Dr. Repta is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Scottsdale, AZ and member of The American and International Society of Plastic Surgeons. He has been practicing in the greater Phoenix area for many years and specializes in delivering the perfect facelift.
Why a facelift?
Unfortunately the face is often the first place to show the signs of aging. In today’s society, with the ever-increasing pressure to look young and beautiful, the aging process can be daunting and embarrassing for some.
Fortunately with Dr. Repta’s elegant approach and unique philosophy to facelift surgery, he has helped thousands of patients rejuvenate and restore their youthful appearance, in turn rebuilding their self-confidence in ways they could not previously imagine. For these reasons, Dr. Repta's peers and patients alike consider that he delivers among the best facelift Scottsdale has to offer.
Facelift procedure
Face Lift surgery remains one of the most important parts of facial rejuvenation. Over the last handful of years a tremendous amount of new technology such as fillers, Botox, and non-invasive skin rejuvenation have been introduced. All of these new technologies have helped to diversify the options for facial rejuvenation.
Despite these new, less invasive technologies, Face Lift surgery remains an important part of facial rejuvenation. Face Lift surgery remains the only way to reposition the deeper tissue of the face and neck back up to where it used to be. Because of this, Face Lift surgery can correct the following facial aging issues:
- jowling: see at the border of the jaw line near the corners of the mouth
- nasolabial folds: as the cheek tissue droops down, the nasolabial folds deepen
- platysma bands/loose neck: sometimes referred to as a turkey neck, this occurs when the platysma or neck muscle loosens and droops down. Face lift surgery is often performed together with neck lift surgery.
- marionette lines: the downward facing corners of the mouth that result from loose facial tissue
- hollow eyes: the lower eyelid-cheek area is often affected by the facial tissue drooping down. This is often treat in combination with fat transfer and or lower eyelid lift as well as a face lift.
As you can see, face lift surgery can be a powerful and important part of facial rejuvenation. When designed and performed properly, face lift results can provide natural and enduring results.
Tightening of the skin
Once the skin has been lifted, Dr. Repta tightens and repositions muscle and connective tissue and then closes the sutures ensuring there is no tension on the incisions. The surgery can take between 2 to 5 hours depending on how many areas are being treated.
A supportive bandage is placed around the chin and neck, if the neck was treated, and the patient is then taken to the recovery suite. Once the patient has fully come out of the anesthetic and is stable, he or she can return home to recover.
Patients flying into our Phoenix office for their facelift will need to arrange local accommodations until their first postoperative visit. Dr. Repta has staff that can help arrange both accommodations and a nurse to monitor the early days of recovery if traveling alone.
Recovery
Patients will need about a week to complete the first stage of recovery. During this time there will be a feeling of pressure and some bruising and swelling, which varies by patient.
Pain medication will be prescribed for the first week or so and then over the counter medication is usually sufficient.
Patients usually don’t feel comfortable being seen during the first week of recovery. When arranging time off work, facelift patients generally need at least 2 weeks for the majority of swelling and bruising to diminish.
Recovery goes in stages with swelling diminishing and then slightly returning until the underlying tissue settles. The smoothest recovery is always with patients who take time to fully recover before attempting to return to their usual activities.
Full instructions are provided by Dr. Repta covering all details of facelift recovery and patients are always encouraged to call our Scottsdale clinic any time they have questions.
Different Types of Facelifts
SMAS Facelift
SMAS is an acronym for Superficial Muscular Aponeurotic System. It is the layer of tissue that lies on top of the deeper tissues and structures of the face and neck, including the entire cheek area. It is also attached to the platysma—the superficial muscle covering the lower face and neck. The ‘SMAS’ weighs more than the skin itself. As such, this weight can drag the skin downward. During a ‘SMAS’ facelift Dr. Repta will lift the underlying muscle and tissue, rather than just pulling or stretching the skin over a sagging face. The result is years taken off your appearance and a rejuvenated, more youthful appearance.
