CURRENT
Facial Plastic Surgery
CURRENT
Facial Plastic Surgery
The CURRENT Face Lift & Neck Lift
A facelift, also known as a rhytidectomy, is a cosmetic surgical procedure designed to rejuvenate the face by addressing signs of aging such as sagging skin, deep wrinkles, and loss of facial volume.
What is a Current Face & Neck Lift?
The CURRENT lift is a highly specialized type of facelift that is a permanent solution for aging of the face and neck. A variety of factors causes facial aging – and extra skin is only a small part of this.
The face has ligaments that hold structures in place and aging causes drooping of skin and soft tissue around these ligaments, leading to deep wrinkles such as “smile lines”. Dr. Novis believes that natural face-lifting must involve tightening and repositioning these ligaments to create a smoother, more youthful appearance.
Dr. Novis performs a version of the extended deep plane facelift under local anesthesia to give maximal results with minimal downtime
Am I a candidate for a Face Lift?
The best candidates for face and neck lift surgery are those that observe surplus neck skin, diminished definition of the jawline, the emergence of jowls or sagging skin around the mouth, and accentuated “smile lines”.
There is no definitive age determining candidacy for a face and neck lift. Dr. Novis advises, “It’s appropriate to address an issue when it begins to affect you”. Our practice has attended to face and neck lift clients spanning from 40 years old to late 80s. Each face and neck lift is customized to each client to ensure unique concerns are addressed.
Procedure
Clients are expected to arrive on-time for their scheduled procedure. On the morning of the appointment, it is advised to abstain from consuming caffeinated beverages and ensure that breakfast is eaten. Having food in the stomach enhances comfort and helps prevent nausea. Prior to arrival, please cleanse the face thoroughly, ensuring no makeup or skincare products remain on the skin. Choose a top that is easy to remove, as it will need to fit over the head-dressing applied post-surgery. Avoid wearing any jewelry, including earrings, necklaces, bracelets, watches, etc., on the day of the procedure. Additionally, refrain from wearing contact lenses on the day of surgery.
Two weeks before surgery, it is advised to avoid drinking and/or smoking nicotine. One week before surgery, stop all aspirin and all aspirin-like products (ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin, Aleve, etc.). If you would like to use arnica supplements to reduce bruising, these may be started one week before surgery and continued for one week after.
On the day of your procedure, please come with someone who can drive you to and from your appointment. If your driver wishes to leave a cell phone number, we can text him or her with updates and a pick-up time.
Face Lift and Neck Lift Surgery shopping list:
⦁ Bacitracin antibiotic ointment (over the counter)
⦁ Ice-packs or frozen peas
⦁ Vaseline or Aquaphor
Once there, you will be positioned comfortably on your back, with pillows behind your knees and under your neck. Please let us know if you cannot sit comfortably for 4-6 hours at a time. As the sedation takes effect, you will drift off to sleep, be numbed with local anesthesia, and sterile towels will be placed around your face and neck.
Through discreet incisions, located under the chin and in front of and behind both ears, Dr. Novis will lift and release the underlying muscle layers, and then secure them in place. Any tight ligaments causing wrinkles on the face will be released before securing the muscle. Once the muscle lift has been accomplished, excess skin is tailored, and the incisions are meticulously closed.
You will be given a prescription for pain medication (hydrocodone-acetaminophen 5/325 or oxycodone acetaminophen 5/325mg). It is important to understand and follow the instructions we provide upon your arrival to ensure discomfort is kept to a minimum during the critical healing period.
Your Recovery
Immediately after Surgery
When you get home after your procedure, you should eat and take the medication you were prescribed, even if you are not having any significant pain. The day after your procedure is when the first post-op will occur. Please do not drive to the office by yourself, as different factors could affect your driving. After we make make sure you are healing okay, we will place a protective dressing around your head. This dressing is designed to reduce swelling and prevent fluid build-up. It is normal for it to be sore or have a mild aching in the neck and around the ears. Any severe pain or sudden change in pain or swelling should prompt you to contact Dr. Novis.
General Post-Operative Guidelines
Nausea is rare, as several measures are taken before, during, and after the surgery to prevent it. Most of our patients elect for a narcotic-free pain management pathway that will involve scheduled medications twice daily and Tylenol additionally as needed for pain. All other over-the-counter pain preparations should not be used. Always take medications you were prescribed with food to reduce the risk of nausea. Apply ice-packs with a thin washcloth or paper towel between the ice-pack and your face as needed for pain and swelling. It is recommended to keep the ice-pack on for only fifteen minutes every hour.
For the initial two weeks following your procedure, it’s important to avoid activities that involve wide mouth opening, vigorous exercise, heavy lifting, and prolonged periods of looking down. Additionally, during this period, it’s recommended to sleep with your head elevated at least 35° with extra pillows under your head/upper back for the first 1-2 weeks, to decrease swelling and bruising.
