Facial cosmetic procedures are more popular today than ever before. As lifestyles improve and people live longer, healthier lives they want to look as good as they feel.
— Dr. Mark Anton, Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon
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Dr. Anton is the Newport Beach Facelift specialist. In 2019, Dr. Anton performed more facelifts than two times the national average, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeon (ASPS) statistics. Plastic surgeons are specialists in combining art, science and innovation and facelifts are the hallmark of a surgeon’s abilities.
Your face is your calling card to the world. Selecting the correct surgeon is a critical step in achieving your desired outcome. In addition to being Board Certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties, Dr. Anton received advanced training by completing a Facial Fellowship. This training provides him with an unrivaled understanding of the anatomy and aesthetics of the face, qualities that are essential for creating facelifts with natural results.
Newport Beach Plastic Surgery
Not everyone ages in the same way, but inevitably everyone ages. Some people get their aunt’s under-eye bags while others get their grandfather’s turkey neck.
We define aging in three categories:
Sags and Bags – defined by loose skin in the neck, jowls, and mid-face. Treated surgically with a facelift and or neck liposuction. Treated non-surgically with FaceTite and or Morpheus8.
Lines and Hollows – defined by deeper wrinkles and loss of volume in the cheeks, temples, chin, and lips. Some deeper wrinkles are surgically corrected with a facelift and or fat transfer. Injectables are non-surgical treatments that create volume in the face and help soften fine lines.
Tone and Texture – defined by the color and smoothness of the skin that can be damaged over time by the sun, exposure to environmental elements, and the breakdown of collagen associated with the natural aging process. Devices like RF (radio frequency) and lasers are non-surgical treatments that can be combined with a facelift.
During your consultation for a facelift Newport Beach plastic surgeon Dr. Anton will exam your aging process to determine if you are a candidate for facelift procedure. At that time, he may discuss other facial rejuvenation surgeries including your upper and lower eyes, nose, forehead, fat transfer, and skin resurfacing. Plan on spending a minimum of an hour with Dr. Anton during your consultation. He is comprehensive in addressing your questions and concerns, setting realistic expectations, discussing risks and post-operative care. Our goal is for you to leave your consultation with all the information you need to forge an empowered decision.
We understand that plastic surgery is an important decision and it is not our job to talk you into having surgery. Our job is to provide excellent patient care every step of the way. Skin elasticity, volume loss, sun damage, tone, texture and skin wrinkling will determine what surgical options will provide the best overall result. During your facelift consultation with Newport Beach Board Certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Mark Anton, your areas of concern and your surgical options will be addressed.
Newport Beach Triple Layer Facelift
Many people might answer with the 50s or early 60s. Truth is, there is no perfect age for a facelift, but the trend now is for more women and men to have a facelift in their 40s and early 50s. There are many factors for this, with social media being a prominent one, but so is staying competitive in the job and dating market. As people take better care of their health with proper nutrition, exercise, supplements, bio-identical hormones, and mindfulness we are extending the youthfulness of our bodies by decades. Naturally, people want to look as good as they feel. Unfortunately, gravity does not always cooperate. A facelift restores youthfulness by removing sags and bags that cannot be addressed with non-surgical tightening devices or injectables.
Pain is difficult to determine due to individual pain thresholds being different. There does appear to be a misnomer that a facelift hurts significantly, and that is simply not the case for Dr. Anton’s patients. Many patients don’t need any pain meds after the first night.
A realistic expectation is that pain will be mild to moderate 4 to 5 days after surgery. By following the pre and post instructions and administering pain medications as directed or as needed, most Newport Beach facelift patients report little discomfort. The most common complaint is pain behind the ears.
In general, most facelifts last anywhere from 10-12 years. A facelift does not stop the aging process, and aging is determined by so many factors including
Dr. Anton has patients that are still happy with their facelift results 16 years after thier surgery. These patients maintained their results with regular treatments and a superior home skincare routine like CORE products.
Another misnomer – a facelift takes 6 months to relax. Not a quality facelift! Dr. Anton’s patients return to work and their normal social calendar within 2-4 weeks without anyone suspecting they have had a facelift.
One patient had her mother come and stay with her when she was just three weeks post-op and her own mother could not tell. She believed her daughter had changed her hair or lost weight or got some much-needed rest. It can take up to 3 months for most of the swelling and numbness to subside but up to a year for all of it to subside.
It can be unnerving thinking about having a facelift or more specifically thinking about what you are going to look like after a facelift. Let’s face it there are many inferior facelifts out there.
