Facelift in San Antonio, TX

Name: Facelift
Brand: Hill Country Plastic Surgery
Rating: 4.9 (82 reviews)

While some people age gracefully, others don’t appreciate how aging takes a toll on their appearance. Fine lines and wrinkles can make someone look tired or unhappy, and sagging skin can make them look older than they really are. A facelift is a surgical procedure that can help to rejuvenate the face by tightening the skin and reducing the appearance of wrinkles.

Remove wrinkles, jowls, and sagging with a facelift

Signs of aging most often appear first on the face. Midface sagging, marionette lines, jowls, and a double chin can all make you look older. A facelift, also known as a rhytidectomy, is the most comprehensive and definitive way of treating wrinkles and facial sagging associated with aging and is performed regularly by the plastic surgeons at Hill Country Plastic Surgery. This is considered the gold standard in the treatment of facial aging.

Facelift Introduction

Why choose the surgeons at Hill Country Plastic Surgery for your facelift?

Dr. Scott Farber and Dr. Amita Shah are both highly experienced in facial plastic surgery, with years of training and experience between them. Dr. Farber specializes in facial aesthetic surgery, drawing on his extensive experience and training to restore contours that look both youthful and natural. Their philosophy is not to just create a lifted neck and jowls, but also recontour the face so you look like a beautiful, younger version of yourself.

Our surgeons enjoy the delicate intricacies of the face and the impressive restoration of youth for our patients. They recognize that every face requires an individualized approach to restore the appearance of youth and use a wide variety and combination of techniques to achieve this goal. In the end, you will have natural-looking results that celebrate your true beauty.

Our approach to facelift surgery is unique.

We use special medications and techniques to minimize bruising and swelling post-operatively, making your recovery as easy as possible. With meticulous suturing, scars are imperceptible. We take all aspects of facial aging into account which include skin laxity and loss of volume. We use the newest and safest techniques to ensure a great and long lasting result.

Why is it important to choose an experienced plastic surgeon for my facelift?

You can feel confident knowing that you are in good hands with either Dr. Farber or Dr. Shah. Because facelift surgery can create such dramatic results, it is important to work only with a plastic surgeon who has experience with this procedure and who has a thorough knowledge and understanding of facial anatomy.

What makes me a good candidate for a facelift?

Sagging skin in your midface, jawline, and/or neck
Pronounced nasolabial folds, which are creases that run from your nose to the corner of your mouth
Sagging, crepey skin of the neck area
Loss or drooping of facial volume (particularly in the cheeks)
Jowls, the sagging of volume in the lower face along the jawline
A double chin (a result of loose skin and extra fat along the jawline and chin)
Marionette lines, which are creases extending from the corner of your mouth to your chin

What are the different techniques used for a facelift?

The extent of a facelift can vary from a “mini” facelift to a more extensive neck lift and facelift. A facelift removes excess skin, tightens the underlying facial tissue, and elegantly re-drapes the skin of the face and neck, restoring a youthful facial contour, jawline, and neck. There is some downtime associated with a facelift, and it will not create a “new” you, it will simply restore a more youthful appearance. Sometimes, a facelift will need to be redone in 10-15 years, and that is patient dependent.

What to do if you have had a facelift but are not happy with it?

Dr. Farber and Dr. Shah can also perform a revision facelift and/or neck lift to address issues you may be experiencing from a previous procedure. They generally collaborate with patients seeking revisions a year or longer after their initial surgery.

Begin your journey.

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What our patients tell us…

Our patients tell us they love getting their youthful look back, and feel more confident in the way they look and in their lives. They feel more vibrant around their friends and family due to their glowing, youthful appearance. They tell us they are very happy they had a facelift, and that it has enhanced every aspect of life.

How long is the recovery?

Patients are seen in close follow-up which includes the following day, a week after surgery, and frequent intervals after that up to a year. Recovery after a facelift is relatively easy with minimal pain, bruising, and swelling. You will wear a post-operative compression garment for two weeks. After one week, patients should be able to appear in public and resume normal activities after a month.

What if I want facial rejuvenation but I am not yet ready for a facelift?

Some patients are not ready for surgery and prefer nonsurgical treatments, such as dermal fillers, tightening radiofrequency, and BOTOX®, which provide a shorter-term, less dramatic rejuvenation. With these non-invasive options, you can expect to achieve about 30 percent of what you would get with a facelift.

How is a facelift performed?

Both Dr. Farber and Dr. Shah work with each of their patients to create a customized treatment plan that will allow achievement of the best results. The goal of a facelift is to tighten the underlying tissue but not overtighten the skin, leading to beautiful, natural-looking results and avoiding the “pulled” look. A facelift will have a lasting, powerful effect on the contour of the neck and jawline, restoring your appearance to that of 10-15 years younger.

For a full facelift, the incision is placed behind the hairline and in the natural crease around and behind the ear. For a mini facelift, the incisions are more limited and are behind the ear with some extension into the crease under the ear, depending on how much skin needs to be removed.
For a lower facelift and neck lift, the incisions start behind the ear, backwards along the hairline, and may extend in the natural crease in front of the ear as necessary to remove skin. These incisions allow your plastic surgeon to remove any excess skin and fat, as well as to strategically reposition facial tissues to restore youthful volume. The remaining skin is lifted and sutured in place over the restored contour for a firmer facial appearance, redefining the jawline and reducing wrinkles and sagging.

