Facelift in NYC

What is a Facelift?

Facelift surgery in NYC with Dr. Westreich is a highly-individualized surgical procedure that rolls back years of aging to help you achieve smooth, taut, and youthful skin and facial features. The procedure lifts the skin tissues, trims away the excess skin, and tightens the underlying muscles to tighten your skin, remove the wrinkles, and improve your facial contours. However, you must choose a respected facial plastic surgeon to ensure natural-looking results.

Dr. Westreich has been called the “Top New York Plastic Surgeon” by NY Magazine, and he certainly lives up to that reputation. He specializes in numerous facelift techniques, including partial facelifts, to address your unique needs and concerns. He carefully assesses your cosmetic concerns and discusses your long-term goals to customize the ideal facelift procedure.

FaceliftBefore & Afters

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The Average Cost of Facelift

The average cost of a facelift ranges from $10,000 to $20,000, though the specific cost varies widely from one patient to the next. You can also combine your facelift with a rhinoplasty, brow lift, eyelid lift, neck lift, or other surgical procedures to achieve more dramatic results with a single recovery period. The cost of the overall treatment will depend on the added procedures.

The cost of a facelift in NYC depends on several factors, including:

Tests
Anesthesia fees
Surgeon’s fees
Medications
Surgical garments
Geographical location
Your specific anatomy
Your specific goals

Benefits of a Facelift

Reduces wrinkles, fine lines, and folds
Tightens the sagging skin tissues
Smoothens the jowls

Restores youthful contours to the jawline
Long-lasting facial rejuvenation
Takes a decade or more off your appearance

Your Facelift Consultation with Dr. Westreich

Your consultation will be held in our comfortable, upscale Manhattan office. This is a one-on-one private meeting in which you can ask Dr. Westreich any questions you may have regarding your cosmetic concerns, procedure details, recovery, etc. Dr. Westreich, in turn, will review your medical history, examine your facial skin, and discuss your cosmetic goals to curate a treatment plan. He’ll discuss all your treatment options, facelift techniques, and the possibility of complementary procedures to curate the ideal treatment plan for your unique needs. Dr. Westreich takes pride in listening carefully to each of his patients and developing a close relationship that extends from your consultation to your follow-up visits.

Your Facelift Options

Traditional Facelift

Traditional facelift surgery is excellent for lifting the tissues of the cheek, jowls, and neck back to their natural position. The forehead is often lifted at the same time if needed. Dr. Westreich performs many techniques for facial rejuvenation surgery based on your individual needs and preferences. In most cases, Dr. Westreich elevates the underlying muscles and deeper tissues vertically and drapes the skin laterally to improve your overall appearance. In some cases, only the cheeks and jowls need to be elevated. If sagging jowls and a loose neck are your chief concerns, Dr. Westreich may recommend combining your facelift with a neck lift.

Facelifting removes excess skin while tightening the underlying supporting structures (muscles and connective tissue). A skin incision is required to produce these results. The length of the incision depends upon the specific problems that require correction. Dr. Westreich utilizes current facial rejuvenation techniques, including endoscopic facelifts, S-lifts, SMAS lifts, extended SMAS lifts, and Deep Plane Facelifts. Dr. Westreich will explain the different techniques as well as their potential benefits and pitfalls in detail during your consultation. The incision marks are usually concealed along the hairline, under the chin, behind the ears, or other locations hidden from plain view.

Mid Facelift

Mid-facelift is suitable for patients with sagging cheeks, hollows underneath the eyelids, deep nasolabial folds, and increased jowls. The procedure rejuvenates the lower eyelids and the cheeks, reduces the nasolabial folds, and helps you achieve a fuller and more youthful appearance. Dr. Westreich places small incisions in the temporal hairline through which the midface tissues are lifted and adjusted. An Endotine® absorbable implant is used to hold the midface in the new position until the structures are firmly reattached. The mid-facelift can also be combined with an endoscopic brow lift or a neck lift.

Lower Facelift

A lower facelift rejuvenates the lower third of the face — from under the ears to below the chin. Dr. Westreich performs a lower facelift for patients whose main concern is the laxity of the jowls, slackened skin along the jawline, and deepening nasolabial folds from the nose to the corners of the mouth. Incisions may be placed halfway around the ears, starting at or below the tragus (the flap of skin and cartilage at the entrance to the ear) and extending around the earlobe behind the ear. In some cases, an incision may also be necessary under the chin.

The Recovery

Recovery from a facelift will involve swelling and bruising, which typically peaks at about the three-day mark, following which the side-effects start fading away. You’ll need to sleep with your head elevated for a few days and take all your prescribed pain medications, but you should be comfortable by the third day. You can resume your normal routines within two weeks, but the final results will gradually become evident over several months as you heal. In some cases, the final results might appear a year after the facelift surgery. You must follow the surgeon’s recovery guidelines accurately to ensure optimal recovery and healing.

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Recovery Tips

Arrange for a friend or relative to stay with you for the first 48 hours after the surgery.
Rest with your head elevated on at least two pillows for the first week after the procedure.
Don’t sleep on your side or stomach for at least one week.
Take pain medications according to the given schedule to prevent pain.
Avoid physical activities are exertion for at least 7 to 10 days.
Place ice packs over the surgical site to reduce and control swelling.
If you experience mild bleeding, rest up with your head at an inclined angle and apply an ice compress on your face and neck with mild pressure.
Avoid all activities and medications, such as aspirin, that increase blood pressure and increase the risk of heavy bleeding.

