Plastic Surgeon in Atlanta Georgia
Facelift in Atlanta, Georgia
Why A Facelift?
A facelift restores smoother, more pleasing contours to your face and neck. It can help you look as good as you feel, and perhaps feel younger than you are.
Any one or combination of the following conditions may indicate that you are a good candidate for a facelift:
- A deep line, or fold, running from the corner of your nose to the corner of your mouth.
- Jowls, or loss of a well-defined jawline associated with youthfulness.
- Deep wrinkles in the cheeks and sagging of the "highlight" areas of the cheekbones.
- Loose skin, wrinkles, vertical cords, or excess fatty tissue in the neck.
A facelift can improve all of these problems. It cannot, however, correct conditions such as sagging eyebrows, excess skin and fatty deposits in the upper and lower eyelids, or wrinkles around the mouth. Your plastic surgeon can provide further information if you have an interest in other procedures to treat these areas.
During the initial consultation, Dr. Kavali may ask you to look in a mirror and point out exactly what you would like to see improved. Sometimes, patients may focus their attention on excess skin in the upper eyelids and not realize that sagging of their eyebrows contributes to this skin redundancy. You should be very frank in discussing anything about your appearance that bothers you, as well as what you hope to achieve with surgery. This will help Dr. Kavali to understand your expectations and determine whether they can realistically be achieved.
In evaluating you for facelift surgery, Dr. Kavali will assess the thickness, texture and elasticity of your skin, and the severity of wrinkles and folds. Your hairline will be examined to determine where incisions can be discreetly placed. All of these factors, as well as your bone structure and underlying tissues, will be considered in developing an individual surgical plan.
Dr. Kavali may discuss with you additional procedures that can be performed along with a facelift in order to address all the concerns you have identified. For example, a facelift is frequently combined with a forehead lift, eyelid surgery, nose reshaping or skin treatments such as a chemical peel, dermabrasion or laser resurfacing Because of individual factors, not everyone will achieve the same results from a facelift. Dr. Kavali will select the surgical technique that she feels will obtain the best outcome for you.
Although there are many variations to the facelift procedure, generally an incision is hidden in the natural contour of your ear, then extends around the earlobe and back into the hairline. Following surgery, incisions can be easily concealed by your hair or with makeup. There may also be a small incision hidden underneath your chin.
Through the discreet facelift incisions, Dr. Kavali is able to free the skin from the underlying tissues to the extent necessary for the particular surgical technique selected. After the skin has been pulled up and back, the excess is removed. In some instances, the deeper tissues may also need to be repositioned in order to restore a more youthful contour to your face. If necessary, a small incision beneath the chin permits the removal of fatty tissue in that area and smoothing of the cord-like structures of the underlying muscle in the neck.
Fortunately, significant complications from facelifts are infrequent. Every year, many thousands of people undergo successful facelift surgery, experience no major problems and are pleased with the results. Anyone considering surgery, however, should be aware of both the benefits and risks.
The subject of risks and potential complications of surgery is best discussed on a personal basis between you and Dr. Kavali.
Some of the potential complications that may be discussed with you include hematoma (an accumulation of blood under the skin that may require removal), infection and reactions to anesthesia. While plastic surgeons are trained in techniques for safely manipulating facial skin and tissue, injury to underlying structures is possible, though it is usually only temporary. Facelift incisions are most often inconspicuous, but this is not entirely predicable due to individual variations in healing.
You can help minimize certain risks by following the advice and instructions of Dr. Kavali, both before and after surgery. |
