The original facelift procedure, first performed a century ago, involved mostly skin tightening without any lifting of the supporting structure. Hollywood actresses sought the procedure to look younger, but as their skin got tighter and tighter, they looked more unnatural than younger. Today, despite decades of medical and technological advancements in the field of facial plastic surgery, many would-be patients shy away from the facelift procedure, fearing the “pulled skin” look. To make sure you get the best, most natural looking facelift results, just follow these easy tips.

What Makes a Facelift Look Natural?

To get natural looking facelift results, a lot of planning, discussion, and skill are involved. During a consultation with your facial plastic surgeon in New York, you’ll have the opportunity to discuss your concerns about the signs of aging around your mouth, chin, and jaw line. He will then examine your face, making note of your hairline, facial features, and other unique characteristics. He will also evaluate the degree to which your skin has begun to sag, the state of the lines and wrinkles in this area, and the volume of fat that has accumulated in the lower part of the face. From this information, your facial plastic surgeon will begin to design a facelift procedure tailored to fit your unique needs.

As he plans your surgery, he will assess how much “pull” is needed to achieve a tauter look to the face without stretching too tightly. He will plan the direction of his pull, how much skin should be excised, and how to manage the upturned or downturned lips, hairline, and other details. There is some art involved in the surgery process of facial rejuvenation; don’t be afraid to ask about the specifics of your procedure. Once your surgeon starts talking, it may put some of your fears about unnatural results to rest.

Don’t Make These Facelift Mistakes

When it comes to the facelift procedure, there are several things you can do to ensure the best results. There are, perhaps, more things you shouldn’t do if you want to keep your results looking as natural as possible after surgery. Steer clear of these classic mistakes or you’ll find yourself broadcasting “plastic surgery patient” everywhere you go.

• Don’t over-enhance your new look with injections. Adding dermal fillers or Botox treatments is a common follow-up for many facelift patients, but you can take it too far. Work with your facial plastic surgeon to make sure your add-on injections complement your results instead of overwhelming them.
• Don’t ask for unnatural-looking changes. Try to achieve balance in the face, not overdo the trimming of excess fat, for example. We all want thin, angular faces but they just don’t work for everyone. Ask for your facial plastic surgeon’s input about adding liposuction to your facelift and/or neck lift. Listen to his opinion and trust his expertise; pushing for more work than you need could backfire.
• Don’t rush your recovery process. Your face will need time to heal, so as the swelling and bruising subside, gradually resume your daily activities. Don’t jump back in all at once and risk injury, complications, infections, and other side effects. Your body knows exactly what to do; you just have to give it time and energy.
• Don’t assume you won’t have to take anti-aging measures after a facelift. While this surgery can turn back the clock about 10 years, it does not stop the hands of time from moving forward. You should continue to care for your skin in the same way, if not a better way. Use SPF moisturizers every day, cleanse daily, and exfoliate weekly. Talk with your facial plastic surgeon about other care tips that can preserve your results and keep them looking natural.

Do Choose an Excellent Facial Plastic Surgeon in NYC

The real success of any facial rejuvenation surgery lies in the hands of your facial plastic surgeon. If you haven’t done your due diligence in choosing the right surgeon for your surgery, you might want to reassess. Credentials, qualifications, and experience can help a facial plastic surgeon to refine his skills, develop his own techniques, and deliver the results his patients really want. You can only have your first facelift once, so you should make it worthwhile. You deserve the top-notch skills of a highly qualified facial plastic surgeon to earn those natural looking results.

Finding the right facial plastic surgeon is easy, if you know where to start looking. Dr. Philip Miller has specialized exclusively in facial plastic surgery, offering over 20 years of experience and knowledge to his patients. A recognized expert in facial rejuvenation procedures, Dr. Miller has been frequently invited to share his specific techniques with his peers at various national facial plastic surgery meetings. He has been voted among the Best Doctors in America each year since 2007 and has also been named a Top Doctor of New York. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Miller, contact his office located at 60 East 56th Street, Third Floor in New York City, by calling (646) 791-3025.

Next, read all about What Makes Facelifts So Popular?

Facelift surgeries began over a century ago, but the procedure has continued to renew itself, improve, and remain a leader in the plastic surgery world. In 2013, facelifts were the top anti-aging facial rejuvenation surgery. In fact, they would rank top among facial plastic surgeries altogether except for the rhinoplasty procedure. With thousands of men and women seeking a facelift surgery in NYC for themselves, many prospective patients might wonder what makes this surgery so special. Why are people turning to this procedure out of all the others? There are actually many things that set the traditional facelift apart from the crowd.

