If you’ve considered a facial rejuvenation procedure, you’ve likely heard about different types of facelifts and neck lifts and wondered which procedure would help you achieve tighter, more youthful-looking skin. You’re also probably aware that there are surgical and non-surgical approaches to lifting the face and neck, but maybe you don’t know which to choose. To help his patients decide which procedure is right for their desired aesthetic outcomes, Dr. Movassaghi has created a “leveled” facelift classification system. Read on to learn why Dr. Movassaghi’s patients travel from all sides of the country to experience his leveled facelifting technique.
What is a facelift?
The term “facelift” has come to be used as a catch-all for a range of facial rejuvenation options, but it’s good to understand the standard medical definition of the procedure. A facelift, also known as rhytidectomy, is a surgery that lifts sagging tissues of the face to reduce wrinkles and smooth one’s aging features. You may be surprised to hear a facelift also includes lifting the neck tissues; this is because a classical facelift is designed to treat the lower and middle face. However, if you want to lift the upper face or eyes, that will typically involve additional procedures, namely brow lift and eyelid lift. It’s easy to see how many consumers become confused by the term “facelift” when certain parts of your face are not included.
“This leveled approach to lifting the face and neck provides options and customization in order to provide you with the most natural and desirable results.”
While what should be included in each patient’s facelift will vary, attractive results are always desired. A good facelift is not supposed to look obvious; instead, people should notice that you look refreshed, rejuvenated, and more defined. Not all facelifts are the same, and your outcomes depend on the technical skills and artistic abilities of your surgeon. When performed by an experienced, board-certified surgeon, a facelift will help you achieve natural-looking results that will gracefully age with you. Dr. Movassaghi is passionate about helping men and women in Eugene achieve a slimmer, more youthful facial appearance.
How do I decide which facelift is right for me?
Facelift. Mini facelift with a mini brow lift. Neck lift. How do you know which facelifting procedure to choose? The exact technique a surgeon uses during a facelift and neck lift depends on a variety of factors, including their patient’s:
- Personal goals
- Skin laxity and volume in the face and neck
- Environmental exposure (extent of sun damage and whether or not they smoke)
- Overall health
- Preferences in terms of cost and recovery time
Dr. Movassaghi doesn’t expect his patients to know what kind of facelift they want when they come into his office for a consultation; instead, he helps them identify the things they’d like to improve, and from this discussion, he is able to recommend their perfect facelift procedure.
Dr. Movassaghi’s “leveled” facelift system
With over 20 years of experience as a plastic surgeon, Dr. Movassaghi is known for his innovative three-tiered approach to lifting the face and neck. This system allows for a much more personalized approach to facial rejuvenation because it views facial procedures as a spectrum ranging from least extensive to most extensive—meaning as you increase to the next level, you build upon the previous procedures. According to Dr. Movassaghi, “This leveled approach to lifting the face and neck provides options and customization in order to provide you with the most natural and desirable results.”
Level I facelift
Dr. Movassaghi’s first level of facelift is an isolated neck lift, also referred to as neck contouring. This level is ideal for patients in their 40s-60s who have significant loose skin and/or muscle and extra fat in their neck, have a strong jawbone, and only want to reduce fat and tighten skin below the midface. Depending on a patient’s aesthetic desires—as well as the factors listed above—a Level I facelift can:
- Remove fat deposits below the chin via liposuction (liposculpture)
- Tighten sagging skin and loose musculature (bands in the neck)
- Reduce jowliness in the lower face
Neck contouring can help restore balance to one’s facial features by providing a more defined jawline that frames the rest of the face. Patients with a weak chin may also benefit from a small chin implant to increase the distance of the front of the chin from the back of the neck, creating an overall slimmer, more contoured, and youthful appearance of the neck and face.
Dr. Movassaghi is also able to correct the appearance of “turkey neck”—when the neck muscles separate and hang lower—with platysmal plication surgery to tighten these thin neck muscles using sutures.
Length of a Level I facelift: Approximately two hours and 45 minutes.
Level I facelift recovery: You’ll need to take one to two weeks off work primarily for social downtime and refrain from strenuous physical activity for four weeks. You can expect to see your final neck lift results in one to three months or sooner.