You may notice your swelling is more noticeable in the morning and then will improve throughout the day. Numbness at the incision site and the neck is normal and will improve gradually. Swelling is the worst the first week after the procedure and peaks at 2-3 days post-op. Residual swelling will gradually resolve over the next 3-6 weeks, but patients are often looking relatively normal by 2 weeks post-op. You may resume walking after the procedure without any problems, but do not drive or operate machinery until you are cleared to do so.
If you experience extreme pain or swelling, nausea, vomiting, or are uncertain about something, please call our office at 834-371-1610
If you experience shortness of breath, fever, chills, or signs of shock, please call emergency services to get medical attention.
Timeline
The day of surgery: After surgery, you may feel “loopy” and sleepy. Please make plans to have someone with you throughout the day to help you where it is needed. Stay on top of discomfort and ahead of the pain by taking your prescribed medication (with food), even if you do not feel significant pain.
Postoperative day #1: Your first post-op appointment will be scheduled the day after your surgery. We will evaluate your incisions and swelling and answer any questions you may have. If everything looks normal, we will wrap your head in a protective dressing. This dressing is designed to keep swelling and fluid collection to a minimum. You will need to remove this dressing to eat and shower, but otherwise you should wear it as much as possible
Postoperative days 2-6: You may shower 48 hours after surgery. You may use shampoo. Let the water run over the stitches, do not scrub the stitches. Rest is essential during these days for optimal healing. Bruising and swelling usually reach their peak around 48 hours after your procedure but will go down in the following weeks. Nearly all sutures are dissolvable, but any sutures needing to be removed will be taken out at one week. Most patients begin to wean off the pain medications starting around postoperative day 3-4.
Postoperative days 7+: Swelling will improve significantly over the first 2 weeks. Most patients feel ready to return to work by 2 weeks. It is recommended that you avoid any strenuous activity, heavy lifting or straining for at least 2 weeks postoperatively to avoid surgical complications
In the following weeks post-surgery, you will notice a gradual improvement in the appearance of your incision lines, discreetly situated along your hairline and ears. Initially, these lines may appear pink, but this generally resolves over the course of 1-2 months. Dr. Novis is meticulous about incision placement to ensure that you will be able to wear you hair up without noticeable scars.
The results of a facelift and neck lift are permanent – you will always look better than if you had not done the procedure. You will continue to age naturally and skin will loosen with time. It is not uncommon for facelift results to last for well over 10 years before any touch-ups may be needed.
Results
FACE LIFT & NECK LIFT FAQ
What is a CURRENT lift (face lift – rhytidectomy)?
The CURRENT lift is a highly specialized type of facelift that is a permanent solution for aging of the face and neck. Dr. Novis has created this procedure specially to get the full results of a deep plane face lift with less bruising and downtime. The CURRENT lift is performed comfortably under local anesthesia with oral sedation. There is no need for general anesthesia or intubation, which significantly increase surgical risks. The CURRENT lift has similar medical risk to a dental procedure. Patients are able to avoid postoperative nausea and the body can recover more quickly than after a traditional surgery.
Am I a candidate for a Face lift or Neck lift?
Candidates for facelift and neck lift surgery are those that observe excess neck skin, diminished definition of the jawline, the emergence of jowls or sagging skin around the mouth, and accentuated “smile lines”. There is no definitive age determining candidacy for a face and neck lift. Dr. Novis advises, “It’s appropriate to address an issue when it begins to affect you”. Dr. Novis has performed face lifts on patients ranging from 30 years old to late 80s. Each face and neck lift is customized for the patient to ensure specific concerns and anatomic variations are addressed.
What is the difference between a Face lift, and a Neck lift?
There is often confusion regarding the terms face lift and neck lift and they will vary from surgeon to surgeon, as they all deal with the same area. For Dr. Novis, a face lift addresses facial wrinkles, volume descent, and jowls. A face lift 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 an extension of the incisions behind the ears to fully address laxity and neck skin excess. The CURRENT lift generally involves both a face lift and neck lift, but can be tailored to the individual needs of the patient.
Do I need to have general anesthesia for a Face lift or Neck lift?
No, the CURRENT lift is performed without general anesthesia. Patients will take oral sedative medications prior to the procedure while carefully administered local anesthetic allows for a comfortable experience. Avoiding general anesthesia significantly speeds recovery and avoids the major risks associated with intravenous anesthesia.
Will a facelift give me an unnatural or “pulled” look?
No, Dr. Novis is an expert in natural face lifts and neck lifts. A “pulled” look comes from placing tension on the skin without addressing the underlying issues. Dr. Novis utilizes a deep plane technique and repositioning of volume to give natural results. Excess skin is removed, but there is never tension on the skin flaps, which optimizes healing. 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.
What will my facelift scars look like?
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.
Will my facelift address my jowls?
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.
Is a facelift surgery painful?
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 resources to minimize discomfort and speed healing. Patients often report more “soreness” or “tightness” and rarely require medication for more than 1-2 days.
Can I wear a ponytail after Facelift surgery?
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.
How long is the recovery after a facelift or neck lift?
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. A detailed healing timeline is located on the “Recovery” tab on this site.