Considering facial rejuvenation can be simultaneously exciting and scary. It’s exciting because you can look forward to regaining your youthful complexion with supple skin that brightens your morning mirror. However, you might feel intimidated by the thought of incisions, sutures, and an extended recovery.

Board-certified Chicago plastic surgeon Dr. David Dreyfuss has learned that a particular group of prospective patients want facial enhancement but are not quite ready for surgery. That’s why he offers Ultherapy, an excellent option for anyone who wants surgical results without the possible complications of surgery. This ultrasound-based treatment delivers controlled amounts of energy at a precise depth and temperature to bring optimal benefits to target areas.

Which treatment is better for your needs – a facelift or Ultherapy? Keep reading to learn more.

Facelift Basics

A facelift addresses the lower two-thirds of the face and neck, eliminating excess fat and skin and tightening underlying muscles. In addition, Dr. Dreyfuss can use endoscopic techniques and fat grafting to create a smoother, firmer, and younger facial complexion.

Facelift Candidates

The best way to learn if you are an optimal candidate for a facelift is to schedule a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. However, if you are unhappy with how aging has impacted your face, you could be an excellent candidate for a facelift. With Dr. Dreyfuss’ modern techniques, he can address subtle to advanced signs of aging with long-lasting results.

Ultherapy Basics

Ultherapy is the first FDA-approved treatment that explicitly targets sagging skin without damaging adjacent tissue. It requires no anesthesia or incisions or sutures. Instead, Ulherapy uses ultrasound waves to boost healthy collagen production and reinforce facial structures for natural results.

Over the following six months, your skin will produce more collagen, which lifts and tones sagging skin from your forehead to decolletage. Most patients require one non-surgical Ultherapy session for successful results.

Ultherapy Candidates

The best way to find out if you are a good candidate for Ultherapy is to sit down with Dr. Dreyfuss for an initial consultation. Generally, the most qualified people to receive an Ultherapy treatment are patients with mild to moderate laxity who have recently begun noticing their skin looking and feeling less firm.

The Verdict

Ultimately, it’s your decision whether to get Ultherapy or a facelift to correct your aesthetic concerns. Though Ultherapy treats deeper skin layers, it cannot produce the dramatic results of a facelift. However, Ultherapy may be an excellent alternative, especially for those who aren’t ready for surgery or are only showing the earliest signs of aging. You may seek a facelift if you have more extensive cosmetic concerns only surgery can correct. Furthermore, facelift results are longer-lasting than what Ultherapy can provide.

While both procedures have pros and cons, they each reach a high satisfaction rate among patients with remarkable results. If you are considering either solution, you should always consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon so you are informed about the entire process.

Schedule your consultation with Dr. Dreyfuss in Orland Park today.

Just as everyone has a unique facial anatomy, appearance, and metabolism, the benefits of each facelift surgery can also vary. However, facelift patients typically look a decade younger after surgery, which is a dramatic improvement. Given the level of enhancement the operation delivers, along with the time and cost invested, it’s a given most women and men who’ve opted for a facelift would like to enjoy the fruits of the procedure for as long as possible.

Although the natural aging process can overcome the outcome of any facelift procedure, nevertheless, the rate of decline depends on multiple factors within and outside the patient’s control.

Why Facelift Results Are Not Permanent

A facelift tightens your facial skin and sometimes underlying tissues to reverse the natural sagging effect as we age. While you can enjoy your results for up to twenty years, a facelift will not permanently prevent the natural aging process from continuing.

How long your facelift results last will depend upon the facelift technique, your age, your skin’s characteristics, and your lifestyle. Skin type is based on genetics, but environmental factors like sun exposure, what you eat and drink, and your lifestyle can greatly influence your skin’s elasticity.

Here are a few factors that determine how long your facelift benefits may last:

Genetics and Skin Condition

Your genetics play a key role in maintaining your facelift surgery benefits. Typically, if your skin is darker and healthy, you’ll enjoy longer-lasting results than if your skin is fairer and damaged. Also, patients under sixty at the time of their surgery enjoy their benefits longer.

Facelift Technique

Different facelift techniques vary in their degree of invasiveness. Typically, the more invasive the process, the longer the benefits last. For example, a traditional facelift provides the most dramatic results and may last up to fifteen years after surgery. The less invasive mini facelift yields more intermediate results that typically last up to six years.

Other Procedures

Facelift surgery combined with other plastic surgeries, such as eyelid surgery, forehead lift, or neck liposuction, to enhance facial areas has a more dramatic and longer-lasting impact. An integrated approach of eliminating excess skin and adding facial volume can approach facial aging differently. Volume increases from dermal fillers can enhance overall results.