Dr. Anton’s facelift patients not only look like themselves, but they also look like the best version of themselves. Sure, they look noticeably younger, but it is still their own unique beauty that shines through.
Rather than focus on a specific age, Dr. Anton tells his patients that they will look like a youthful version of whatever age they are. It sets an unrealistic expectation when you tell a patient they will appear 10, 15, or 20 years younger. Numbers can be arbitrary and subjective. Youthfulness is ageless. Many patients combine facelift surgery with other procedures to further enhance their appearance including:
Dr. Anton’s answer to this is simple: As many as you like as long as you don’t have a faulty one. It can be difficult to correct poor results from a facelift like skin being pulled too tight, a Joker’s smile or unnatural facial movements when animated.
Dr. Anton tells every one of his patients no one should ever know you’ve had a facelift.
Facelifts, are there differences?
What is the difference between a lower facelift, a neck lift, and a facelift? Basically, not much. Most patients need both their neck and face tightened together at the same time for a natural result. A neck lift or lower facelift sounds less invasive and that can make for a better marketing campaign but not necessarily optimal, natural result.
A facelift, no matter how you brand it, addresses loose tissue in the neck, jowls, and mid-face. Dr. Anton performs a triple layer facelift. He dissects the SMAS (superficial muscular aponeurotic system), lifts it into place, then re-drapes the skin for a natural amd long lasting result. This technique tightens the neck and jawline and lifts the mid-face for a more youthful appearance without pulling the skin too tight. In most cases, a pinch of skin is removed from the lower eyelid area. This allows the face to appear natural in a resting position or while animated and helps prevent the windswept appearance
Dr. Anton does vary his facelift incisions for a person’s anatomy and how much tightening and lifting is needed. All incisions are tailored so that a woman can wear her hair up or pulled back without anyone seeing her scars and a man can wear his hair short. There are some less invasive facelift techniques out there. Many have come and gone over the years. Some haven’t produced natural-looking or long-lasting results, and others are just downright dangerous. For more on how long a facelift lasts, continue reading.
A facelift addresses what Dr. Anton refers to as sags and bags. This is skin laxity caused by the natural progression of age, gravity, or extreme weight loss. It does not address:
When applicable, Dr. Anton includes skin rejuvenation in his facelift surgery with a combination of Fractora, Morpheus 8 radiofrequency skin tightening and CO2 laser resurfacing. He delivers a combination of modalities in a safe way that reduces any risk of demarcation, hyper, and hypo-pigmentation.
For a more youthful appearance and to maintain the results of a facelift for years to come, Dr. Anton recommends monthly collagen building treatments. As you age, collagen production declines. Collagen and elastin are the foundation of your skin’s youth. They maintain supple, tight tissues. Injectables like Botox and dermal fillers address fine lines, deep wrinkles and loss of volume. Botox works by freezing the muscle that causes the wrinkle.
Some deep lines and wrinkles will improve with a facelift, but injectables like Voluma and Juvederm help create volume in the cheeks, lips, and temples. It’s hardly fair, but as we age, the only place we seem to lose fat is in our face! We also lose bone density and fillers can help build a jawline, treat “smoker’s” lines or redefine cheekbones. We created the Beauty Bank to make monthly treatments affordable. Our memberships include a monthly collagen building treatment. The Brilliant and Beyond also include FREE Botox and discounts up to 20% off on all injectables and other skincare treatments. All Dr. Anton’s facelift patients receive a 3-month Basic Beauty Bank membership with their surgery.
Now that you're ready
You made the decision to have a facelift. What happens next? The first step is selecting your surgery date. At this time you will be asked to pay a non-refundable surgery deposit.
The balance of your surgery payment is due at the time of your facelift preoperative appointment. All pre-op appointments are scheduled 3-4 weeks before surgery in our Newport Beach office with one of Dr. Anton's surgical patient coordinators.
The pre-op is an important step in the success of your surgery. You will review and sign consents, go over pre and post-op instructions, and receive lab orders. All facelift patients require a basic blood test. The majority also require an EKG. Our office issues the lab orders but going through a primary care physician for lab work is also an option.
Planning a convenient time to have a facelift is usually the most difficult part of the surgery for the patient. It is ideal to plan this procedure 8 weeks or more (the more time the better) before an important social event, such as a wedding or reunion. You will have a pre-op appointment in the office one month prior to the surgery to review essential medical information.
Each year thousands of women and men undergo successful facelift procedures, experience no major problems and are delighted with the results. Significant complications from facelift surgery are infrequent. However, make sure you understand what surgery involves, including possible risks, complications and follow-up care.
