Facelift

A facelift is a surgical procedure designed to tighten the skin and reduce wrinkles around the face and neck. Many factors play a role in the aging process and especially the aging of facial skin, such as gravity, loss of elasticity, stress, ultraviolet rays, diet, etc., which can cumulatively increase the signs of aging. Facelift surgery is one of the top five plastic surgery procedures performed each year because it is a great way to turn back the hands of time and reduce the telling signs of age.¹

Before and After Photos

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Meet Dr. Andrew

Meet Dr. Elliot

My favorite thing is seeing the look on patients’ faces when we are able to turn back the clock by 10 or more years.

Dr. Andrew J. Miller, M.D.

“Scarless” surgery

This is routine for the plastic surgeons at Associates, whereas much care is put into polishing off this cosmetic procedure as is put into the lift itself. “Aside from my extensive experience of more than 20 years,” says Dr. Miller, “I feel I set myself apart from other surgeons by taking my time and really trying to hide every incision. Some surgeons try to rush through it too quickly. I use an incision that goes behind the tragus of the ear instead of under the earlobe. That way the incision is difficult to see. It’s easier to come down in front of the ear, but it’s worth the extra time to do it right.”

The best cosmetic surgery looks like it was never done

Cost

Facelift price range: $8,500 to $13,500

The base surgical fee for a facelift typically averages $8,000 nationally.² This fee is going to vary from surgeon to surgeon based especially on their expertise, education and experience. The facial rejuvenation specialists at Associates are pleased to offer affordable and competitively-priced elective surgeries that are of the highest possible quality. Our Accredited Surgical Facilities in NJ further help us reduce costs for our patients. Beyond that, we’re pleased to call this community our home and proud to see our many patients in their day-to-day life. We strive to make our services widely available and understand cost can be a barrier. That’s why we also accept the most widely used cosmetic surgery financing options.

The surgical fee given above is also just one part of the costs involved, and thus patients should expect to pay approximately $8 – $10,000 for a full facelift, not only at Associates, but at other clinics here in New Jersey. We recommend that patients not make cost a primary factor in their choice of surgeon if they’re looking for the best facelift results possible. Unlike a similarly priced investment, perhaps such as a car, facelifts are not mass-produced uniformly by a central manufacturer. Meaning, every aspect of the facelift and its final results, how natural it appears and how youthful it makes you look, depends on the skill and expertise of your surgeon.

Why choose us

5 key distinctions patients count on in choosing Associates: Expertise, Experience, Artistry, Accredited Surgical Centers & Privileges at all Area Hospitals, Multi-location Convenience.

Expertise

Your facial plastic surgery specialists at Associates have been at this for decades. As board-certified cosmetic surgeons, they’ve reached high levels of expertise. To remain at the heights of their expertise, our surgeons remain closely abreast of developments and discoveries as they roll out.

Artistry

Elective cosmetic surgery is an art as much as it is a science. With a keen and artistic eye that analyzes proportions, projection and placement of perfectly sized implants, our surgeons never leave a patient with a “worked on” look. This difference leaves our patients looking more youthful and more beautiful, naturally.

Multi-location convenience

With four separate surgical facilities located in four counties across New Jersey—Edison, Marlboro, Warren, and West Orange—our practice is firmly rooted in the local scene and carefully situated to conveniently serve patients closer to home. There’s something to be said about a brand that so openly serves the members of its own community. We’re pleased and proud that so many of our patients are members of the community.

Experience

Our facelift specialists, Dr. Miller and Dr. Heller have performed a combined several thousand facelifts to full patient satisfaction. Yes, your procedure is unquestionably unique and carefully curated to your own beauty and body goals, yet our patients are calm and confident, knowing their special day has been preceded by thousands just like it for satisfied patients all across the state.

Accredited surgical centers & hospital privileges

Your safety is always the most important thing to us. Our surgical facilities meet the very same stringent requirements that area hospitals do. Equipped with cutting-edge equipment like computerized imaging that allows you to envision your results before the procedure has even started, our surgical facilities are state-licensed, Medicare-certified, and accredited by the nation’s leading association (AAAHC) for ensuring the safety, sterility and quality of surgical centers. Of extreme importance, in addition to our own accredited surgical facilities, our surgeons also have hospital privileges at all area hospitals.

5 facelift types

Facelifts are a versatile procedure, and there are a variety of facelift techniques. No two are exactly alike, and a great lift is tailored specifically to a patient: Even if two patients get facelifts, no two procedures are exactly the same. Surgical techniques and treatment plans can vary depending on an individual’s unique anatomy and cosmetic goals. For example, patients with excess fat may require liposuction, while patients with excess neck skin may require additional excision of underlying tissues. Your facelift options include:

Deep plane facelift

Deep plane facelifts have gained in popularity over traditional facelifts for their ability to achieve incredible, consistent, and long-lasting results and a more youthful appearance. This outpatient procedure greatly reduces the aged or drooping look caused by loose skin on the face and neck by reshaping and tightening the underlying musculature. This procedure is ideal for patients with severe facial sagging and skin laxity. It’s also ideal for patients who want the longest-lasting results (of 10 to 15 years), and, incidentally, is better for patients who smoke (though smokers must still be able to quit for at least 30 days before and after the procedure).

Mini-facelift (S-lift or weekend lift)

The mini facelift uses shorter incisions and requires less recovery time. However, we have found they are only truly useful for a small number of patients. A full, deep-plane facelift will give more dramatic and longer-lasting results. If you have significant jowls or a heavy neck, our mini facelift will not be your best option. For a lighter but still dramatic refresh and rejuvenation, this procedure will work wonders on the midface and lower-face, and early jowls.

