not addressed with a facelift?

Yes, areas like the neck, jowls, and upper face are typically not addressed with a facelift.

Will I have to get another procedure in the future?

Although it’s not necessary, some patients choose to undergo a revision facelift once the effects of their original procedure have faded.

Will a facelift eliminate wrinkles?

A facelift can be very effective in reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Will my face look tight or pulled back?

No, with Dr. Few’s precise approach, your facelift results will look entirely natural.

What type of anesthesia will be used?

Typically, a facelift is performed using general anesthesia.

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