What is a Mini facelift?

A mini facelift is a less-invasive surgical option than a full facelift that is designed to address sagging skin on the lower face and jowls. By using smaller incisions, a mini facelift tightens and raises the tissues of the jawline and lower face. Depending on your needs, it can sometimes be performed under light sedation and local anesthetic. The mini facelift is:

Less invasive
Less expensive than
Requires 7 to 14 days for recovery, as opposed to two weeks of downtime

If the area bothering you is your neck, then a neck lift or mini facelift would be a better choice. Dr. Farber and Dr. Shah will review all treatment options and create a surgical plan tailored specifically for you.

What can be done to enhance my facelift?

Facelifts are often combined with fat transfer to the cheeks, jawline, chin, or lips to restore lost volume, or augment these structures, giving your face a more natural, balanced appearance. A fat transfer refers to the process of taking fat from your abdomen or other problem areas and injecting purified fat tissue into another area of your body. The goal of the procedure is to improve the fullness of the cheeks, nasolabial folds, jawline, or lower eye area, giving extra volume to the facial structure. This procedure may also be combined with a laser or chemical peel skin resurfacing to treat the fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth.

The jawline, chin and neck areas can be targeted by liposuction to remove fatty deposits and create a more contoured and enhanced appearance. It can be done in conjunction with laser or traditional facelift procedures.

What to expect at my consultation?

Prior to your consultation, we recommend that you review the procedures on our website so you are familiar with the terms we will be using during our discussion. During your initial consultation with your surgeon at Hill Country Plastic Surgery:

We will discuss your concerns and goals before recommending treatment options that are tailored specifically to your needs.
Once we identify your concerns and surgical goals, we will discuss all treatment options that are available to you.
Every patient is unique, and we will develop a tailored surgical plan that addresses your specific goals.
In addition, we will thoroughly review your medical history, surgical history, medications, allergies, family medical history, and other important details such as your family breast cancer history.
It is very important that we obtain accurate information in all areas, as it may impact the outcome of your surgery.
If you have any prior breast imaging, please send it to the office prior to your appointment.
While discussing different treatment options, we will perform a physical exam and take measurements that are necessary for planning for your surgery.
Pre-operative (before surgery) photos will be taken either at your initial consultation or during your pre-operative visit.

What should I expect after my consultation?

You will receive access to your notes on the patient portal in addition to information about your specific surgery. If you have not activated your patient portal, this can be done at your appointment by asking any of our staff to assist you.
If you have questions after your appointment, you can contact our office or message us through the patient portal. Some patients will require medical clearance from their primary care physician or a specialist or additional tests before undergoing surgery.
Once you have determined that you would like to have surgery and have completed any clearances and tests that were requested, contact our office at (210) 658-3555 to schedule a pre-operative appointment with one of our surgeons.

Limitation, risks, complications

Risks of the procedure include risks of anesthesia, bleeding, infection, fluid collections, opening of the incision, widened scarring, numbness on the abdominal wall, skin discoloration, recurrent looseness of skin, deep fat may die (fat necrosis), deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications, asymmetry, need for revisions, persistent pain.

The surgeon may adjust any of the above guidelines and instructions based on the patient and type of surgery performed.

View Our Pre & Post-Op Instructions

Facelift FAQs

What level of discomfort should I expect after my facelift?

What is the expected recovery after a facelift?

Is the recovery for a facelift the same for everyone?

How much does a facelift cost?

What level of discomfort should I expect after my facelift?

Most of our patients experience little to no pain the day after surgery. In the operating room, they receive a local anesthetic that helps control pain during the day of surgery. We provide specialized aftercare instructions to reduce swelling and discomfort. Our team will also recommend supplements to help reduce swelling and bruising after surgery.

What is the expected recovery after a facelift?

Recovery time after a facelift is about 2 weeks. During the first week, patients may experience some swelling and bruising. During the second week, patients may begin to go out in public. After the second week, patients may resume typical day-to-day activities. Our two-week protocol optimizes the recovery period, making recovery last about the same length as for most nonsurgical options!

Is the recovery for a facelift the same for everyone?

It is important to note that recovery time varies from patient to patient, depending on medical conditions, extent of surgery, and other factors. After a facelift, patients are advised to keep their head elevated while sleeping, apply a cold compress when needed, and avoid exercise and other strenuous activity.

How much does a facelift cost?

The cost of a facelift varies from patient to patient. All faces are different, and some need more correction than others. It is recommended that you come in to see the surgeons at Hill Country Plastic Surgery to get your customized facelift consultation.

Ready to look years younger with a facelift? Meet with us.

Are you interested in learning more about this procedure? To schedule a consultation, please contact us. Hill Country Plastic Surgery is the premier plastic surgery center in the San Antonio area, and our friendly team members are here to help you and will reach out promptly.