Facelift
Conveniently located to serve the areas of New York, NY
A facelift (rhytidectomy) is a procedure that tightens, lifts, and redrapes the skin and foundation layers of the face to address signs of aging and sculpt a more youthful-looking appearance. As we age, the collagen and elastin production in our skin naturally declines, often leading to fine lines, wrinkles, and laxity. At Plastic Surgery & Dermatology of NYC, we personalize each facelift based on your unique underlying anatomy and aesthetic goals. With a facelift, your surgeon can remove excess tissue and reposition existing muscle, fascia, and skin to address age-related changes and refresh your appearance and turn back time in the most natural way possible!
Elie Levine, M.D., and Jody A. Levine, M.D., are trailblazing experts in plastic surgery and dermatology, internationally sought after for their innovation and exceptional results. As experts in plastic surgery and dermatology, our specialists take an artistic approach and perform the most sophisticated facelift techniques to enhance your appearance. Dr. Elie Levine is a leading professional in the field, with proprietary techniques and training in aesthetic surgery as well as functional surgery. They will work together to develop a customized plan to address droopy skin, improve your facial contour, reduce wrinkles, and diminish signs of aging.
Contact our office online or call (212) 988-1800 to learn more about how we can help you improve your appearance and quality of life with customizable treatments.
If you are an out-of-town or international patient, we are happy to assist you as you plan to travel for your procedure. Contact us to learn more!
Contents
Before and After Photos
About Facelifts
Facelifts can address visible signs of aging and create a smoother appearance by addressing the underlying muscles, foundation layer, SMAS, platysma, and removing excess skin on the face and neck. Aging, lifestyle habits, stress, and diet can all affect the appearance of the skin, leading to fine lines and wrinkles. Over time, gravity, sun exposure, and stress can take their toll on your skin. (1) A facelift can address changes to your appearance for a smoother, more youthful look.
Facelifts have helped thousands of people achieve beautiful, natural-looking results. In 2023, specialists performed more than 78,400 facelifts to help patients enhance their appearance. (2)
What is the SMAS?
The goal of a facelift is not only to lift and tighten loose and sagging skin but also to elevate the underlying soft tissue of the face. During a facelift, your surgeon can adjust the SMAS (superficial musculoaponeurotic system)–a layer of connective tissue beneath the cheekbones–for a smoother, longer-lasting, and more natural appearance.
Benefits
There are several benefits of a facelift, which include:
- Smoother skin: Diminishing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles can help you achieve a more youthful-looking appearance.
- Lasting results: If you take good care of your skin and avoid excessive sun exposure, you can enjoy long-lasting results.
- Improved self-esteem: You can enjoy feeling more confident about yourself after receiving our innovative treatments.
- Natural-looking results: Our specialists’ advanced techniques ensure that scarring is incredibly discreet, allowing you to feel confident about your results.
Candidates
Suitable candidates for a facelift are typically nonsmokers in good overall health who would like to address signs of aging in the face and neck. Candidates should not have any underlying conditions that could affect their ability to receive the treatment. Most candidates would like to:
- Reduce signs of facial aging
- Tighten loose and sagging skin
- Improve overall facial contours
- Elevate skin and soft tissue to a more youthful position
- Smooth wrinkles, folds, and creases
- Restore youthful volume
- Correct jowling
- Improve jawline definition
- Give the face a more youthful, refreshed look
- Midface elevation
Consultation
During your initial consultation, your surgeon will examine your face and neck and create a treatment plan based on your specific facial structure and skin quality. We will discuss your goals and expectations, including possible risks and the best way to prepare for your treatment. Your surgeon will let you know what to expect before, during, and after your procedure and answer any questions you have.
With years of advanced aesthetic training, Dr. Elie Levine and Dr. Jody Levine appreciate and understand the delicate network of connective facial tissue. We can employ a variety of surgical techniques to reduce signs of aging while improving the appearance of the face and neck.
Skin Care
Dr. Elie Levine will work to create a customized skincare regimen to maximize overall facial rejuvenation. We provide pre- and post-surgery skincare packages as part of your treatment plan. Our pre-surgery facials and microdermabrasion treatments help prepare your skin for surgery and ensure the best recuperation. Post-operative packages include a lymphatic massage with our skilled medical aesthetician to enhance circulation, support healing, improve immune function, and leave the skin looking radiant and healthy. With our extensive array of lasers, we can also provide post-surgical laser treatments to help accelerate your healing.
Procedure
We recommend local, twilight, or general anesthesia for facelift surgery, depending on your personalized treatment plan. Every facelift operation is unique and precisely tailored to the specific goals and anatomy of each patient. Your surgeons can perform advanced techniques for beautiful results based on your underlying anatomy, which include: (3)
- Deep plane facelift
- Extended SMAS facelift
- SMAS plication facelift
- SMASectomy facelift
- Limited incision facelift
- Short scar facelift
- Endoscopic facelift
- Minimal access cranial suspension (MACS) facelift
- Classical facelift
- Midface lift
- Combined facelift and neck lift
During the procedure, Dr. Elie Levine will make incisions around your hairline and behind your ears. He will then manipulate the underlying facial tissues and tighten muscles, remove excess tissue, and reposition existing skin and sculpt your ideal appearance. Once these corrections are made, Dr. Elie Levine will redrape the excess skin to restore a firm, natural, and youthful-looking appearance. Dr. Elie Levine takes meticulous care to make discreet incisions, allowing you to enjoy your results without scars affecting your appearance.
