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Facelift

Reclaim your youthful radiance with Dr. Moelleken’s innovative facelift procedures. Your face is your ultimate introduction to the world and reflects your inner vitality. Despite attempts with cosmetics, imperfections are hard to disguise, and the cost of concealing flaws through creams and makeup can be substantial. The aging process, influenced by gravity, sun exposure, and stress, affects your face, impacting self-esteem and confidence. Dr. Moelleken’s facelift solutions offer a transformative approach to harmonizing your external appearance with your vibrant inner self.

stock image of model with her index finger over chin

What is a Facelift?

As you get older, your skin goes through a series of changes. Cells divide much slower and your dermis, or lower layer of skin, gets thinner. To further explain, elastin and collagen tissues compose your dermis. Elastin gives your skin its elasticity and collagen keeps your skin taut. With time, these proteins break down, causing your skin to loosen. This makes it more susceptible to the effects of gravity. Additionally, the muscles and tissue under your skin begin to change. For example, this leads to the appearance of lines and wrinkles on your face.

A facelift aims to correct the damage done by time and gravity. With every procedure, Dr. Moelleken seeks to deliver results that make you look forward to seeing yourself in the mirror. With this procedure, you can expect a tighter appearance that lessens wrinkles. It does this by readjusting the deep tissues and muscles underneath the skin.

Before and After

before after facelift procedure patient 1
before after facelift procedure patient 2

More Facelift Examples

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Different Types of Facelift Procedures

There are many different types of Facelifts that Dr. Moelleken performs, including:

Mini Facelift

A mini facelift targets two main areas: the neck and the jawline. By using smaller incisions, Dr. Brent delivers a more youthful appearance while keeping the effect more subtle. It addresses wrinkles and excess skin without the more extended downtime required of a traditional facelift.

There are limitations to what it can do, but it can be an excellent option for patients in their 30-40s who want to address loose skin in the neck and jawline. Still, the procedure is open to a wide range of people. And many patients elect to have this procedure as a way to get ahead of aging.

MACS Facelift

MACS stands for Minimal Access Cranial Suspension. This unique facelift procedure focuses on giving patients a subtly rejuvenated look. It cuts back significantly on the recovery period while still delivery a more youthful look. What makes a MACS unique is how it supports and lifts tissue in the:

  • Cheeks
  • Chin
  • Neck
  • Nose

Key advantages of MACS Facelift:

  • Excellent lifting of the cheeks
  • Minimal recovery time (most patients resume light activity within a week)
  • Limitations of MACS Facelift:
  • Less pull for the neck and jowls (due to lack of incision on the neck)
  • More suitable to patients under 60
  • Recovery after a MACS lift is much less extensive than with a traditional facelift.

The MACS facelift is also called the “short scar facelift,” because it is less invasive than other procedures and leaves a shorter scar. The MACS supports and lifts sagging tissues in the cheeks, chin, neck, or nose area with a procedural technique that is similar to the High SMAS , without surgically lifting the neck area. The MACS is often a good choice for patients under the age of 60 whose aesthetic goals include a subtle, mid-facial rejuvenation, or who would like to reverse some of the initial signs of aging without undergoing a more invasive traditional facelift.

High SMAS Facelift

A Superficial Muscular Aponeurotic System facelift is considered the “gold standard” facelift method among many cosmetic surgeons. The High SMAS facelift is an enhanced variation of this technique.

The High SMAS is a game-changing technique that improves upon the SMAS procedure in the following ways:

  • More realistic cheek rejuvenation can be achieved, especially when combined with the USIC® or LUSIC® cheek lifts
  • Allows the outer part of the cheek to be elevated
  • Older SMAS techniques do not address issues of volume elevation because their elevating functions stop below the cheekbone
  • Enables the plastic surgeon to achieve enhanced elevation of the SMAS membrane as a whole (including the facial region up to and around the sides of the eyes)
  • Offers more consistent and reliable results than earlier techniques

A High SMAS Facelift has four core goals:

  • Serve to flatten and eliminate the jowls
  • Diminish the prominence of the nasolabial folds
  • Add fullness to the cheeks
  • Lift and tighten the neck region

PSP Facelift

A Platysma SMAS Plication facelift is another revolutionary technique for reversing signs of aging. One of the advantages of this method is that it avoids the tightness of traditional facelifts. Instead, you receive a much more natural look that fits with your unique features.

A PSP facelift uses fibrous extensions attached to the outermost layer of the skin. As a SMAS procedure, it focuses on allowing all three layers of facial skin to move together as a single unit. This preserves the natural expressions of your facial structure. By redistributing the face’s fatty tissues, Dr. Brent rejuvenates the skin while maintaining your natural beauty.

