Florence Mussat, M.D.
680 N Lake Shore Dr. #1030 Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 751-9000

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Facelift Surgery

Untitled-85When you peer in the mirror, are you frustrated with your reflection? Do you feel your facial appearance makes you look older than your actual age? If so, consider undergoing cosmetic facelift surgery with Dr. Florence Mussat, a talented facial rejuvenation surgeon in Chicago. With facelift surgery, Dr. Mussat can tighten and lift the soft tissues of the face, for a more youthful, rejuvenated look.

Facelift Surgery

Time waits for no one, but wrinkles and sagging skin lie ahead for everybody. A facelift helps us cheat time by restoring tight skin and muscle tone, rolling the clock back ten years if not more. For women and men who desire a youthful face that reflects the way they feel, a facelift can be a great solution.

If you feel you have signs of aging such as loss of contour, sagging or excess skin or fat in your jowl or neck area, you may be a good candidate for a face or neck lift. Dr. Florence Mussat, a talented facial rejuvenation surgeon in Chicago, helps prospective patients determine their goals for aesthetic improvement. With facelift surgery, Dr. Mussat can tighten and lift the soft tissues of your face and give you a more youthful, rejuvenated look.

While working with Dr. Mussat, you’ll learn about the different techniques that could most enhance your unique facial structures and provide the results you desire. While a facelift will improve the appearance of the lower two-thirds of the face, including the neck, a neck lift will target only the neck and the area beneath the chin.

Common Signs of Aging

Everyone is affected by the aging process. The common signs of aging are often what prompt patients to contact Dr. Mussat about a facelift or neck lift.

As both men and women age, skin elasticity and muscle tone are lost. There are also changes in the distribution of fatty tissue beneath the facial skin. Fat might be accumulating under the chin or in the neck area. Muscles in the neck also become softer, relax, and lose their tone. A loss of muscle tone leads to drooping around the eyes and the mouth as well as jowls and the formation of what is known as a “turkey neck” under the chin in the neck area. In certain areas, the skin begins to sag, and lines and wrinkles form.

Good Candidates for a Facelift or Neck Lift

Dr. Mussat’s facelift and neck lift patients include both men and women across a range of ages. However, she finds that patients who have the best results with these procedures are typically in their 50s and early 60s and with advanced signs of aging.

Where the signs are less apparent, such as wrinkles and fine lines and the loss of volume in the cheeks or lips, less-invasive procedures may be more appropriate.

Do you feel your facial appearance makes you look older than your actual age? If so, consider undergoing cosmetic facelift surgery.

What Facelift Surgery Improves

Dr. Mussat performs facelift surgery to improve the following aesthetic concerns:

  • Sagging throughout the middle of the face
  • Severe creases beneath the lower eyelids
  • Severe creases that extend from the outer edges of the nose to the outer corners of the mouth
  • Displaced fat
  • Loss of facial volume
  • Sagging jowls
  • Loose skin and excess fat under the chin and / or neck area
  • Other aesthetic concerns pertaining to the neck area

Facelift Approaches

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During the patient’s preoperative consultation, Dr. Mussat will review his or her facial anatomy, including skin health, the degree of skin ptosis (sagginess) and how much facial volume has been displaced or lost. Based on this information, she will suggest an appropriate treatment protocol, including one of the following main surgical approaches to facelift:

  • SMAS Facelift. This is the traditional facelift approach, which addresses aging throughout the lower face and neck. To perform SMAS, or superficial musculo-aponeurotic system, facelift, Dr. Mussat makes an incision within the hairline, above one ear. The incision continues downward in front of the ear, curving around the bottom edge of the ear and terminating behind it. She then repeats this incision on the other side of the face. With this approach, the Chicago facelift surgeon separates the skin from the underlying fat and musculature. She lifts the muscle layer (SMAS) and repositions it. Dr. Mussat then uses permanent, internal sutures to hold it in place after surgery. The facial rejuvenation surgeon removes any excess skin before pulling the remaining skin taut and closing the incisions with sutures, staples or skin adhesive.
  • Deep Plane Facelift. To perform the deep-plane facelift, Dr. Mussat makes incisions similar to the ones described above. She then separates the SMAS from the deeper tissue layer. She lifts and repositions this deep tissue layer, again placing internal stitches to hold it in place after the procedure. Dr. Mussat excises excess skin and re-drapes the remaining skin over the facial contour. Finally, she closes the incisions with staples, sutures or skin adhesive.

More about the Facelift Procedure

Facelift surgery is an outpatient procedure that Dr. Mussat performs in her plastic surgery center with the use of general anesthesia. The entire procedure takes about three to four hours, depending on the extent of the patient’s facial rejuvenation needs and the complexity of the procedure.

Turn Back the Hands of Time

Although no one can completely stop the natural aging process, Dr. Mussat can help “turn back the hands of time” with facelift surgery. To schedule a private consultation with Dr. Mussat and learn more about how facelift surgery can take years off your facial appearance, please contact her office by calling (312) 751-9000.

