Say Goodbye to Facial Aging

Facial aging impacts us all in different ways and is often caused by a number of different factors. Maybe you’ve noticed changes in your facial appearance due to the onset of issues like sagging or drooping. Perhaps you’ve noticed fine lines and wrinkles starting to appear in the mirror each day. These changes can be caused by environmental factors like sun exposure and weather damage, lifestyle choices, or the natural aging process. Whatever the case may be, Dr. Zenn is here to help. A facelift can correct facial aging by restoring your more youthful appearance, smoothing over fine lines and wrinkles while also lifting and repositioning skin that has begun to sag or droop. To learn more about how Dr. Zenn can help you, reach out to our Raleigh office and speak with a helpful team member to set up your initial consultation today.

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What is a Facelift?

The effects of time, gravity, and sun exposure can significantly age your appearance. If you are frustrated that the way you look no longer reflects the way you feel, you may be a good candidate for a facelift. Facelift surgery targets aesthetic concerns in the mid-to-lower face and neck by eliminating excess skin around the neck and restoring a youthful sense of fullness to the facial features. A facelift can also reverse common signs of aging like wrinkles and sagging cheeks (jowls) that are caused by volume loss in the face and the increase in skin laxity that often follows. Patients often have facelift surgery in combination with brow lift, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), and facial fat grafting to enjoy a more complete sense of rejuvenation.

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How the Facelift can Help

Many patients are unaware that facelift does come with some limitations. For instance, a facelift will tighten loose skin and decrease wrinkles in the mid-face and lower face/neck regions but might not be ideal for cosmetic issues in the brow and upper face.

Dr. Zenn will work to improve your facial appearance from the nasal area to the neck region, working to correct specific issues according to your customized treatment plan. During your consultation, Dr. Zenn will explain the procedure to you in detail.

You and Dr. Zenn will explore all of the ways that this procedure can help you enjoy your ideal look, and Dr. Zenn will ensure that you have a clear understanding of exactly what facelift surgery can and cannot accomplish for you.

Why Choose Dr. Zenn?

  • Dr. Zenn’s primary focus is on facial rejuvenation procedures, so you can expect incredible results that are informed by years of experience
  • He was named among America's Best Plastic Surgeons 2022 for Facelifts by Newsweek
  • He has provided thousands of patients with a refreshed, more youthful appearance
  • After completing his residency at Harvard, Dr. Zenn furthered his training with a fellowship in Head & Neck and Facial Surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in NYC
  • While at Duke University, Dr. Zenn served as co-director of Duke’s Facial Reanimation Program, which treated facial nerve injury patients to regain function in their facial expression
  • He served as an editorial board member for the medical journal Head & Neck Surgery
  • He has taught his cutting-edge techniques to hundreds of plastic surgeons
  • Dr. Zenn is on of the Castle Connolly Top Doctors for Cosmetic Surgery
  • Dr. Zenn holds board certification from the American Board of Plastic Surgery
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Dr. Zenn’s Approach

Facelift surgery is easily one of the most technically difficult and delicate plastic surgery procedures, as no other part of the body contains so many critical structures like muscles, nerves, and blood vessels concentrated in such a small area. This means that Dr. Zenn must rely on an intimate knowledge of facial anatomy and experience when operating on the face.

Patients choose Dr. Zenn for their facelift in Brier Creek because of the reputation he’s earned, thanks to his expertise, surgical skill, and artistic eye. When performing facelift surgery, his goal is to provide a subtle, natural-appearing result while maintaining the highest levels of patient safety and comfort possible.

Your Facelift Consultation

When you meet Dr. Zenn for your initial consultation, you will spend time getting to know each other so he can learn about your aesthetic concerns. He’ll learn about your lifestyle and work closely with you on the development of your individualized treatment plan. Based on your desires and your unique facial anatomy, he will discuss different treatment options.

As part of your visit, Dr. Zenn will:

  • Conduct a thorough examination of your face
  • Assess your skin and supporting tissues
  • Develop a personalized treatment plan to address your concerns
  • Show you before and after photos of similar patients

FaceLift Before & Afters

View More FaceLift Results

Thank you for the pictures; I can really see the improvement. The change is subtle, so I don’t look different…just better. That is exactly what I was hoping for! You did a wonderful job and can be sure I’ll recommend you to all my friends.