A Big Youthful Boost

During facelift surgery, the contours of the lower face are redefined as the facial plastic surgeon manipulates the skin, muscle, and fat cells. Excess loose skin is trimmed away, lax facial muscles are tightened, and the excess fat is either redistributed or removed. The end result of your facelift should be a well-defined jawline, improved facial contour, and a diminished appearance of lines and wrinkles around the mouth and nose. Overall, facelift surgery is a well-designed procedure that can give you a little bit of your youth back. Many patients can achieve a look that is up to 10 years younger than the day they first walked into their consultation.

Long-Lasting Results

When patients invest money on procedures that will improve their youthful appearance, they want those results to last as long as possible. Facelifts might cost more than a nonsurgical treatment, but the results will stand the test of time. Many facelift patients enjoy a more youthful appearance for an entire decade before they notice time catching up again. Actually, time can never really catch up; once you’ve gotten a head start as a facelift patient, you can keep ahead of it. While most patients opt out of a secondary facelift to touch-up the first, patients who do choose a follow-up facelift wait 8 to 12 years on average. Now that’s staying power!

Natural-Looking Results

Back in their early days, facelift surgeries were very simple pull-and-stretch procedures. After a while, patients looked pinch and unnatural as their skin was stretched thinner and thinner out toward their hairlines. Today, the meticulous work done to tighten the underlying tissues beneath the skin provides the support required to keep this area looking firm and youthful. Further, the skin isn’t stretched to the limit anymore, thanks to these refined techniques. In order to deem a facelift surgery successful, your facial plastic surgeon must also believe that the results look natural. The many patients demonstrating just how natural today’s results can be stand as living proof of decades of improvements, surgeon training, and technological advancements.

Facelifts for Any Age

Because facelift surgery can benefit patients in such a wide range of ages, it’s easy to see what drives this procedure’s popularity. With patients ranging from their 30s to their 60s and above, the facelift procedure can help to reverse many of the signs of aging in their early stages or decades on. There is no ideal age to have a facelift, nor a minimum or maximum age requirement to be met. Men and women with concerns about the effects of aging on their lower face can be considered for a facelift; it’s really that simple and that inclusive. If you’re worried about jowls, a double chin, creasing around the mouth, sagging skin, shifted fat deposits, and laxity in the lower facial muscles, you could be a good candidate for this anti-aging surgery. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re too young or too old. A facelift can be right for almost anyone, so what can it hurt to ask?

Learn More About Facelift Benefits Today

Choosing the right facial plastic surgeon to perform your facelift procedure will both maximize your results and minimize your risks as a patient. Dr. Philip Miller has specialized exclusively in facial plastic surgery, offering over 20 years of experience and knowledge to his patients. A recognized expert in facial rejuvenation procedures, Dr. Miller has been frequently invited to share his specific techniques with his peers at various national facial plastic surgery meetings. He has been voted among the Best Doctors in America each year since 2007 and has also been named a Top Doctor of New York. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Miller, contact his office located at 60 East 56th Street, Third Floor in New York City, by calling (646) 791-3025.

If only choosing a facial plastic surgeon in New York were as easy as performing a Google Search and calling the first listing, right? If you’re serious about achieving natural-looking, long-lasting results from an experienced, credentialed facial plastic surgeon, you’re going to need to know where to look and how to spot him or her.

Where to Start Looking

Sure, you can Google it, but looking for a reputable facial plastic surgeon is a lot easier when you focus in your efforts. Go to the websites of the American Board of Plastic Surgery or the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, for example, to find specific results about the credentialed surgeons in your area who are licensed to perform facelifts. Not only does this take out much of the guesswork for you, but it will also save you a whole lot of time. Search by zip code or by name to locate facial plastic surgeons and then narrow your results from there. Make sure that the surgeons you look up are specifically facial plastic surgeons instead of general surgeons.

Certifications, Education, and Training

Before you step foot in your facial plastic surgeon’s office, you need to verify that he (or she) has all of the right qualifications to perform your surgery. If you’ve found your surgeon through the specialized websites above, you’re halfway there. Now, you can visit the American Board of Plastic Surgery to check the doctor’s board certification records and other documents. Contact your state to confirm that your intended surgeon’s medical license is still valid.

