Facelift

When undergoing Facelift surgery, you will be administered either general or local anesthesia, so you shouldn’t feel pain during the procedure. Whilst individual experiences vary, patients generally complain of only minor discomfort in the first few days post-surgery so your surgeon will prescribe pain medication to help manage discomfort.

Taking prescription or over-the-counter pain relievers will also help you manage discomfort as your incisions heal.

At Himmarshee, it is our preference to perform our facelifts under general anesthesia as it is the safest way to ensure the protection of the airway during surgery.  A board-certified anesthesiologist will be responsible for delivering anesthesia and monitoring your medical care during the surgery. In rare cases which require a minimal approach, the surgery may be performed under local anesthesia.  When you come in for your consultation with Dr. Moon or Dr. Scurci, they will be able to address any concerns you have regarding anesthesia.

Your surgeon will want to see you for your first post-operative a day or two after your facelift surgery to remove the drains and any dressing and observe your initial recovery, followed by another visit approximately one week after facelift surgery to remove the sutures. You will then need to follow up one month after surgery and usually every three to six months for the first year after your surgery to monitor your healing and satisfaction with the results.

Some patients may be able to see visible changes after their surgery, but there will also be bruising and swelling during the first few weeks post-surgery which affects the appearance.
While recovery should only take about three weeks, most patients will require about six months to see their optimal facelift results.

The best way to achieve optimal results is to follow our post-op instructions and attend your routine check-ups with your surgeon.

Everyone wants to have a healthy and successful recovery, but many patients also want a quick recovery. The only way to achieve the best results is Time and following your surgeon’s post-op instructions. That being said, there are ways to optimize your recovery process. Keep in mind that these suggestions  will not guarantee a faster recovery, but will certainly help:

• Drink plenty of water.
• Elevate your head using two pillows when sleeping.
• Increase dietary protein intake.
• Keep the surgical incisions clean and dry.
• Protect the incisions from direct sunlight.
• Wear your chin strap as instructed

Of course! Our Facelift patients at Himmarshee Plastic Surgery will combine their Facelift with other cosmetic surgery procedures such as a Forehead Lift, Eyelid Surgery, or a Rhinoplasty for a better profile. In order to produce youthful, natural results dermal fillers or facial fat transfer can provide additional facial volume. During your consultation, your surgeon will assess your entire face and address your concerns to produce a harmonious result.  

This is a question that many patients ask.  Dermal fillers can improve the volume lost during the natural aging process.  There are limitations, however, to the results that dermal filler can achieve and its overuse can produce an unnatural appearance.  A facelift can lift the facial tissue and skin correcting sagging skin, jowling, and wrinkles.  A facelift also produces longer-lasting results than fillers.  It’s very important to remember that cosmetic surgery is a deeply personal decision, so whether you’d like to pursue a surgical or non-surgical approach to facial rejuvenation, Dr. Moon and Dr. Scurci can candidly discuss and offer whichever option best suits your needs. 

As highly trained plastic surgeons, Dr. Savannah Moon & Dr. Stephanie Scurci take each surgery very seriously and strive to provide a safe recovery with stunning results for every patient. Keep in mind though, as with any kind of surgery, a facelift does have potential risks associated with it that we like our patients to be aware of.

Some of these risks include:

• Anesthesia risks
• Bleeding
• Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications
• Facial nerve injury with weakness
• Fluid accumulation
• Infection
• Hair loss
• Hematoma (collection of blood hematoma under the skin)
• Nerve injury
• Numbness or other changes in skin sensation
• Persistent pain
• Scarring

While many of these side effects should heal on their own over time, if you do find yourself experiencing any long-lasting or unexpected reactions, please be sure to contact our office immediately.

This really will depend on the type of facelift you have, but to reduce the visibility of scars, your surgeon will conceal the incisions in the hairline and natural contours of your face and behind the ear.

No, our goal for a facelift is to provide realistic and natural-looking results. During the surgery, we take time to reposition the deep tissues so that the overlying skin is subtly and naturally lifted without producing a severe or “pulled back” appearance.  

Yes, improving sagging skin and the removal of excess skin is a primary goal of Facelift surgery. is a plastic surgery in which excess skin is removed and underlying facial anatomy and soft tissues are tightened. Depending on the facelift techniques, your surgeon will tighten the underlying structures of the face and the neck while removing excess skin there. The goal of the surgery is to enhance and re-establish the patient’s natural contours.

Yes, a Neck Lift is almost always combined with a facelift and will improve a double chin.  A neck lift is performed through the facelift incision and extended back into the hairline.  This allows the neck skin and underlying platysma muscle to be lifted and repositioned to treat a double chin, jowling, loose neck skin, and wrinkles.  Post-operatively patients will note an improved jawline and neck contour with a natural slope to avoid a “tight” or “harsh” appearance. 

It is possible to undergo a Facelift with a lot of facial fat, but you’ll need to consult with your surgeon first. It’s important to note that our facial rejuvenation surgery patients should be close to their ideal weight before getting a facelift surgery or any other procedure. Not only does being near your target weight potentially lead to less work being required, but it also allows you to enjoy the results for longer.