Deep Plane Facelift
The deep-plane facelift is a longer lasting alternative to more traditional facial surgery procedures. Due to the limitations involved with skin-only and ‘superficial musculoaponeurotic system’ or SMAS face lifts, many patients opt for the deep-plane procedure. As the deep-plane lift reaches one layer deeper below the SMAS instead of above it, there is no tension that can create the all too common “pulled” or “stretched” look. Instead, the results are a more natural looking rejuvenation of the entire face.
Endoscopic Facelift
Some patients have just a few specific areas of the face they wish to address. In such patients, the endoscopic, or mini facelift, can accomplish dramatic improvements while remaining far less invasive than traditional facial surgery procedures. This is particularly applicable to patients who are relatively young. Instead of the numerous, larger incisions typically made during a traditional facelift, an endoscopic procedure requires incisions that are less than an inch in length. Dr. Repta will carefully and discreetly place the incisions above the hairline or behind the ear, making them virtually invisible.
Non-Surgical Facelift
For those patients seeking facial rejuvenation without the time consuming, costly and often risky side effects of invasive surgery, the non‐surgical face lift or commonly deemed “liquid facelift” is an excellent and highly effective alternative. Through the careful and delicate art of injecting dermal fillers, Dr. Repta can take years off your face, creating a beautifully refreshed and youthful appearance. Often, a non‐surgical face lift for those patients typically in their 30’s and 40’s, is the PERFECT solution to aging gracefully.
Learn moreA word from Dr. Repta:
Facial Rejuventation
"Aging is a complex and individualized process that results in changes to the skin, fat, and, deeper tissue if the face. Because of this no two people age the same and therefore each patient requires their own special facial rejuvenation treatment.
There are three main parts of facial rejuvenation.
- Treatment of the skin
- Treatment of the underlying fat
- Treatment of the deeper tissue
Skin treatment can be anything from proper skin care and Botox to laser resurfacing.
The basic idea is to help the skin have as few lines and wrinkles as possible and to remove sun related color blemishes and improve collagen and skin vitality.
Treatment of Underlying Fat
Treatment of the underlying fat is often focused on improving volume. Since aging results in volume loss, volume replenishment with fillers or fat transfer is often beneficial to restore the natural youthful fullness that is often associated with beauty.
Treatment of Deeper Tissue
The deeper tissue of the face consists of the platysma muscle and the SMAS.
The platysma muscle starts low down in the chest area actually near and below the collar bones and rises up onto the neck and over the jaw line. It transitions seamlessly into the SMAS tissue somewhere in the cheek area and continues into the temple area as yet another tissue called the superficial temporal fascia.
This entire layer of three tissues can be used to lift and reposition the deeper tissue of the face. By doing so, the face is “lifted” and tension is placed on the deeper tissue, leaving the skin to be supple.
What Does a “Facelift” Really Mean?
A word or two about what a “face lift” means. There is no true procedure that defines what a face lift means. In fact, there are many procedures named differently that have similar types of effects on the face. Procedures that have facelift-type effects include:
- Cheek lift
- Jow lift
- Cheek tightening
- Facial tightening
- Neck tightening
- Facial rejuvenation
Similarly, there are many names for types of “facelifts”, including:
- Skin only face lift
- Deep plane face lift
- High SMAS face lift
- SMAS face lift
- Multi-plane face lift
The key is not to focus on the name or the terminology of the procedure, but rather on the result that you would like to accomplish and what procedure(s) would serve you best.
This is why having a consultation with a well-trained board certified plastic surgeon is so important. You will want to share your desire with your plastic surgeon and your plastic surgeon should be able to give you a handful of options based on your anatomy and goals, and describe the advantages and disadvantages of each.
All the best,
Dr. Remus Repta"
Facelift Consultation in Scottsdale
With many years of experience in facial plastic surgery and delivering among the best facelifts Scottsdale has available, Dr. Repta looks forward to helping you achieve your cosmetic goals. If you are considering a face lift surgery and live in the Scottsdale area, Dr. Repta is here to help you answer any questions or concerns you may have. Please call today for a private consultation.
Schedule a Consultation
If you would like to know more about your Scottsdale plastic surgery options, request a consultation online. Or if you prefer, you are welcome to call the office at 855 DR REPTA and one of our staff members will be happy to assist you.
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