FACELIFT SURGERY | facelift chicago | CHICAGO, IL
A Facelift Can Restore Your Youthful Facial Features
"Thank you! Every bit of my experience with Dr. Vagotis and her staff was first rate! It’s only been one week and I’m thrilled with what I see!"
Facelift surgery is a surgical procedure that helps improve visible signs of aging in the face and neck.
- Relaxation of the skin of the face with sagging.
- Deepening of the fold lines between the nose and corner of the mouth.
- Fat that has fallen or has disappeared.
- Jowls develop in the cheeks and jaw.
- Loose skin and excess neck fat can appear as a double chin or "turkey neck."
Why Get a Face Lift?
Facelifts are among one of the top requested procedure among older men and women. In fact, about 10% of facelifts are men!
Thinning skin, loss of facial fat, gravity, UV damage, smoking, genetics, and stress can all contribute to an aging face.
We perform other procedures in conjunction with a facelift, brow lift eyelid surgery to rejuvenate aging eyes. Fat transfer or fillers replace the lost fatty volume. After a facelift may offer skin treatments such as IPL, dermabrasion, peels, or laser to improve the quality and texture of the skin.
Here is why this procedure gets done.
Because of age-related changes, the look and shape of your face vary as you get older. Your skin becomes looser and loses elasticity, and fat deposits diminish in certain places of your face while increasing in others. The following are some of the age-related changes in your face that can be minimized with a facelift procedure:
- Sagging appearance of your cheeks
- Excess skin at your lower jawline (jowls)
- A deepening of the skin fold from the side of your nose to the corner of your mouth.
- Skin sagging and extra fat in the neck (if the procedure includes a neck lift)
A facelift procedure isn't a treatment for superficial wrinkles, sun damage, creases around the nose and upper lip, or irregularities in skin color.
Why Choose Dr. Chicago Breast & Body?
Dr. Vagotis is a leader in facial cosmetic surgery. She’s one of the few surgical professionals to have had the opportunity to learn under famous facelift practitioner, Dr. Bruce Connell. Dr. Connel is also known as “the father of the modern face lift”.
Dr. Vagotis has over 33 years of experience with a specialty in plastic surgery. Dr. Vagotis is a leader in cosmetic procedures of the face.
Dr. Vagotis holds medical licenses in Illinois, Michigan, and Colorado and is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American College of Surgeons.
FACELIFT Frequently asked questions
Facelift surgery is tailored to the patient's demands, and a cosmetic surgeon will modify their procedures accordingly.
Mini-Facelift (MACS)
Patients with minor jowling and sagging skin are frequently ideal candidates for a mini-facelift. A mini-facelift is a minimally invasive procedure that allows a cosmetic surgeon to tighten deep facial tissues with small incisions, commonly situated along the hairline above each ear and in the natural creases surrounding the ear.
Through these incisions, structural tissues surrounding the cheeks are raised and tightened to address jowling, improve the jawline, and revitalize a "tired" look.
Depending on the circumstances, a mini-facelift may be performed under local anesthesia with sedation or under general anesthesia; your cosmetic surgeon will advise you on the best technique for your unique needs.
A mini-facelift can help you address unwanted indications of aging before they become too noticeable, delaying the need for more substantial surgery for several years.
Standard Facelift
A regular or "classic" facelift will thoroughly address moderate to advanced aging around the mid-face and neck. While the operation is more comprehensive than a mini-facelift and requires more recovery time, the results are spectacular.
A cosmetic surgeon can rearrange the deeper tissues beneath the skin, remove extra skin to smooth creases, minimize jowling and sagging skin under the chin, and restore a naturally young shape to the face and neck by incisions just below the hairline, concealed in the natural folds.
The SMAS Facelift
When your facial skin begins to age, the epidermis and SMAS membrane lose suppleness. This loss causes sagging cheeks around the jaw bone, fatty jowls, and, in some cases, a double chin. The cheek fat will then fall forward, emphasizing the nasolabial creases.
