Click to view facelift surgery before and after examples.

A facelift smoothes the loose skin on your face and neck, tightens underlying tissues, and removes excess fat. Your face appears firmer and fresher. Because people age differently, some people are candidates for a facelift in their late 40’s while others wait until they are 60 or 70 years old.  Signs of facial aging may manifest as the loss of a well-defined jaw line with jowl formation, deep wrinkles in the cheeks, sagging skin near the cheekbone, and a neck with loose skin, or excess fatty tissue.  Some patients only have sagging skin in their neck, in which case just a neck lift can be done, without the facelift.

If you are considering facelift surgery, it is important to know that not all facelifts are the same. Some facelifts only tighten the loose skin. While this type of facelift is quick to recover from, the skin will soon start to sag again. Dr. Hackney performs the SMAS facelift. The SMAS muscle layer is the deeper layer to which the skin is attached. By tightening the SMAS layer, the facelift looks more natural and the result will last longer. Dr. Hackney performs a modification of the SMAS facelift that not only lifts the jowls and lower face, but also lifts the cheek and upper face. This produces a harmonious and natural appearance. Other SMAS facelifts will mostly lift the jowls and lower face without elevating the cheeks enough to correct the effects of aging in the cheeks.

While a facelift does not require a hospital stay, we recommend you stay at the hospital, surgery center or nearby after-care facility for one night with a nurse. Family members and friends mean well, but a trained nurse will know how to clean suture lines, monitor your vital signs, and give you all the care and attention you need post operatively.

Dallas plastic surgeon, Dr. Hackney and his nurse will go over the procedure in detail with you, but most patients who are considering a facelift want to know where the incisions are. They begin in your hairline in the temple area, go inside your ear, come out along the front of your earlobe, and go behind the ear into the hairline again. As you heal, these scars fade and are usually not visible. If you have short hair, you may want to let it get a little longer prior to surgery to help hide the new scars. All of the sutures will be out ten days after surgery. You will have some bruising and swelling another week or two. Depending on your desire for privacy regarding the procedure, you should be able to resume your work or social obligations 3 weeks post operatively. Some patients do not mind telling others about their surgery, and they resume light activities in a week or ten days. There is not a lot of pain associated with the procedure; most of the discomfort is tightness due to swelling.

During the facelift surgery, you may choose to have cosmetic eyelid surgery and/or brow lift done. Dr. Hackney will discuss all of these procedures in detail during your initial consultation. Patients who have facial rejuvenation surgery are some of our most satisfied patients.

For before and after examples of facelift surgery, please click here.

Click here to schedule a consultation on your Dallas facelift surgery.