SMAS facelift

SMAS refers to a system of muscles and connective tissue deep in the subcutaneous fat around the mid and lower face. A SMAS facelift targets both sagging skin and the underlying structures of the face for a tighter and more youthful look.

Lower facelift (neck lift)

Patients who suffer from significant sagging skin on the neck but have no jowling will benefit from a neck lift. A neck lift focuses solely on the neck and involves less recovery time than a full facelift.

Minimally-invasive facelift (cheek lift)

If your cheeks are sagging and you want subtle rejuvenation without a full surgery, a cheek lift (also called a thread lift) is a good choice. Thread lifts involve long stitches placed under the skin in order to lift and anchor sagging tissue. Local anesthesia is used and the procedure can be combined with fat injection, upper eyelid surgery or a chemical peel in order to provide a rejuvenated appearance. We offer a variety of cheek lifts tailored to different concerns.

Ideal facelift timing

The facelift is a cosmetic milestone best done at certain stages of life. While a variety of non-surgical procedures can remove the most common and obvious signs of aging, these tend to address sunspots and exposure to the elements. Yet, facial sagging isn’t caused by either and so needs a special surgical address, the facelift, or rhytidectomy. Facelifts are the 3rd most popular elective cosmetic surgery in America. 21% of facelift patients are 40-54 and 64% are 55-years-old and older. 92% percent of facelift patients are female, 8% are male.³ Starting at about the early- to mid-50s, the best time for a facelift is typically at the point of one’s life when she or he can arrange work and life for a brief recovery period of about 10 – 14 days. Preparations could entail ceasing smoking, preparing the house for rest and recovery, arranging a friend or family member to drive you back home after the procedure, and ideally to help you with chores about the house for a day or two.

Patient ages

Consultation

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What to ask

The goal of a facelift consultation is to help a patient understand the differences between the types of lift available, and to help them decide on the lift that is best suited for them specifically.

The most important question you can ask your plastic surgeon is if they are board-certified.⁴ In addition, you should also ask us questions like those that follow. While we’ve provided answers to these questions throughout this page, feel free to ask them and any others you may have.

Other important factors include your own instincts and how our staff and surgical center make you feel. Are you comfortable and confident? Is there a good rapport between you and your surgeon? Do you feel cared for, listened to, and understood? Do you like what you see in the before and after gallery on our site and in our office?

VIEW COMPLETE LIST OF QUESTIONS

Complementary procedures

A facelift can be and often is combined with other procedures, both surgical and non-surgical. The choice depends primarily on your goals. We’ll be forthright and tell you if the procedure you’re interested in will get you where you want to be. If not, we’ll tell you exactly how we can help you get there. One or more surgeries can also be done simultaneously for more comprehensive results. Combining surgeries in one session will also cut down on time away from work as just one recovery period is required. Oftentimes a fat transfer to the face done at the same time as facelift can help smooth a face that is gaunt or appears to be hollowing out. Many patients also have eyelid surgery at the same time. By combining complementing procedures, you can do it all under the same anesthesia, and you have only one recovery period.

Recovery

Following the procedure, you’ll feel a tightness beneath the neck; this is normal and will gradually ease up over the next few weeks. Our patients are usually overjoyed by their much-improved neck and jawline and by the fact that they look totally natural.

We see our patients the next day at our NJ practice to check on them, and again one week, two weeks, and four weeks out from the procedure. Close follow-up is necessary to make sure everything is healing perfectly. By two weeks out, most patients can put on makeup and look reasonable.

You should expect to develop swelling and bruising following the procedure.⁵ Pain is minimal as we will prescribe pain medication to ease it. Intermittently applying cold compresses or ice packs, a good diet, very light exercise (a brief walk), and plenty of rest will ease the effects of the procedure and mitigate swelling. Remaining upright as much as possible and sleeping at an incline will also help (two pillows will do just fine). If bruising continues for longer than expected, Arnica can help.

Patients are typically well enough to return to work and their social activities within 10 to 14 days. You’ll likely look well enough that no one will be able to tell you had surgery performed. Though returned to social and business activities, please refrain from strenuous activity for two to three weeks, and if you aren’t sure you’re ready to resume certain activities such as weight lifting or intense cardio, please contact our office before starting.

Postoperative briefing and contact guidelines

FAQs

References

1. ASPS. 2020 Plastic Surgery Statistics Report. Available: https://www.plasticsurgery.org/documents/News/Statistics/2020/plastic-surgery-statistics-full-report-2020.pdf. Accessed May 18, 2022.
2. ASPS. 2020 Plastic Surgery Statistics Report. Available: https://www.plasticsurgery.org/documents/News/Statistics/2020/plastic-surgery-statistics-full-report-2020.pdf. Accessed May 18, 2022.
3. ASPS. 2020 Plastic Surgery Statistics Report. Available: https://www.plasticsurgery.org/documents/News/Statistics/2020/plastic-surgery-statistics-full-report-2020.pdf. Accessed May 18, 2022.
4. ASPS. Questions to Ask Your Plastic Surgeon. Available: https://www.plasticsurgery.org/patient-safety?sub=Questions+to+Ask+Your+Plastic+Surgeon. Accessed May 18, 2022.
5. Cleveland Clinic. Facelift (Rhytidectomy). Available: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/11023-facelift#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20recovery%20time,feels%20%E2%80%9Cback%20to%20normal.%E2%80%9D. Accessed May 18, 2022.
6. ASPS. What are the steps of a facelift procedure? Available: https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/facelift/procedure. Accessed May 18, 2022.