A SMAS facelift reduces the appearance of aging by tightening the muscle, eliminating fat, and reducing extra skin. A facelift can help you with the following issues:
- Sagging in the midface
- Hollow cheeks
- Nasolabial folds
- Jowls
- Sagging fat
- Loose skin and fat behind the chin and along the jawline.
Many people consider the SMAS facelift to be the "gold standard" of facelifts nowadays.
Which Facelift Is Right for You?
Although aging is unavoidable, we all fear the symptoms that accompany it as we become older. The first markings that appear are fine lines and wrinkles, which can be aggravating.
However, your face and neck do not necessarily have to represent your age. If you wish to appear like a younger version of yourself, a facelift might be the solution. Face lifting improves and rejuvenates your look by removing extra skin, smoothing out wrinkles, and tightening deep facial tissues.
Each facelift patient has varying degrees of drooping and apparent aging. As a result, it stands to reason that the same surgical approaches will not work for everyone. Numerous facelift surgical procedures have been developed due to new technology and experience to meet various demands and accomplish multiple aims.
While a meeting with Dr. Vagotis will determine which facelift Chicago is ideal for you, you should conduct your study ahead of time to understand facelift surgery and recovery better. Dr. Vagotis uses the SMAS or MACS facelift techniques to provide a more youthful facial look with smoother contours and enhanced definition.
What are the risks associated with a faceliftt?
Complications from facelift surgery are possible. Some can be managed with meticulous care, medicine, or surgical correction after a facelift. While long-term or permanent problems are uncommon, they might result in substantial alterations in appearance.
How you prepare for your facelift?
Initially, you'll discuss a facelift with your surgeon. The following are likely to be included in the visit:
Medical history and exam. Prepare to answer questions about your present and previous medical issues, previous surgeries, previous plastic surgeries, complications of earlier operations, smoking history, and drug or alcohol usage. Suppose your surgeon has any reservations about your ability to undertake surgery. In that case, they will do a physical exam, obtain current records from your doctor, or arrange for a visit with a specialist.
Medication review. Give the names and amounts of medications you use daily, including prescription pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter medications, herbal medicines, vitamins, and other dietary supplements.
Facial exam. Your surgeon will take some photos of your face from various angles and close-ups of certain features. To evaluate your best alternatives for facelift surgery, the surgeon will also check your bone structure, face shape, fat distribution, and skin quality.
Expectations. Your surgeon will inquire about your hopes for the results of a facelift surgery. They will explain the procedure and how a facelift surgery will affect your look and what it will not address, such as fine wrinkles or natural asymmetry in your face.
What can expect after my facelift?
Most patients can return back to work after 1-2 weeks. Scars are well hidden along the natural contours of your face.
After a facelift surgery, you may experience:
- Mild to moderate pain
- Drainage from the incisions
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Numbness
Contact your doctor immediately if you have:
- You may experience extreme pain on one side of your face or neck within 24 hours of surgery.
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Irregular heartbeats
Your wounds will most likely be covered with bandages that apply mild pressure to reduce swelling and bruising. To drain any fluid, a small tube may be placed into the skin behind your ears.
Make arrangements for assistance during your rehabilitation. If your facelift is performed as an outpatient treatment, arrange for someone to drive you home following surgery.
How much does a facelift surgery cost?
According to 2020 numbers, the cost of a full facelift is $10,000 to $12,000. This average price is only a portion of the entire cost; it does not cover anesthesia, operating room amenities, or other associated costs. To establish your ultimate price, please meet with us during a consultation.
Most health insurance companies do not cover facelift surgery or its consequences. However, we do provide patient financing, so please inquire.
Facelift Before & After Photos
Dr. Breast & Body’s before & after gallery is second to none, with thousands of surgeries, and zero serious complications, it’s no wonder our surgeons are among the Top Facelift Surgeons in Chicago.