Level II facelift
Dr. Movassaghi’s second level of facelift is ideal for those who carry extra volume and/or skin above their neck as well. It’s perfect for patients who want to lift and tighten the neck, jaw, lower face, and brow. A Level II facelift:
- Incorporates a full neck lift
- Reduces jowliness
- Tightens skin and muscle along the lower face
- Incorporates a mini or full brow lift
This facelift isn’t quite as extensive as a Level III facelift, as it doesn’t address the cheeks or eyes, however, it is perfect for patients who want to slim and contour their neck and lower face, and lift their brow.
By incorporating a mini or full endoscopic brow lift, Dr. Movassaghi is able to lift sagging tissues and remove excess skin via tiny incisions hidden in the hairline, restoring the brow to a more natural position and reducing the signs of worry and age. Dr. Movassaghi is able to arch the brow from its outer corners to prevent an overly-surprised look.
Length of a Level II facelift: Approximately four hours and 45 minutes to five hours and 45 minutes, depending on the type of brow lift (mini or full).
Level II facelift recovery: We recommend you take two to three weeks off work and refrain from strenuous physical activity for six weeks. You can expect to see the full results from your facelift in four to six weeks or sooner, with continued improvement for several months.
Level III facelift
This facelift is the most extensive of Dr. Movassaghi’s facial procedures and enhances the entire face, including the brow, cheeks, jaw, under-eye skin, and neck. Eyelid lift surgery, clinically called blepharoplasty, is performed to rejuvenate the appearance of aging eyelids by reducing fat bags in the orbital area beneath the eyes, filling in “valleys” below the eyes with the fat taken from your bags, and tightening skin to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
Similar to a Level II facelift, Dr. Movassaghi incorporates either a mini or full brow lift (depending on the extent of skin and muscle sagging) to correct brow drooping and eyelid hooding, and to diminish crow’s feet around the eyes.
Length of a Level III facelift: Approximately five hours and 15 minutes to six hours and 15 minutes, depending on the type of brow lift.
Level III facelift recovery: We recommend patients take three weeks off work and six weeks off from strenuous physical activity after a Level III facelift. Results are typically visible within one to three months after surgery.
What are my non-surgical rejuvenation options?
Not everyone requires a facelift or neck lift. If you have minimal skin and/or muscle laxity and your skin is in relatively good condition, a non-surgical facial rejuvenation plan can still take years off your appearance and enhance your features.
Face
To enhance the face without surgery, Dr. Movassaghi offers a variety of rejuvenating options:
- Botox can smooth wrinkles and fine lines with just a few easy injections, creating results that can last for up to six months.
- Dermal fillers are made of hyaluronic acid, which is naturally found in your body. They fill in deep lines and folds in your skin, as well as age-induced volume loss in the cheeks and under-eyes. Results from dermal fillers can last up to two years.
- RF microneedling uses radiofrequency to tighten and firm skin and promote collagen growth, leading to subtle deep tissue and skin improvement. Radiofrequency microneedling is an excellent procedure for younger patients who want to prevent skin sagging and wrinkling caused by aging. It is also a good option for patients who have had a facelift and want to maintain their results as they age.
- Laser skin resurfacing can provide patients with a deeper non-surgical skin rejuvenation. Using a high-energy beam of light, Dr. Movassaghi is able to remove the upper layer of dead and unhealthy skin to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, acne and other scars, age spots, and deep-set lines. Results from this treatment improve over time, with many patients seeing improvements in their complexion even after six months.
While many patients assume skin rejuvenation treatments are solely for women, men can also benefit greatly from injectables and laser skin resurfacing. Once you try one of these procedures, you’ll wish you’d started years earlier!
Neck
For patients with neck skin that is in relatively good condition, CoolSculpting and Radiofrequency (RF) Microneedling can provide positive improvements without surgery.
- CoolSculpting is a non-surgical procedure that freezes unwanted pockets of fat, and CoolMini is a brand-new CoolSculpting tool that precisely freezes and removes fat deposits below the chin and around the neck to add definition to the chin and jawline and create an overall youthful, slimmer appearance.
- RF Microneedling can also be used to tighten and firm neck skin without surgery or to enhance the results of a neck lift.
Radiofrequency microneedling and CoolSculpting can be used together to both eliminate unwanted neck fat and firm and tighten neck skin for an advanced non-surgical neck rejuvenation.
Find your ideal facelift in Eugene, OR
Dr. Kiya Movassaghi is a board-certified plastic surgeon with over 20 years of experience performing facelifts, neck lifts, and non-surgical facial rejuvenation procedures—he even performs all facial injections himself. Contact us online or call (541) 686-8700 to begin developing your personal facial rejuvenation plan with Dr. Movassaghi.