Lifestyle

Your lifestyle, which includes your diet and exercise habits, skin care regimen, and if you drink or smoke, can significantly impact whether your results are long-lasting. If you lead a generally healthy lifestyle, you will enjoy your newfound facial improvement for a longer period.

Your Plastic Surgeon

Finally, your plastic surgeon’s skill level and experience can also affect how long facelift results can last. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. David Dreyfuss specializes in facelift procedures and can assess patient needs to implement specific techniques that ensure the longest-lasting results possible.

Contact us to schedule your facelift consultation in Chicago at our state-of-the-art surgical facility located in Orland Park. Call (815) 806-9400 or arrange a virtual consultation today.

Of the people who consider facelift surgery, many worry about their results. The images of facelift failures displayed on television and social media could cause significant anxiety with potential patients worrying about a similar outcome.

Fortunately, choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon, preparing, and following post-surgical instruction can meet or exceed your aesthetic goals. Here are five steps to follow to ensure you get the results you deserve.

1. Choose the Right Surgeon

While most surgeons can legally perform a facelift, a board-certified plastic surgeon exceeds all others in training, skill, and ethical standards.  Their expertise centers on facial anatomy and reconstructive surgery. They must keep abreast of the most modern techniques and technology through continuing education. And their ethical standards are the most stringent in medicine.

2. Be Honest During Your Consultation

During your consultation, be honest with Dr. Dreyfuss about your desired results. Be prepared to discuss previous surgeries, drug allergies, and current medications. Dr. Dreyfuss will evaluate your unique facial anatomy to compare with your cosmetic goals and give you his assessment. Together, you will devise a surgical plan designed to deliver the best results possible.

Your consultation is your opportunity to ask questions and state your concerns. Come prepared with a list of what you would like to discuss.  Here are some questions you might want to consider:

  • How often do you perform facelifts?
  • How long have you been a plastic surgeon?
  • What makes me a good candidate for the surgery?
  • Where will you perform the operation?
  • Are there any complications and risks I should know about facelift surgery?

3. Get Your Skin Ready for Surgery

The secret to excellent facelift results is healthy skin. If you smoke, quit for at least two weeks before surgery. Use sunblock religiously before and after surgery to diminish sun damage. Start a medical-grade skin care routine at home. Eat the right foods for healthy skin.

4. Excellent Post-Surgery Care

Think about buying a new car – an expensive one, like a Maserati or Ferrari. You will want to have the vehicle serviced according to the manufacturer’s instructions. You should approach your facelift recovery the same way.

Dr. Dreyfuss will give you detailed instructions about prescribed medications, bandages, incision care, and sutures. He will advise you on diet, rest, and exercise. Follow his instructions to the letter!

5. Managing Volume Loss

Today, a facelift is more than stretching skin taut. It’s about volume. With age, we lose fat and bone, creating a sagging, deflated facial appearance. By managing this loss by restoring volume during surgery and beyond, the results will be longer-lasting. Dr. Dreyfuss may suggest enhancing your facelift results with other cosmetic treatments like dermal fillers or facial implants.

The Best Place for a Facelift in Chicago

To find a board-certified plastic surgeon to restore your youthful facial appearance, look no further. Dr. David Dreyfuss believes you deserve the best. Contact us today to schedule a consultation at our state-of-the-art surgical facility in Orland Park. Or, you can call us at 815-806-9400.

Okay, the months of planning and research have paid off, and facelift surgery is behind you. No doubt you are excited to see your new face and the results you’ve excitedly anticipated. But now is the time for patience because it takes time for recovery and healing. Understanding the recovery process will help you get through these hours, days, and weeks with little to no anxiety.

The First Day

When you wake after surgery, you will be in a recovery room. It is quite possible you will feel cold or nauseated. If you are cold, simply ask for a blanket; if you feel a bit nauseated, inform someone because there are medications that can help. You may also feel emotional, don’t worry, this is normal and will pass.

Expect your face to be tender and tight after you wake from anesthesia. You may also find yourself in surgical bandages that are large and fluffy. This dressing will be temporary and is replaced with an elastic wrap within 24 hours. You may also have drainage tubes to remove excess fluids and reduce swelling. These may remain for a few days.

Most facelifts are outpatient procedures, so, you will need to have someone with you to drive you home. You may also experience mild to moderate discomfort after the anesthesia wears off. Don’t worry, you will have been prescribed medication for pain and should take as directed. Antibiotics will also be prescribed to stave off infection.

