Facelift in Kansas City, KC

Kansas City Plastic Surgeon serving Overland Park, Leawood & Nearby Areas of Kansas & Missouri

young woman and man standing near tree in the park

Your face is one of the first areas of your body that begins to age. From sun exposure to wrinkles and lines, women and men struggle with losing their youthful appearance. A facelift can combat the aging process and rejuvenate your looks. Our plastic surgeon, Dr. Levi Young, is an artist who takes your entire facial structure and appearance into consideration when developing a cosmetic surgery plan to achieve your desired results.

If you’re interested in a facelift, please contact Advanced Cosmetic Surgery in Leawood today at 913-341-2188 to see if cosmetic surgery is the right choice for you. Dr. Young serves patients in Kansas City and Leawood, Kansas.

There are several aspects to consider when it comes to the facelift. Some of the pertinent details and common concerns we feel our patients need to understand include:

What Is a Facelift?

A facelift is a cosmetic surgery procedure designed to address signs of natural aging such as loss of volume in the cheeks, loose skin, and excess fat in the chin area. This procedure has been used for decades and is still one of the most popular plastic surgeries in the country.

Men and women often worry about looking “frozen” as the traditional method can involve excessive tightening of the skin. However, our plastic surgeon uses his expertise and artistic abilities to conceptualize your facelift and address your specific concerns.

Dr. Young utilizes one or more face surgeries in addition to the facelift to accomplish a refreshed, youthful appearance. A facelift won’t stop the aging process but offers a natural-looking result that improves your look without appearing overdone.

Our plastic surgeon has his own technique when it comes to the facelift and other cosmetic surgeries. He excises loose skin in every facelift while also tightening the SMAS (Superficial Muscular Aponeurotic System), which involves the underlying muscles in your face. Some plastic surgeons perform SMAS tightening as a secondary procedure, but Dr. Young includes it in every facelift.

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What Problems Can a Facelift Address?

One of the major goals of facelift surgery is wrinkle reduction. Injectables such as BOTOX or Juvederm provide temporary relief from lines and wrinkles, but Dr. Young typically recommends facial cosmetic surgery for longer-lasting results.

As you get older, the buccal fat pads located in your cheeks lose volume and atrophy, giving you a hollow appearance. Long-term habits such as smoking or excessive sun exposure combined with gravity and stress cause lines and wrinkles around your eyes, nose, and mouth, and vertical lines develop between your brows. A facelift or other facial surgeries can address those problems and more including a double chin and sagging skin tissue in the jowls and neck.

Your skin is also continuously changing and is an important factor to consider when we’re determining how to improve your face. Dr. Young typically recommends patients come back 6-8 weeks post-facelift for a full chemical peel to address the superficial fine lines and wrinkles and imperfections that can’t be corrected with a facelift.

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The Three Portions of Your Face

diagram showing 3 areas of the face treated by a facelift

Dr. Young breaks the face down into three sections and uses this guide to develop a surgical plan. This begins with discussing what you dislike the most when you look in the mirror, so he can narrow down whether a full facelift, mini-facelift, or another face surgery will give you the best outcome.

Dr. Young will go through these three portions of your face and talk about the different features we can use to address what’s bothering you. The three sections of your face include:

  1. Upper Face: Your brows up to your hairline. You may have deep forehead lines or vertical lines between your eyebrows, which can be treated with a brow lift.
  2. Mid Face: Your eyelids down to the bottom of your nose is your mid-face region. Sagging eyelids or excessive under eye bags are a common concern we hear from our patients. Hollowing cheeks naturally occur with age but can develop after you’ve had children too. You may also struggle with a bony projection of your cheeks. These issues can be treated with a facelift or specific procedures to address the eyes.
  3. Lower Face: From your nose to your neck is your lower face section. “Double chin” and “turkey neck” are common problems in this area. A facelift can get rid of the fat deposits and excess skin causing these issues and tightens the skin to give your neck and jowl area a young, taut appearance.

Dr. Young will go through each portion of your face to pinpoint the aesthetic problems that bother you the most. Your initial consultation is a thorough conversation about your options and potential results. He may suggest fat grafting to restore volume back to your cheeks and addressing the jowls and neck area with a facelift in addition to other facial surgeries.

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Facelift Surgery in Leawood, Kansas

Finding the Right Face Surgery for You

A facelift serves a specific purpose: The goal is to reduce skin sagging and improve the visible symptoms of aging in your face and neck. However, a facelift may not be the right procedure to give you the outcome you’re looking for.

One or more of these cosmetic surgeries may be done instead or in conjunction with a facelift:

  • Brow Lift: Also referred to as a forehead lift, the brow lift is designed to reduce the horizontal lines that develop over time across your forehead. The vertical lines between your brows, or “Frown Lines,” are smoothened with a brow lift as well.
  • Upper and Lower Blepharoplasty: Eyelid surgery is performed for both cosmetic and medical reasons. Your upper eyelids may droop or sag affecting your ability to see clearly, and an upper blepharoplasty corrects this by removing excess skin. Bags under your eyes or puffiness is another mid-face issue. A lower blepharoplasty reduces the puffiness and sagging to give you a renewed, well-rested appearance.
  • Fat Grafting: Fat transfer can be used with a facelift and is often utilized during breast augmentation, too. Fat cells are harvested from another area of your body with unwanted fat, processed, and injected into your cheeks to restore the volume lost due to age or pregnancy.
  • Mini Facelift: Many of our patients come to see Dr. Young thinking a mini facelift will give them the results they’re looking for, but a mini lift is best for specific patients. Someone who doesn’t have as much skin excess through the neck and jowls and minimal skin looseness is an ideal candidate for a mini facelift.