Dr. Anton reviews facelift risks at your consultation as well as the steps he takes to mitigate those risks both in surgery and with his pre and post-op care instructions. It is important to accurately report your health history including all current medications, vitamins, and supplements that you are taking; any past surgeries and any complications from those surgeries; plus any life circumstances that might be causing excessive stress.
You can help minimize certain risks by following the advice and instructions of your surgeon, both before and after your facelift surgery including:
Dr. Anton emphasizes the importance of allowing your body the time and energy it needs to heal. Proper nutrition, rest, avoiding alcohol, and drinking plenty of water helps your body in its recovery process.
Facelift Orange County
Dr. Anton performs a Triple Layer Facelift for a natural result that never appears pulled or "done". He achieves this by dissecting and lifting the SMAS, a thick, fibrous tissue beneath the top layer of skin.
He dissects the SMAS from the neck up to the ears where it is sutured into place. Rather than cut the platysma muscle on the neck, he leaves it intact to avoid gravity pulling the chin downward resulting in a “witch’s chin”.
After anchoring the SMAS, Dr. Anton gently re-drapes the excess skin, trims and sutures it back into place. The sutures disappear inside and behind the ear so patients can wear their hair in a ponytail or in an up-do, or in the case of men a shorter haircut. Often times Dr. Anton removes excess skin in the lower eyelids to avoid the "windblown" appearance and ensure the most natural surgical result achievable. Skin rejuvenation is the 3rd layer in the triple layer facelift. This consists of Morpheus8, Laser CO2, and Fractora to treat the texture and tone of the skin. It is common to include the upper and lower eyes with a facelift. Many patients also include nose surgery to refine the tip or debulk an aging nose.
Preparing for Your Facelift Consultation
Make a list of important questions you would like to ask Dr. Anton – There is a lot of information available on the internet, some good and some bad. Dr. Anton is happy to answer any question about something you may have read or heard. His goal in the facelift consultation is to educate you on the surgical procedure.
Have a good idea of your desired outcome – Dr. Anton will talk to you about your areas of concern and your options. The more specific you are during your consultation with the areas you would like to change, the more realistic your expectations, and therefore, the happier you will be with your facelift results.
Be receptive and keep an open mind – It’s Dr. Anton’s goal to create a positive relationship to achieve the most beautiful, natural results possible. Today, there are surgical and non-surgical facial rejuvenation options available. Dr. Anton is prepared to discuss all potential options to achieve the best results.
Facelift Surgery
Dr. Anton requires his Newport Beach Facelift patients to spend their first night in an after-care, overnight facility. After surgery, an appointed caregiver picks you up at the facility and drives you to a private recovery center.
Your head will be loosely wrapped with two small drains placed behind the ears. Drains are removed the next morning by your caregiver or in our office at your first post-op. At that time a smaller neck wrap replaces the head wrap.
You can expect some swelling and minimal bruising. Dr. Anton’s surgical techniques for handling tissue dramatically reduce both swelling and bruising, though each patient is unique. It is important that you follow all post-op instructions. Do not engage in any activities that raise heart rate or blood pressure including exercise, sex, lifting, bending, stress, and other forms of emotional excitement for a minimum of two weeks after surgery to reduce the risk of hematoma and other complications.
Most sutures are removed in the office 7 days after surgery. At that time, you may be allowed to reduce the number of hours required to wear the neck wrap. Minimal swelling can last for several weeks. Facial nerves are numb following surgery and slowly return to normal over three to six months post-op. Most patients return to work and their normal social schedule two weeks after surgery.
Generally, scars from the incisions are hidden within your hair and in concealed skin creases. During your facelift Newport Beach plastic surgeon Dr. Anton designs his scars so that women can wear their hair up or in a ponytail and men can wear short haircuts. Scars can remain pink for a few months and will fade over the next 6 months. Concealing makeup is usually permitted after the first week.
The results of your natural-looking facelift will last for many years. However, the aging process continues. Eating well, reducing alcohol consumption, moderate forms of exercise, sleeping a minimum of 7 hours a night, bio-identical hormones, and a positive mental attitude will enhance the results of your surgery and slow down the aging process. Dr. Anton recommends monthly treatments like Microneedling and IPL to stimulate collagen and elastin for longer-lasting facelift results.
Facelift Procedure Recovery Schedule
Get a private and personalized consultation with Dr. Anton in his beautiful practice in Newport Beach, CA.
20331 Irvine Avenue Suite E6, Newport Beach, CA 92660
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