The Next Few Days

As a rule, you should be up and active within a few days and can wash your hair after 48 hours.  Some patients stay overnight in a suite and are assisted in washing their hair the next morning.

Swelling and bruising are normal after surgery, and you can expect both during the healing process. Expect a gradual facial swelling for three days after surgery with the swelling diminishing afterward. You will also experience facial bruising so; you should not expect to realize your facelift results for at least two weeks.

Two Weeks After Surgery

You will be released to return to work or your normal responsibilities after two weeks. If needed, you can wear makeup. During these two weeks, it is important for you to walk around at least three to four times daily to promote blood circulation and prevent blood clots. Also, you may not lift heavy objects (including your children) until Dr. Dreyfuss informs you it’s okay.

No steam rooms, saunas or any related steam devices or products used to promote facial flushing. Also, avoid products containing niacinamide and niacin because they too promote facial flushing.

Abstain from alcohol and anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin and ibuprofen until Dr. Dreyfuss allows them.

Some facelifts involve mouth incisions which will restrict your diet. Make sure you understand what you can and can’t eat during recovery before you have surgery. An antiseptic mouthwash may be required for several rinsings daily.

Sleeping

Sleep with your head elevated above your heart for one week. This practice will help reduce swelling. Prop up multiple pillows and place a foam wedge (found in surgical supply stores) under your torso. You may also sleep in a recliner.

Red Flags

Although most facelift procedures experience no complications, all surgeries have some risk. Red flags to look for include:

  • Elevated body temperature
  • Redness
  • Excessive pain

If you experience any of these complications contact Dr. Dreyfuss immediately. For optimal recovery care, monitor your temperature regularly and make sure to take prescribed medications like antibiotics faithfully and as prescribed.

After Surgery Appointments

Expect to come in for your first visit after surgery the day after the procedure. Here, Dr. Dreyfuss may change your bandages. Any sutures to be removed will stay for at least five more days. You will also be encouraged to discuss any concerns at this time if for no other reason but to put your mind at ease.

You will have multiple after surgery appointments to check your progress and administer any necessary post-surgery care. Anything you wish to discuss during these visits is encouraged no matter how trivial or insignificant it may seem. Remember, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Enjoy Your Outcome

After a couple of months, you should be ready for primetime. Recovery is different for each patient, so an exact timeline for healing is unique to the patient. But within a few months, you should be ready to show off your revived facial appearance. You will enjoy a big event like a wedding or high school reunion so much more with a young, fresh, and rejuvenated facial appearance.

For more information about Facelift Recovery call Dreyfuss Plastic Surgery at 815-806-9400 or contact us here for a consultation.

 

It practically takes fighting gravity to treat sagging skin. Of course, sagging skin develops differently depending on where it happens. Do you have sagging skin near the eyes? What about the lower half of your face? What about the neck? There’s no one-size-fits-all procedure for lifting sagging skin on the face, but two procedures, the eyelift and the facelift, happen to be some of the best procedures available. Which one is the right for you? Let’s find out.

Who Should Get an Eyelid Lift?

Drooping eyelids can often make us look older and more exhausted than we really are, and no amount of sleep or rest can fix it. Fortunately, eyelid surgery can tighten the eyelids by removing excess skin and fat pads, leaving you with a younger, more refreshed look.

Here’s when you should get an eyelift:

  • When your upper eyelids droop enough to look unsightly
  • When your eyes look perpetually tired and old
  • When your lower eyelids are constantly puffy
  • When the degree of sagging in your eyelids affects your vision

Who Should Get a Facelift?

The middle of the face is often hardest hit by sagging skin. A facelift can specifically target the middle and lower sections of the face by removing excess skin and sculpting the fat pads in the face. From sagging cheeks, to deep wrinkles and jowls, a facelift can target it all for a smoother face that looks decades younger.

Here’s when you should get a facelift:

  • When you have deep wrinkles by the nose, mouth, and chin
  • When you have sunken cheeks
  • When you want to lift sagging skin in the middle of the face
  • When you want to lift jowls and sagging skin on the neck

A Case for Both

If you want to take care of sagging skin on the upper half of the face, you should get an eyelid lift. But if you want to address signs of aging from the middle of the face down, then a facelift is optimal. But what if you need maximum rejuvenation? In the words of a legendary commercial, “why not both?” Eyelid surgery and facelifts are commonly paired to allow patients to rejuvenate multiple areas at a time.

 

Whether you’re getting an eyelid lift, a facelift, or both, it’s best you trust your procedure to a talented, experienced plastic surgeon. To work with a talented plastic surgeon, contact Dreyfuss Plastic Surgery now for a consultation on the eyelift and facelift.