Facelift near Oshkosh, WI

As you age, it is perfectly natural to experience changes on the face—but that is not to say these changes, including loss of skin elasticity, the deepening and pronouncement of jowls, and the appearance of wrinkles, are welcome. No one wishes to look old and lose the physical vestiges of youth; however, it is hard to combat these issues using cosmetics, creams, diet, and exercise alone. Sometimes, surgical assistance is needed to turn back the hands of time.

A facelift is an effective way to reduce signs of age from the face and regain a youthful appearance. A popular surgery near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Sauerhammer of the Wisconsin Institute of Plastic Surgery helps patients rejuvenate their appearance through facelift surgery.

Procedure Explained

Facelifts have evolved extensively, and a facelift today is incredibly different from yesterday. Long gone are the tight and pulled surgeries that delivered less-than-natural results—instead, today’s facelifts can achieve more youthful and natural results through a soft and gentle surgical application.

The facelift specifically addresses skin, jowls, double chin, facial hollows, and other areas of the mid and lower face that have become sagging and lacking elasticity.  The procedure will be tailored to your areas of concern, including the neck, cheeks, jawline, and more. And while a traditional facelift involves some “nipping and tucking” of the skin, the surgery also repositions muscle tissue, which helps results last for many years.

A facelift may also be combined with other non-invasive injectable treatments, such as BOTOX® and JUVÉDERM®, to address wrinkles, lines, and other concerns.

Benefits

When you get a facelift, you will experience many benefits, including:

• The lifting and tightening of sagging, droopy skin
• Realization of a youthful, energetic, and invigorated facial appearance
• Removal of excess fat and skin
• Elimination of wrinkles, frown lines, and signs of age
• Removal of jowls and double chin
• Improved fullness of cheeks
• Enhanced chin and neck contours as well as muscle tone

This “gold standard” facial rejuvenation surgery offers results that last for years.

Candidates

The next step is to determine if you are a good candidate for surgery. Set up a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. During this meeting, the surgeon will assess:

• Your general health and wellness
• Your appearance, as well as your aesthetic goals
• The elasticity and condition of your skin—your skin should still be supple and present the opportunity to “bounce back” when pinched
• If you are willing to give up smoking and alcohol prior to and after your surgery to enable a positive recovery
• Your underlying facial bone structure to see if other procedures are needed to achieve your aesthetic vision
• If you have a positive mindset alongside realistic expectations regarding outcomes
• If you are age-appropriate for a facelift—most patients are between 40 and 70 years old

It will also be necessary to assess whether your goals are attainable via non-invasive procedures or less-intensive surgeries, such as injectables or a brow lift. These procedures, if applicable, might offer more expedient recovery and result in less downtime.

Cost

As with any plastic surgery, the cost is an important factor for patients. You may be wondering how much a facelift costs. Know that many factors go into determining this, including how extensive your surgery is and if it will be paired with other procedures.

The average cost for a facelift is approximately $11K-$13K in the Oshkosh, Wisconsin region. This includes the surgeon’s fee, the hospital or facility’s charges, anesthesia, pain medication, and ancillary fees specific to your needs.

For exact information regarding cost, reach out to Dr. Sauerhammer and the team at Wisconsin Institute of Plastic Surgery.

Process

The process that is followed during a facelift procedure may vary based upon your personal anatomy, goals, the extent of the facelift, and whether other procedures are needed.

Facelifts may require a hospital stay, or they may be performed on an outpatient basis. The surgery will be performed under general anesthesia for your comfort.

As a broad overview of the procedure, the surgeon will make initial incisions and then separate the skin from connective tissue and muscle. This will allow the plastic surgeon to be able to reposition facial tissues, eliminate jowls, and fashion a firm foundation for the skin.

From there, excess skin is removed, and the remaining skin is laid back over the rejuvenated facial tissue. The skin will have a smoother, youthful contour without the appearance of overtightening.

Recovery

After the procedure is complete, rest is important to ensure results are realized. Your facelift may require a hospital stay, or you may be discharged once the anesthesia wears off.

Two surgical drains will be put in place, and these will be removed when follow up is performed.  Then, you will be expected to wear a facial compression dressing to address bruising and swelling, which should subside after two weeks. You will be offered long-lasting local anesthesia to manage pain and help with comfort during recovery.

Any scars will be minimal and usually fade within a year. Additionally, your results will not be immediately visible, so it is important to have a healthy mindset to avoid disappointment—know that your results will show themselves as you heal.

If you are interested in learning how a facelift could combat the signs of age in the Oshkosh, Wisconsin area, reach out to Dr. Sauerhammer at the Wisconsin Institute of Plastic Surgery.