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Are There Any Risks to a Facelift?

General surgical risks such as adverse reactions to anesthesia, infection, and bleeding are possible with facelift surgery. Risks specific to the procedure include facial nerve injury, skin discoloration, unfavorable scarring, and asymmetrical results.

You can reduce some of your risks by following all of the pre and postoperative instructions provided by our office. We will provide additional information about preparation and aftercare, and continue to monitor your progress during follow-up visits, to help ensure the most comfortable recovery process and attractive results.

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Is a Facelift Painful?

Facelift surgery is performed under general anesthesia. You will not feel anything during your procedure.

Recovery from facelift may include some swelling, bruising, and soreness, but these things are temporary and can often be addressed with over-the-counter analgesics. We will discuss pain mitigation and options for dealing with temporary discomfort to help ensure you are fully prepared for your recovery period.

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Candidates for a Facelift

The best patients for a facelift have significant skin looseness, volume loss, and deep lines and wrinkles. Most men and women will qualify for some form of face surgery, depending on their specific concerns, but in general, facelift candidates should meet these criteria:

  • You’re healthy overall, without medical conditions that impact your healing abilities following surgery.
  • You’re a nonsmoker or willing to quit before the procedure(s).
  • You have realistic expectations for what a facelift or other face plastic surgery can accomplish.
  • You have the time available to recover completely.
  • You’re prepared for the recovery process and willing to follow all post-operative instructions.

To find out if you are a candidate for facelift surgery, please schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Levi Young for an in-depth, one-on-one review of your goals.

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Facelift Recovery Time

Facelift recovery is the most common concern. You’ll have a bandage around your face to help with swelling and bruising. You may have small drains to help the healing process as well.

The facelift is an invasive plastic surgery, and you will need to take time away from work (typically 1-2 weeks). Over-the-counter pain medications can help reduce discomfort, and Dr. Young may prescribe additional medications or topical ointments to aid your recovery.

You’ll return to our office in Leawood for several follow-up appointments to make sure you’re healing correctly.

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What Can I Expect From My Results?

Facelift surgery can take years off of your appearance. Dr. Young utilizes advanced techniques that can help to reduce the risks of scaring while producing the most natural-looking results. However, the care you take of your body and skin during and after your recovery period will play a direct role in the final appearance of your facelift.

It is important that you keep your incisions clean, avoid tobacco and alcohol use, and refrain from taking medications or supplements that can thin the blood while you recover. These steps will reduce your risks of developing complications and can help to ensure the most pleasing results.

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Are My Results Permanent?

A full facelift may produce results for up to 15 years. Less invasive options, such as the mini-facelift, may produce results for up to six. While long-lasting, facelift surgery is not permanent.

Facelift surgery cannot stop the march of time. It cannot undo genetics. It cannot protect you from environmental factors and lifestyle choices. As time goes on, your results will diminish. However, proper skin care, leading a healthy and active lifestyle, and avoiding excessive sun exposure can help results last longer. We will provide you with suggestions on how to extend your results, which may include non-surgical touch-ups, during your time in our care.

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Choosing a Facial Plastic Surgeon

Most men and women are worried about looking like they’ve had work done. The ideal outcome for any patient is a natural but improved appearance. Dr. Young’s artistic eye and attention to detail give him an edge over other board-certified plastic surgeons. His job is to provide beautiful, youthful results that don’t look overdone or as if the skin is drawn too tight. You can trust and rely on his expertise to give you a soft, supple look.

Dr. Young is an ABPS board-certified plastic surgeon whose talent and experience has earned him recognition from media outlets such as Pitch Weekly, Her Life, and the Better KC morning show. He’s been voted one of the top plastic surgeons internationally and honored as the top doctor in Leawood.

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Can I Combine a Facelift With Another Procedure?

Facelift surgery is often combined with other facial procedures such as forehead lift and eyelid lift. Facelift focuses on the mid and lower portions of the face, often extending to the jaw and neck, but it does not address issues like drooping eyebrows, bags underneath the eyes, or forehead creases. For full facial rejuvenation, a combination of procedures is often the most effective option.

During your initial consultation, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Levi Young will listen to your concerns, discuss all of your options, and help you determine which procedures will be best in helping you reach your goals.

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Schedule Your Facelift Consultation in Leawood

If you struggle with signs of aging and are interested in a facelift or facial plastic surgery, please contact Advanced Cosmetic Surgery in the Kansas City area today at 913-341-2188 to schedule your consultation with Dr. Young. You can also fill out the Appointment Request Form below, and our staff will help you set up your meeting. We serve clients in Leawood, Kansas, and surrounding areas of Kansas City.

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