FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT FACELIFTS

It's your face. You can do what you want with it. Why not let Dr. Brueck help you look as young and beautiful as you deserve to be?

Dr Brueck answers questions about face lift procedures and consequences.
If you are scheduled for facelift surgery with Dr. Brueck, you may access a printable informed consent form by clicking this link. You may then read and sign the form and bring it with you on the day of your surgery, thereby saving you time.

Q: Are there different types of face lifts?
A: In this day and age, we talk about a lot of different things. It is important to understand that a full face lift does not necessarily mean a correction of the neck. Sometimes we do a combination of the face and neck together particularly if somebody has a lot of loose skin in the neck with platysmal bands.

Sometimes a woman will have severe sun damaged skin and we do a face lift and then in six months to a year she may become a candidate for a mini lift. A mini lift is a mini incision that goes in front of the ears and around the ear lobe. We then do a limited amount of undermining. It is as if one would use the term "frosting on the cake". Some people ask about a "no incision" face lift or an endoscopic face lift.

Q: What about no incision face lifts?
A: Personally, I think it is a misnomer in that if there is no incision then there can be no removal of skin. Most women seeking a face lift have jowls and a lot of loose skin and we really have to remove the skin in order to get a decent result.

A short time ago there was a procedure called a "contour thread" lift which involved minimal incisions and sort of a lifting up of tissues by placing barbed sutures in the soft tissues. This gave an immediate improvement only to have it revert to what it was in 3 to 4 months. After spending thousands of dollars, the results didn't have permanency or long lasting effects. The same is true with the no incision face lift. In order to really get a benefit if somebody has loose skin, we have to remove the skin. You can't shrink wrap it or get it to go away any other way. This also extends to endoscopic face lifts.

Q: What is the recovery time?
A: The recovery time from a face lift is not all that bad. Many of my patients who have had face lifts are wearing make up, going to movies and going out to dinner 3 to 4 days later.

I think the real question of when one can be seen in public depends on the individual and how sensitive they are about their surgery and whether they want people to know or not. I think it is kind of interesting because I went to a medical meeting a few years ago and one of the doctors who was attending the meeting had just had a face lift 2 to 3 days before the meeting and it was quite obvious that he had this done but it didn't bother him. He walked around and socialized, etc. So a lot depends on the individual patient's desires. Some people do not like to advertise that they have had this done.

Q: Is it painful?
A: It is not a painful procedure; in fact most people will be quite surprised to find that they do not even need pain pills.

I certainly give my patient pain pills but I would say that 95% of them take one the first night to help them sleep and then after that they do not require anything.

Q: Is there a lot of bruising?
A: The bruising is very minimal, sometimes if somebody has a history of bruising easily I recommend that they get vitamin K cream or take Arnica, which can minimize the bruising, but as a rule there generally isn't a lot of bruising associated with a face lift.

Q: When can I wash my hair?
A: I generally have my patients wash their hair the next day. This is quite surprising to many of the patients who say that they've known someone who couldn't wash their hair for 2 weeks. I find patients recuperate better and feel better when they can wash their hair, blow dry it and feel like they are getting back to normal.

Q: How long will it last?
A: A face lift will last forever, you will always look better because you have had it done, the real question is at what point in time will I not like the effects of aging and want to have it redone.

The answer to that is 3 to 5 years but if a woman has a face lift at 40 versus 60 she will get more mileage because her skin is in better shape at 40 than it will be at 60. Here's ananalogy; if you stretch a rubber band when it is brand new, it will contract back. But, if you take the rubber band and age it 50 to 60 years and with the elements such as heat, sun, etc. it gets brittle, cracks, breaks and doesn't hold its shape. So it is with face lifts.

Q: Can I have other procedures done at the same time?
A: Many of my patients who have face lifts will have concomitant procedures such as upper lid blepharoplsty, lower lid blepharoplsty, chin implants, etc. Yes, it is possible to have multiple procedures done at the same time and it does not extend the recovery time.

Q: What about so-called "lunch-time" lifts?
A: Lunch-time lifts are the name we give to a special procedure that can be done, in most cases, in about as much time as a long lunch hour. The procedure is done in our offices. You can come in of a morning and have the procedure completed before noon. Or come in at lunch time and be on your way home in a couple of hours. In addition, the recovery time is much shorter than a regular lift. Some patients have a "lunch-time lift" midweek and be up for a weekend party.

Click here for before-and-after photos for face lift procedures.

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Robert Brueck, MD, FACS is a board-certified and fellowship-trained plastic surgeon with 29 years of experience in plastic and reconstructive surgery. He understands that even if you are excited about life and energetic in your pursuit of life's pleasures, you can look tired and sad due to aging. This can affect how you feel about yourself.

Dr. Brueck has been named one of the top plastic surgeons in Southwest Florida (Northport to Marco Island) for four consecutive years, including 2007, by Castle Connelly in conjunction with Gulfshore Life magazine.

In his dedication to beautiful results in plastic and cosmetic surgery and to provide the highest quality patient care, Dr. Brueck, currently serves as a surgeon in a state-of-the-art facility in Fort Myers.

Dr. Brueck and his highly trained staff are dedicated to providing patients with the finest in cosmetic and plastic surgery in a responsive and comforting manner.