Finally, visit the doctor’s website as well to gather more personal information about him, where he comes from, where he was education, in what specialty he performed his residency, etc. If you’re comparing several potential facial plastic surgeons, you may discover something about one doctor that really speaks to you, helping you to make your decision.

Patient Satisfaction and Results

Through websites like RealSelf, you should be able to read real patient reviews about your intended facial plastic surgeon’s work. Many surgeons also post reviews to their own websites, as well as before and after photos of actual surgeries. You might ask around to learn more about this specific doctor or check in with your own physician to learn more about his reputation, if possible. There’s rarely anything better than patient reviews to speak for a facial plastic surgeon’s real abilities, so get as much information as you can.

Meet for a Consultation

Sitting down for a one-on-one facelift consultation is both the final step in choosing your facial plastic surgeon and the first step toward your facelift surgery.  During this meeting, you will have an open conversation about the procedure, how it could benefit you, and also why you should work with this surgeon for the procedure. You will have a chance to ask your facial plastic surgeon questions about his background, patient history, and specific training, if you so desire. For many prospective patients, hearing the answers from their doctor can help to put them at ease and agree to move forward. If you still have unanswered questions, don’t be afraid to bring the list to your consultation and start asking away!

Make Dr. Miller Your Top Choice

Choosing the right facial plastic surgeon to perform your facelift procedure will both maximize your results and minimize your risks as a patient. Dr. Philip Miller in NYC has specialized exclusively in facial plastic surgery, offering over 20 years of experience and knowledge to his patients.

A recognized expert in facial rejuvenation procedures, Dr. Miller has been frequently invited to share his specific techniques with his peers at various national facial plastic surgery meetings. He has been voted among the Best Doctors in America each year since 2007 and has also been named a Top Doctor of New York. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Miller, contact his office located at 60 East 56th Street, Third Floor in New York City, by calling (646) 791-3025.

Next, read our blog, Keeping Your Nose Job a Secret.

There’s no better time than Turkey Day for the man or woman battling the dreaded “turkey neck” to start thinking about how to improve their sagging chin and jawline. Both the neck lift and traditional facelift have proven track records of uplifting even the most difficult turkey necks. Still, some people would prefer a non-traditional approach, one that doesn’t require surgery or downtime. But are they effective? Let’s review some of these less or non-invasive alternatives and you decide.

From Jack Lalanne to Facial Yoga

The late health guru Jack Lalanne, for example, was big on daily exercises to keep the facial muscles strong and the skin tight. Jack was a true pioneer and expert in healthy living who developed his own personal facial exercise routine that kept his profile relatively sag- and wrinkle-free well into his 90s. But not even Jack Lalanne was able to win the battle against the forces of gravity and age and stay a healthy looking 70-something indefinitely.

Modern health and fitness experts can be heard these days singing the praises of “hydration” as the proverbial fountain of youth. They recommend a body fat ratio of 14 to 24 percent for women and 6 to 17 percent for men, which means for most of us a radical change in diet is in order and lots of aerobic exercise and hours spent training in the gym or health club.

New Age types, on the other hand, are big adherents of Facial Yoga, a series of targeted exercises which are supposed to ward off neck and facial drooping. Many yoga aficionados do, in fact, look great as they age but there is no real evidence that facial yoga is effective.

Cosmetic Treatments for Turkey Neck

There are several non-surgical treatments touted for their ability to target the neck, including skin peels, topical creams and laser procedures, many of which are simply ineffective. Non-surgical skin tightening treatments like Ultherapy, which uses ultrasound energy to tighten facial skin, may be effective to some degree, particularly in patients with minimal sagging. In addition, Botox can be used to effectively treat neck bands. However, these non-surgical treatments generally do not address excess or lax skin and cannot recreate the neck line that most patients desire.

The meat of the matter regarding the turkey neck is that it is one stubborn age-related effect that is difficult to resolve non-surgically. Traditional neck lift and facelift techniques remove excess skin and fat and tighten the platysma muscle to create a firmer, tighter, more youthful look that will last for many Thanksgivings to come. Neck lift may be performed on its own or combined with a traditional facelift.

Don’t be a turkey this Thanksgiving. Consult with a qualified facial plastic surgeon who can help you decide which procedure is best for your sagging neckline.

Dr. Philip Miller is a board certified facial plastic surgeon with offices located at 60 East 56th, Third Floor, New York, N.Y. Contact our office at (646) 791-3025 for a personal consultation.