Facelift/Neck Lift FAQs

What Is a Facelift?

A facelift is a plastic surgery technique used to reverse many of the physical signs of the aging process. Its goal is to achieve a natural, more rested, and youthful appearance, and not to change the person.

What Physical Changes Occur as We Naturally Age?

We all experience physical aging in different ways — loss of elasticity and a decrease in the quality of the skin. The underlying facial muscles tend to relax, resulting in a reduced facial volume.

Are There Any Age Restrictions for Receiving a Facelift?

It is safe to receive facelift surgery at any age. However, patients who can expect the best results are typically in their 50s and early 60s and have advanced signs of aging.

Will There Be Scarring?

Because the incisions follow your hairline, facelift scars typically are not noticeable. Even when a chin incision is necessary, the procedure carefully positions it to follow the natural creases in your chin, thus hiding any scars.

Am I a Good Candidate for a Facelift Procedure?

If you are a healthy individual between the age of 40 and 80, you could be a great candidate for a facelift.

Patients with a tired, aged facial appearance, as well as unwanted facial characteristics such as jowls or rolls under the neck, could consider a facelift. A younger patient could have a more simple mini lift with the incisions being made in front of the ears and under and around the earlobes.

Are There Different Facelift Techniques?

There are several different types of facelift procedures with the best approach depending upon the age and the goals of each individual.

Is There Anything That a Facelift Cannot Rejuvenate?

The lower two-thirds of the face is typically the focus of facelift surgery. Included in this would also be the cheeks, neck, and jowls. Also, Dr. Mussat will review the condition of the upper part of the face, including the brows and forehead, as well as any wrinkles and sagging.

How Long Does a Facelift Last?

Enhancements from facelift surgery generally last between seven and ten years. While it does not prevent the ongoing aging process, a person who has a facelift will appear younger than they would have had they not had the procedure.

Will My Face to Appear to Be Pulled Too Tight?

Over the years, there have been significant advancements in the techniques applied in facelift surgery. Your surgeon is careful to avoid a drawn-back appearance with the skin is not being pulled tightly.

Will People Be Able to Tell I Had a Facelift?

Facelift surgery does not change your face. All it does is simply lift the skin to be more firm and tight, remove excess skin, and leave your face looking younger, fresher, and well-rested.

Will the Facelift Hurt?

Pain following the facelift typically is negligible and relieved with oral medications and icepacks for a day or two following the procedure. Any bruising and swelling will subside in 7 to 14 days.

What to Expect During Initial Consultation?

Dr. Mussat will evaluate the signs of aging in each patient, and this will determine the most appropriate procedure she will apply.

Other procedures to be considered include the possibility of a browlift, eyelid surgery, peel, cheek augmentation, fat augmentation, or a chin implant. This initial consultation would also take into consideration the patient’s personal and aesthetic goals.

Dr. Mussat will openly discuss all surgery options with the patient, including specific procedures, recovery, and potential risks.

What Will Be Expected of Me to Get The Best Result?

Following a health evaluation by your physician or our internist, you can expect blood tests and an EKG. Also, you will be provided with a list of medications and other products to avoid before and after the procedure. Nicotine must be avoided for two weeks before your operation, as should alcohol.

What Can I Expect the Day of Surgery?

Dr. Mussat will perform your surgery in our state-of-the-art accredited surgery center. The initial recovery will be in a recommended recovery facility. Alternatively, you may be accompanied to your home or hotel by a skilled nursing professional.

Is There a Lot of Pain After a Facelift?

Pain after receiving a facelift is limited and easily controlled with the appropriate medications and the application of icepacks.

What Should I Expect During Recovery?

Dr. Mussat will meet with you the day following the operation. The dressings will be changed but remain in place for two to three days. Most sutures are removed about a week after surgery. Some bruising will be visible for seven to ten days, but you may cover this with makeup.

When Can I Go Back to Work After a Facelift?

You should be able to return to work about two weeks after surgery. Patients who are public figures may want to wait an additional week before returning to work.

How Soon After the Facelift Will I Be Able to Exercise?

Dr. Mussat recommends avoiding strenuous physical activities for the three weeks following the procedure.

What Are the Risks of Facelift Surgery?

As for any surgical procedure, there are always some risks associated with a facelift. Typically, these are rare when the work is carried out by someone as qualified and well-trained as Dr. Mussat. She will explain these risks before your procedure.

When Will I See the Results of My Facelift?

You will have noticeable improved facial contours the day after the procedure despite the normal swelling you will experience. Significant improvements will be seen two to three weeks after surgery, and your recovery will continue for the next two to three months.

Are the Results of a Facelift Permanent?

While a patient will always look better after a facelift, we continue to age after a facelift, and you might need to consider having a tuck after ten to fifteen years.

Our Procedures

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