Recovery
After your procedure, you will return to our recovery suite, where our licensed, registered nurse will monitor you.
You may expect to have mild to moderate swelling and bruising for 1-3 weeks after your procedure. Our procedures incorporate long-acting pain relief to enhance patient comfort. Most patients report mild to moderate discomfort during their recovery, which is usually alleviated with medications.
We are dedicated to providing ongoing care to ensure a fast, safe, and smooth recovery. Dr. Elie Levine will see you for post-operative visits and will answer any questions you may have about your recovery. After the procedure, you will need to follow up within 1-3 days. Sutures will likely remain in place for 1-2 weeks.
We offer our out-of-town and international patients recovery resources, assisting them every step of the process.
Results
One of the many wonderful qualities that sets us apart at Plastic Surgery & Dermatology of NYC is our ability to use a multidisciplinary approach to optimize results. With expertise in both plastic surgery and dermatology, Dr. Elie Levine and Dr. Jody Levine work together to help prepare, protect, and treat the skin before, during, and after your procedure. As one of New York’s leading dermatologists, Dr. Jody Levine will customize a skincare regimen that includes pre-surgical measures to optimize your skin, as well as post-surgical skincare that can help prevent irritation, alleviate bruising, and reduce inflammation for a smoother recovery. You can enjoy smoother skin and a more youthful-looking appearance.
Corresponding Procedures
A facelift is often combined with other procedures as part of a comprehensive approach to facial rejuvenation. Since many people will benefit from improvements in both the face and neck, a facelift and neck lift are often combined as part of one integrated surgery. Other common procedures that may be combined with a facelift include:
- Fat grafting: One of the hallmarks of the Levine lift is integration of multiple modalities, often including fat grafting to add volume to key areas of the face for a more youthful look.
- Eyelid lift (blepharoplasty): Removing excess tissue from the upper and/or lower eyelids can brighten your eyes and help you look more awake
- Brow lift: We can remove excess skin from the forehead and lift the brows for a smoother appearance.
- Neck liposuction: We can remove excess fat from the neck for a leaner appearance and sharper jawline.
- Chin augmentation: Reshaping the chin can balance your facial proportions.
- Laser skin resurfacing: Raising the collagen in your skin can diminish signs of aging, such as fine lines and wrinkles.
- Fat grafting: We can remove unwanted fat from one area of the body and use it to add volume to sinking parts of the face.
- Dermal fillers: These injectables will volumize your skin and add natural-looking volume with flexible, well-tolerated formulas.
- Customized skincare routine: Our team can create a personalized skincare regimen tailored to your unique needs. This routine is designed to prepare your skin before surgery, enhance healing during recovery, and maintain long-term rejuvenation for lasting results.
- Radiofrequency skin tightening (QuantumRF): This groundbreaking technology uses targeted energy to stimulate collagen production deep within the skin, enhancing firmness and elasticity—even in delicate facial areas—for a smoother, more youthful appearance.
During your consultation, Dr. Elie Levine will discuss the most effective combination of procedures for your specific needs.
Cost of a Facelift in New York
The cost of a facelift will depend on the condition of your skin and your aesthetic goals. We will provide an all-inclusive quote at the end of your consultation. We can also discuss financing to help make your treatment more accessible.
We are happy to discuss how your insurance may or may not apply to your procedure.
Contact our office online or call (212) 988-1800 to schedule a consultation and learn more about how our innovative treatments can enhance your appearance.
FAQ
Is there an age requirement for facelifts?
There is no age requirement for a facelift. Most patients are between the ages of 40 and 70. However, some younger patients in their 30s also receive facelifts to address early signs of aging.
Does a facelift provide permanent results?
Although a facelift provides long-lasting results, you may experience changes to your appearance as you age. If you do experience changes to your skin, we can help you maintain your results with a touch-up procedure.
Can I combine a facelift with other procedures to refresh my appearance?
Yes, we can combine a facelift with other procedures such as a neck lift and/or brow lift to address droopy skin elsewhere in the face.
Is a facelift painful?
We administer anesthesia during a facelift to keep you comfortable during the treatment. It is also a procedure where the recovery is quite straightforward and easygoing–many patients find it mild and tolerable.
Will I need more than one facelift to achieve my aesthetic goals?
If you experience changes to your skin over time, you may need a revision facelift. However, most patients achieve long-lasting and satisfying results with only one procedure.
References
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons ® Endorsed Partner. https://www.plasticsurgery.org/documents/news/statistics/2023/plastic-surgery-statistics-report-2023.pdf
- Amaro-Ortiz A, Yan B, D’Orazio J. Ultraviolet Radiation, Aging and the Skin: Prevention of Damage by Topical cAMP Manipulation. Molecules. 2014;19(5):6202-6219. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules19056202
- Rohrich RJ, Sinno S, Vaca EE. Getting Better Results in Facelifting. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Global Open. 2019;7(6):e2270. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/gox.0000000000002270