Take a close look at your face. What is it that you see and dislike? This is the first step in deciding if a limited incision lower facelift is enough to correct those problem areas, or if you’d be better served by a full facelift. Dr. Edward Buckingham offers both traditional facelifts and limited incision facelifts at his Austin, Texas, facial plastic surgery practice.
Start by understanding the main difference. With a facelift, incisions travel from the hairline on your temple, around your ears, and then behind your ears. Another incision is often made below the chin. A limited incision facelift has fewer incisions, but that also limits what the surgery can do for your aging face. While this is main difference, it becomes a little more involved. Here are the things you should know.
Not Good for Fatty Necks or Poor Muscle Tone
The limited incision lower facelift helps restore a more toned appearance along the jawline and some of the neck, but the smaller incisions limit Dr. Buckingham’s access to the neck, so there are complaints that cannot be addressed. The platysma muscles in the neck pull apart as you age. In your youth, these muscles form a junction under the chin and down part of the neck. By the time you reach your elderly years, those muscles have separated, leaving only a junction just below the chin.
As the muscle tone weakens, skin sags. Paired with excess fat stores, you end up with skin that hangs down. If you have fat stores in the neck or muscle bands that are sagging, skip the limited incision facelift and go the traditional route.
Recovery Times Differ
The incisions on the limited incision facelift are located around the ear and within the hairline. This restricts swelling and bruising to the ears and part of the neck. Wearing longer hair makes it easy to hide any swelling or bruising, so you’re back out with friends or at work sooner. Another benefit to the limited incision facelift recovery is the fact that you only need local anesthesia and possibly an oral sedative. The surgery takes about 2 hours and then you have a short recovery time before you go home.
With a facelift, incisions from the hairline of the temples, around the ears, and then under the chin give Dr. Buckingham the best access to correct sagging skin and weak muscle tone. IV sedation is used for the longer facelift surgery. Following the surgery, you will have swelling and facial bruising for about 10 days. You should be able to return to work and social activities after a week of recuperation. If you don’t mind your co-workers seeing your bruises and have a job that doesn’t require a lot of activity, you can return to work after 4-5 days.
Before scheduling a consultation, view Dr. Buckingham’s facelift before and after pictures. This gives you a good idea of the rejuvenating benefits the facelift offers. Dr. Buckingham is a board certified facial plastic surgeon who was named Austin Business Journal’s “Best Cosmetic Surgeon in Austin” three times. Prior to your surgery, Dr. Buckingham discusses both procedures with you and customizes a facelift surgery to your needs. To reach Dr. Buckingham’s office, call (512) 401-2500.