Don’t bend over or lift things for one week. Keep your head elevated at all times.
Don’t bump your head against anything for at least a week.
Avoid excessive sun exposure for at least one month.
Wash the incision sites with soap and water at least thrice a day and clean the incision with the provided solutions and antibiotic ointments to avoid infections.
Massage the scars with vitamin E or cocoa butter approximately six weeks after the surgery to minimize their appearance.
Don’t wear clothes that you have to pull over your head.
Don’t smoke for at least two weeks after the procedure to ensure smooth healing and recovery.
Contact your surgeon if you have any concerns or questions.

The Best Age for a Facelift

There is no particularly acceptable range, minimum or maximum, to get a facelift. Each person must be evaluated on their individual candidacy, cosmetic concerns, goals, and medical history. Generally speaking, facelifts are suitable for individuals with excessive skin laxity and wrinkles, but patients with mild to moderate skin laxity can also opt for less-invasive forms of facelifts. The success and longevity in face lifting depend on skeletal support, soft tissue volume status, the heaviness of skin, and other anatomic factors that may influence the re-draping and support of the face after surgery.

Dr. Westreich carefully examines your facial skin and discusses your cosmetic goals to determine if you’re a viable candidate for a facelift in NYC. Although there is no set age to determine if a facelift can be a beneficial choice for you,

the majority of patients who seek the surgery fall somewhere between the ages of 40-70 years old. According to the available statistics, 66% of the facelifts patients in the US are over 54 years of age, 32% are 40 to 54 years of age, and 2% are 20 to 29 years of age.

Generally speaking, you’re a suitable candidate for a facelift if you’re in good physical and mental health without underlying medical conditions that preclude you from treatment. You must also have a positive outlook with realistic expectations, and you should be a non-smoker or be willing to quit smoking to ensure a smooth recovery. If you meet these qualities, your age doesn’t matter.

Complementary Procedures

Below are a few typical techniques that are often performed by Dr. Westreich during a facelift or are added to the original procedure to enhance results:

Facial Implants

With your prior approval, Dr. Westreich may use facial implants and/or fillers during surgery to restructure your face and create a more defined look. The implants can be inserted into the cheek, jaw, or chin to augment your appearance.

Skin Rejuvenation Strategies

This can include chemical peels, laser resurfacing, non-ablative skin tightening, and daily strategies to improve skin health.

Facial Fat Transfers

Effective in filling in dark areas and hollows under the eyes that may not be corrected by a traditional facelift.

Eyelid Surgery

Eyelid surgery can be performed as part of your facelift and can really enhance your face by making you look more awake and energized. It will smooth bags concentrated under the eyes and wrinkles around the area.

Facelift FAQs

I’m thinking of getting a facelift but also consider using lasers, Botox, and fillers to look better without surgery. When is the right time for a facelift?

A surgical facelift is the recommended solution if you want to address moderate to severe signs of aging and restore your youthful facial structure permanently. Dr. Westreich will examine your face and its internal structures to recommend the best solution, such as restoring volume with fillers, hiding wrinkles with Botox, and improving skin texture with lasers and peels. For patients seeking non-invasive facial rejuvenation, a F.I.T. Lift can be the perfect solution. Combining Kybella, Fillers, Botox, and Radiofrequency skin tightening into a total treatment package can yield wonderful results without anesthesia or a surgical incision.

Are there any risks and side effects?

As with any surgery, a facelift has risks. Complications could arise from the administration of anesthesia, excessive bleeding, scarring, or unsatisfactory outcomes. These risks are possible, but they shouldn’t deter you because Dr. Westreich has a perfect track record with no noted complications. Our surgical center maintains the most stringent health and safety standards to avoid complications.

Will a facelift make me look unnatural or pulled?

Dr. Westreich does his best to ensure that his patients leave his New York office with no visible signs of surgery. The incision for a facelift is typically made at the hairline and is hidden by overlying hair. Furthermore, the “pulled” appearance only comes up when inexperienced surgeons overcorrect by trimming away excess skin tissues, making your skin look overly extended. Dr. Westreich’s conservative approach and attention to detail can be observed when you look at before and after photos of actual NYC patients.

Will the scars be visible?

Dr. Westreich places small and minimal scars along the hairline, behind the ears, or under the chin, depending on the surgical technique. The scars remain hidden from plain view and eventually heal into a dull pink, making them even less visible.

Will I need another facelift down the road?

The facelift will take several years off your appearance, but it won’t stop the aging process. Over time, your skin will again start developing signs of aging, such as wrinkles and laxity. If you get a facelift in your 40s, the procedure might make you look 30s, which means you’ll start looking 40 again when you’re in your 50s. You can opt for additional facelift surgeries down the road, but it’s not necessary.

Why Dr. Westreich?

Dr. Westreich is an incredibly talented, compassionate, and experienced cosmetic surgeon with specialized training in facelifts and other facial cosmetic and reconstructive procedures. He completed his postgraduate training in Facial Plastic Surgery and Otolaryngology at the prestigious Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City. He has also been listed as one of the top 10 plastic surgeons in New York City and recognized as the Regional Top Doctor by the prestigious Castle Connolly group.

What truly sets Dr. Westreich apart is his compassionate bedside manners and dedication to customized facelifts. He shirks cookie-cutter treatments to favor highly-personalized facelifts that address your individual cosmetic goals, long-term expectations, and concerns. He has a keen understanding of facial anatomy and aesthetics, which he wields to provide naturalized results that make you look significantly younger without betraying any signs of cosmetic manipulation. If you want to be reintroduced to your younger self, please schedule a private consultation with Dr. Westreich today.