Key targets of a PSP compared to other SMAS methods:

  • Sagging in the cheeks
  • Sagging along the jawbone
  • Fleshy jowls
  • Double chin
  • Development of prominent creases from the nose to the mouth

Signature 360 Facelift®

The 360 Facelift® is a signature procedure offered by Dr. Brent. What makes this procedure unique is the combination of multiple techniques that rejuvenate the skin of the face. Each serves its own purpose. But they combine to create a stunningly enhanced appearance.

With your input, Dr. Brent will put together a personalized 360 facelift® for you. Each aspect of it will focus on matching your unique needs. Below are some of the procedures that a signature 360 includes:

  • LiveFill® graft insertion into your lips
  • Dr. Brent’s signature Neck-Lace®
  • Dr. Brent’s signature USIC® cheek lift
  • A bidirectional face and neck lift with no SMAS removal
  • Cheek augmentation
  • Upper lip lift
  • Subcutaneous minimally invasive brow lift
  • Nerve-sparing brow muscle reduction
  • Upper blepharoplasty
  • Conservative laser resurfacing

For each of these aspects of the 360 Facelift®, Dr. Brent always works to minimize scarring. He uses tiny incisions and places them in natural folds to hide them. Scars will still be permanent, but visibility will be minimal.

Dr. Brent understands that the face does not age in parts, but rather as a whole. This is the thinking behind developing this signature procedure. To address aging effectively, one must approach the entire face.

A Unique Procedure in Beverly Hills

First, Dr. Moelleken considers the contours of every individual face. By doing this, it helps him to decide where to make the incisions. The goal is to rule out visible scarring after surgery. By making incisions in front of the ears, Dr. Moelleken avoids this problem. Employing this advanced anchoring technique ensures that the ears remain unaltered. As a result, the shape of the face remains unchanged.

Second, Dr. Moelleken’s breakthrough techniques lessen the risk of damage to facial nerves. This can be a potential complication of a facelift. Some physicians do not have proper training in microsurgery and lack thorough knowledge of facial nerve anatomy.

Is It Right For You?

  • Jaw line lacks definition
  • Starting to look like you have a double-chin
  • Turkey neck or sagging neck
  • Hollow or gaunt around the cheeks
  • Lack of volume and flat appearance around your mouth
  • Marionette lines (or laugh lines)
  • Looking sad or like frowning in pictures
  • Deep lines and creases around eyes and on forehead

How We Avoid the “Pulled” Look

Unfortunately, another common side effect of surgery is the “pulled, plastic look.” Exactly how does Dr. Moelleken avoid giving you an artificial appearance? The answer is simple: a facelift is best combined with a few other procedures. These extra procedures give more natural, artistic, and harmonious results.

Using a combination of various procedures works to rejuvenate the entire face. As a result, these procedures bring harmony and balance to your other facial features.

Some facial procedures that might be part of the treatment plan for you include:

  • Brow lift
  • Eyelid surgery
  • Cheek lift
  • Laser resurfacing
  • Lip lift
  • Chin implant
  • Neck Lift
  • Earlobe reduction
  • Fat grafting to hollow facial areas and lips

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The Surgery Process

The exact process of your procedure will depend on your goals and what facelift type you are receiving. However, most of these methods involve incisions and trimming of excess skin and tissue. The hairline and natural creases of the skin are the ideal places for incisions as they can hide scarring.

The total time of your procedure can also vary. If you are having more than one procedure done, then it could last for several hours. But, during this time, you will be under general anesthesia so that you will be comfortable the whole time.

The procedure itself entails separating the skin from the fat and tissues under it. Dr. Moelleken then trims off excess skin, fat, and tissues to achieve a new shape or contour of the face.

Usually, the chin and the jowls are the primary places where excess skin and fat may occur. Below and above the eyes are also possible places where these may accumulate.

Recovery and Downtime

Pain and discomfort are common complaints when recovering from a facelift. But, we can prescribe pain medication to keep discomfort manageable. You may experience numbness around the face for a few days to two weeks. Swelling and bruising are also normal but should subside within a week or two.

Dr. Moelleken will provide you with a full list of recovery instructions. Some key points are to avoid physical activity and to give yourself plenty of rest.

Schedule Your Consultation Today

Dr. Moelleken has a well-qualified staff at his Beverly Hills plastic surgery. We have offices in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles to provide services to a broader community.

We understand that every face is unique, and every perception of beauty is different. Do you want a facial plastic surgeon who will listen to your concerns? Schedule a consultation today. Dr. Moelleken will provide answers to all your questions and work with you every step of the way.

Moelleken Plastic Surgery wants you to feel more attractive, confident, and youthful. Start today and let Dr. Moelleken create a customized surgical plan designed only for you.

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