To achieve the maximum benefits, cosmetic surgery requires an understanding of facial balance and proportion combined with medicalknowledge, training and experience to achieve a beautiful and natural looking result. As Atlanta’s preeminent cosmetic surgeons, Double Board Certified in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery as well as in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Dr. Pradeep Sinha’s professional career has spanned three decades, and he has successfully performed over 10,000 procedures on patients of all ages.Dr. Sinha’s artistic goal for restoring your youthful and refreshed look is to help define and enhance the underlying foundation of your unique features rather than trying to conceal or alter. Dr. Sinha wants you to look naturally younger and better while retaining your individuality.
What is a facelift?
Over time, the face loses its contours due to the thinning of the skin, sun damage, smoking, stress, or even heredity. A faceliftis a cosmetic surgical procedure that removes excess skin fromthe face, giving the face a more youthful appearance. A facelift can tighten loose, hanging skin (often called jowls), remove deep creases and folds around the nose and mouth, and remove fat under the chin and in the neck.
When should I consider a facelift?
There is no specific age or reason to get a facelift; however, on average, a person considering a facelift has deep creases and wrinkling, has lost skin resiliency and firmness, has excess skin around the chin and jawline, has lost facial tone and volume, or always looks tired. Early in life, the face produces plenty of collagen and elastin, which are the two proteins that gives the skin a youthful appearance. However, over time the natural production of the two proteins diminishes leaving facial skin loose and droopy.
Am I a good candidate for a facelift?
Prior to your facelift, Dr. Sinha will perform a complete physical examination. He will review your medical history and conditions, assess your ability to blood clot, the medications you take, if you are a cigarette smoker, and what goals you hope to achieve with your facelift. It is important to remember that living a healthy lifestyle, which includes a balanced diet andsufficient exercise will help maintain the effects of facelift surgery.
As Dr. Sinha’s patient, Kathy, explained, “My name is Kathy, and I teach tennis in the Atlanta area, and I am over the age of 65. As a tennis instructor, I have spent a lot of time in the sun, and I was interested in having a facelift for many years before I had my facelift…During my consultation, Dr. Sinha made me feel so comfortable, he explained the surgery, and asked me what goal I hoped to achieve from a facelift. I told him my main concern was that I look rested. Of course, I wanted to look youthful, but I knew I could never be 25 again, so my primary goal was when people saw me, they told me I looked and didn’t look tired all the time.”
What can I expect the day of my surgery?
Facelift surgery is usually done as an outpatient procedure. You will receive sedatives or general anesthesia, and the procedure usually takes from 2-5 hours. Upon completion of your facelift, Dr. Sinha may bandage your face to minimize swelling and bruising, and small tubes may be present for a brief period to draw off any type of fluid drainage. The first day following your surgery is the day when you may need the most pain medication. Usually, on the second day following your surgery, you will have a follow up visit with Dr. Sinha who will check your incisions and evaluate your swelling. Your surgical dressings will also be changed, and the drains may be removed. While you should take it easy during the first seven days of recovery, in general, you will feel good enough to get up and move around your house in one to two days post-surgery.
As Dr. Sinha’s patient, Kathy, added, “The day of surgery, my husband and I arrived very early, and Dr. Sinha’s staff was there to greet us. Dr. Sinha’s staff could not have been sweeter and made me feel so comfortable. They took us to the back of the surgery center to prep me, and my husband got to stay with me during that time. While Dr. Sinha’s staff were prepping me, they talked to us once again about what to expect. I was in the back for 20-30 minutes before Dr. Sinha came in, and he explained again what he was going to do during the surgery. He told me to relax and take deep breaths, and that he was going to take care of me. At that point, my husband left the room, and the anesthesiologist came in and talked to me before he put me to sleep.
When I woke up, I was in recovery and my husband and the nurses were there with me. My head was wrapped up, and previously, I had been afraid I’d be nauseated after surgery, but I wasn’t. I stayed in recovery for probably an hour to an hour and a half, and Dr. Sinha and his nurses came in several times during that time to check on me. I was in a little pain, but it wasn’t as bad as I expected. They gave me a mirror, and I must be honest I was scared. It looked like I’d had brain surgery, but the nurses kept reinforcing what I was going to look like 2-3 weeks down the road. We stayed at the facility following surgery for about 1-2 hours. Dr. Sinha gave me a prescription for pain medication, and told me what to do, and expect, at home, and, then, Danny and I went home.”
What can I expect in the days/monthsfollowing my surgery?
It is recommended that you sleep on two pillows for the first two weeks following your surgery to help alleviate swelling. Do not underestimate the importance of keeping your head elevated. Dr. Sinha may prescribe pain medication to help manage any discomfort you may feel after your facelift. Usually by day 4, pain medication is no longer needed, and swelling should start to go down. At this time, it is important to get your body and circulation moving (such as doing light housework), as it will help your recovery process. Additionally, it is important to follow the incision-care instructions given to you by your provider to ensure a successful recovery.
Patient Kathy added, “At home, I was in some pain, but I did not have to take any pain medication, and I slept pretty well. Dr. Sinha instructed me to sleep on my back that night, which was one of the hardest things to do since I’m a side sleeper. The next morning when I got up, I looked in the mirror and thought, ‘Oh, my goodness, what have I done?’ But Danny kept saying, ‘Remember, what they said. In two or three weeks, you’re going to look great.’ We were very patient, and two days later we went back to Dr. Sinha, and they took the wrapping off and some of the stitches out. I wasn’t as bruised as I expected. I was swollen and had just a little bruising. As the stitches were being taken out, they talked to us again, and then we went back home. We went back to Dr. Sinha’s office again two days after that and more stitches were taken out.
Dr. Sinha told me to use ice packs and not to do anything that would cause the incisions to get infected. I went back to Dr. Sinha a week later, and my face look remarkably better. Two weeks following my surgery, I went back to work, and I had a complete facelift.”
When will I see the full results of my facelift?
After one-month post-operative, it will be hard for anyone to tell you have had any cosmetic surgery and you should be back to normal activities with your new look. However, it can take up to one year for very minor swelling, tightness, and numbness to subside, but those will only noticeable to you. Remember, the final outcome of your facelift will become evident over the next 12 months.
Kathy said, “I am now a couple of years post-facelift, and I can tell you, I could not be happier about my choice to have my surgery…I wouldn’t take anything for having the procedure I had done. I would recommend it for anyone who wants to feel better about themselves, and to anyone who when they look in a mirror, they don’t want to turn away, and just have more confidence. I would recommend Dr. Sinha 100%. He is more than doctor or a surgeon. Dr. Sinha is someone who listens to you, that makes you feel comfortable and he is someone who will do what’s not only best for you but will make you look the best he can. Dr. Sinha is more than a doctor, he becomes family.”
For more information, contact Facial Aesthetic Surgery Center at https://www.facialaestheticsurgery.com
