Step 1: Facelift Surgery Goals

• Step 1: Facelift Surgery Goals
• Step 2: Making the Incision
• Step 3: Creating a Pocket
• Step 4: Understanding the Layers
• Step 5: Trimming and Tightening
• Step 6: Improving Jaw Definition
• Step 7: Firming the Neck
• Step 8: Removing Extra Skin
• Step 9: Placing Fine Sutures
• Step 10: The Final Result

Understanding the goals of facelift surgery at our Denver plastic surgery practice is important so patients can appreciate their results. Aging reduces the skin’s elasticity, which is why we develop wrinkles and a sagging lower face with jowls, marionette lines, nasolabial folds and loose neck skin. These changes are inevitable, even though genetics and a person’s lifestyle can delay the onset of facial aging.

A facelift doesn’t restore the skin’s elasticity, but it does minimize those signs of aging that can make you appear older than you are. Modern facelift techniques emphasize producing results that look natural, avoiding the overly tight appearance often associated with older facelift techniques. Our board-certified plastic surgeons have the training and experience that place them among Colorado’s most sought-after facelift surgeons.

At our Denver practice, our surgeons’ facelift techniques target 3 specific areas:

• Neck
• Jawline
• Cheeks

During surgery, our surgeons elevate and tighten loose neck tissues, create a more defined jawline, and reduce jowls and marionette lines (lines that descend from the corners of the mouth). Importantly, they also lift tissue and muscle in the cheek area, reducing nasolabial folds and general wrinkling. The procedure tightens underlying facial structures and removes excess skin, promoting long-lasting results.

Our surgeons may recommend a mini facelift for Denver patients who are good candidates. Minimizing surgery’s invasiveness through shorter incisions, less discomfort, and a shorter recovery reflects the trend in many plastic surgery procedures. The goals remain the same, but surgeons adapt their techniques to optimize the rejuvenating effects of the surgery while minimizing its downsides.

The following illustrations highlight the techniques used during a mini facelift and show how this approach differs from a traditional facelift. We hope this guide helps you understand the mini facelift procedure.

Step 2: Making the Incision