Face Lift FAQs

If you’ve been considering a facelift, you probably want to know more about what to expect. Here, we answer the most commonly asked questions our patients have about facelifts. You can also request a consultation with us for more information.

A facelift, more technically known as a rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure that addresses the most visible signs of aging throughout the lower face and upper neck. During a facelift, any laxity in the facial muscles is repaired, along with removing excess skin and fatty deposits. The remaining skin is redraped for a slimmer, smoother and younger-looking profile.

The best candidates for a facelift are Tampa-St. Petersburg men and women who are in good physical and mental health, yet have noticed permanent changes in their facial appearance due to a combination of gravity and growing older. Although no one can stop the aging process completely, a facelift removes several years from your appearance so you look refreshed and rejuvenated. The ideal candidates for a facelift should have noticeable muscle laxity or excess skin in their lower face, yet still retain good skin elasticity for optimum results.

For some men and women concerned with facial signs of aging, a facelift comes after a series of smaller nonsurgical facial rejuvenation treatments. For others, a facelift may be the first and only step taken to create a younger appearance. Every person is different, and everybody experiences signs of aging at a different pace.

My recommendation is if you’ve done all the online research you feel is necessary and still aren’t sure whether a facelift feels right for you, to simply come in for a consultation. During your consultation, I’ll discuss the precise results you can expect from a facelift in terms that are specific to your concerns.

Absolutely. Today more than ever before, modern techniques make facelifts great procedures for men and women who wish to improve their signs of aging but want their results to look natural. The “wind-tunnel” look you see sometimes in celebrities who have had poorly done surgery results from overly stretching the skin during a facelift. While all facelifts involve tightening the skin to a degree, the real focus of the procedure should be on repairing the underlying musculature and reallocating facial tissue for more youthful facial contours. With this comprehensive approach, results can appear naturally refreshed rather than “done.”

The best facelift results will look good and complement your natural features, without a “windblown” or overly pulled appearance. Dr. Castellano is one of the top facelift surgeons in Tampa because his patients have been able to achieve very natural-looking results. Dr. Castellano and his team have decades of aesthetic experience and hundreds of satisfied repeat patients. During your consultation, you can see more before and after images and find out the surgical technique we recommend for you to get the most out of your facelift surgery.

Although this is a common misassumption about facelift surgery, your upper face isn’t improved by a facelift. Instead, a brow lift, either with or without eyelid surgery is ideal for rejuvenating the upper face and eye area.

A facelift is really best for advanced signs of aging in the lower face, like sagging jowls or deep wrinkles, and won’t improve the appearance of sun-damaged skin. In order to address sun damage, you may wish to consider combining a facelift with laser resurfacing, which can stimulate collagen to encourage healing of the skin. The combination of procedures can help you take more years off your appearance, along with improving skin health.

It’s very common for men and women to lose soft tissue volume in the face as they age, which can give features a hollow or sunken appearance. In these cases, I can redistribute facial tissue to create more youthful contours to some extent during a facelift, but for the right candidates, fat transfer may be an option. Fat transfer is a two-part procedure that can greatly enhance your appearance by filling out the mid-face over the cheekbones and soften the hollows under the eyes and at your temples.

Absolutely. Although a facelift is commonly thought of as a one-size-fits-all solution for all the signs of aging in your appearance, this really isn’t the case. In reality, a facelift is a highly customized procedure that needs to be tailored to the needs of each individual patient for the best results. This often means combining procedures that address the upper face as well as the lower, or even including rejuvenation procedures that address different age-related concerns entirely, like laser skin r esurfacing to improve skin tone and minimize age spots. In some cases, Dr. Castellano may use liposuction to fine-tune your facial contours, or recommend a neck lift for an additional level of correction. Taking a combination approach is not only common, but is often preferred by cosmetic surgeons.

Before your procedure, Dr. Castellano will discuss your appearance goals so that he has a clear understanding of your hopes following the procedure. The surgery itself will vary in technique and time, depending on which approach is used and whether additional procedures are being performed, as well as the level of correction needed. Dr. Castellano will go over your surgery with you in more detail so you know exactly what to expect.

Facelift incisions are most commonly placed behind the ear or hairline. Through these access points, Dr. Castellano is able to tighten lax muscles using carefully layered internal stitches. Next, fatty deposits are excised surgically or with liposuction. The skin is pulled smooth and redraped over the now-firmer framework of the face, and any excess is removed before the incisions are closed with ultrafine sutures.

Following your facelift, you can expect to feel a little sore and uncomfortable at first, usually accompanied by some bruising and swelling. Dr. Castellano may ask you to sleep with your head and neck elevated for the first week to help reduce swelling and promote healing. Most facelift patients are back to their normal daily routine within a week or two, but more vigorous activities should wait until you feel more comfortable.

Scars after any surgery are inevitable, but Dr. Castellano makes every effort to ensure that you’ll heal beautifully. He also carefully places incisions where they’ll be hidden within your hairline or by the natural structure of your face (for example, behind the ears). Most men and women are so pleased with their end results that scars are not a concern.

You should notice a difference almost right away after your surgery, with the effects becoming more apparent as post-operative swelling dissipates. Most patients can see their final results after a few months.

How long a facelift lasts differs for every patient. This is partially because of genetics and the fact that we all experience aging in different ways, but it’s also largely influenced by lifestyle. At a bare minimum, your facelift should last several years.

In order to make your facelift results last the longest, it’s important that you protect your skin from the sun, moisturize and invest in quality skin care, and stay away from smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. A healthy diet and regular exercise can also contribute to longer-lasting facelift results. Patients who take great care of their skin can enjoy a more youthful look for a very long time to come.

Risks and potential complications of a facelift include bleeding, infection, poor wound healing, scarring and asymmetry. While serious complications are uncommon when performed by a qualified surgeon, it is important to follow all pre- and post-operative instructions to minimize risks.