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Customizing Your Treatment Plan

Contrary to popular belief, a facelift is not a “full-face” procedure. Instead, it specifically addresses sagging, lack of fullness, and excess skin in the mid-to-lower face and neck. Depending on your desired improvements and specific areas of concern, keep in mind that Dr. Zenn may also suggest a brow lift, eyelid lift, facial fat grafting, or other procedures along with or instead of a facelift.

Exploring Your Options

Dr. Zenn will create your personal treatment plan based on his aesthetic evaluation, your desires, and the amount of downtime you have available for recovery. When you are ready to move forward, you will schedule your pre-operative appointment and surgery.

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Dr. Zenn’s Surgical Technique

During your facelift in Raleigh, Dr. Zenn will:

  • Lift and reposition the underlying facial support structures that have sagged over time
  • Avoid an unnatural-looking “windblown” effect by creating a proper foundation over which the skin can be gently re-draped—not tightly overstretched
  • Remove fat from unwanted areas of the patient’s body and use it to restore youthful fullness to facial features
  • Eliminate excess skin in the lower face and neck regions
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Creating Natural-Appearing Results

Dr. Zenn’s expert technique creates a smoother, more youthful appearance and restores the soft facial contours you enjoyed in your youth.

Elevating the supporting structures of the lower face also leaves patients with a more defined neck and jawline. Keep in mind that the facelift procedure is never approached with a “one-size-fits-all” treatment plan, and each surgeon will perform it differently based on their ability and experience. In fact, not all Raleigh plastic surgeons perform facelift surgery. Furthermore, of those who offer the procedure, many are not board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

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Your Surgical Experience

For your safety and comfort, your facelift will take place in an accredited medical facility. Dr. Zenn will review your treatment plan with you on the day of your surgery and answer any final questions you might have.

During a typical facelift procedure, Dr. Zenn will:

  • Have general anesthesia provided by board-certified anesthesiologists (MDs), as Dr. Zenn believes that anything less diminishes patient safety
  • Lift and reposition the underlying support structure of the mid-to-lower face, restructure the neck, and remove any excess skin that remains
  • Carefully place incisions in the natural folds of the ears, under the chin, and at the hairline behind the ear to conceal and minimize scarring
  • Use liposuction to remove body fat, which will be processed to serve as a natural filler for facial features that have lost volume
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Two friends of mine went to Dr. Zenn for facelifts, and I was incredibly impressed with their results. So, I bit the bullet and went in for a consultation. I was immediately impressed with his knowledge, demeanor, professionalism, kindness, and low-key approach. There was absolutely no pressure. I must say that I am extremely pleased with my results. Dr. Zenn is a true artist.

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What will My Recovery Process be Like?

A facelift is an outpatient procedure which means that you will be able to leave the surgical facility an hour after surgery. For the first week after your procedure, you can expect to have swelling and bruising with minimal pain. You will want to rest at home, sleep on your back, and avoid wearing makeup while you heal. 

After a week, you should receive clearance to ease gently back into your normal routine. Patients can generally return to work two weeks after surgery. However, Dr. Zenn recommends his facelift patients do not return to full activity, including exercise, until three to four weeks after the date of their procedure.

Although patients heal at different rates, most can be public facing in two weeks. While final healing can take anywhere from two to six months, residual swelling during this time actually looks good as it minimizes fine wrinkles. The entire process involves remarkably little discomfort and most patients do not require pain medication for more than a day.

Facelift FAQ

What’s the best age for a facelift?

Can a facelift or neck lift fix deep, sagging jowls?

Will a facelift fix droopy eyelids or eye wrinkles?

Will a facelift change the appearance of my nose?

Can a facelift restore facial skin volume & plumpness?

Do facelifts last forever?

What will my experience be like after my surgery?

How visible are scars after a facelift?

How much does the procedure cost?

What’s the best age for a facelift?

There is no ideal age for a facelift, as the aging process is different for everyone. Some women benefit from facelift surgery in their 40s, while others may not need to consider it until their 60s or 70s. Factors like sun damage, smoking, and genetics will also play a role in determining when you will benefit most from cosmetic surgery. It is always best to address the signs of aging early before they are deeply established. In the case of facelifts, earlier is often better.

Can a facelift or neck lift fix deep, sagging jowls?

For many, the first signs of aging tend to be noticeable in individuals that develop deep and/or sagging jowls. This facial change occurs as gravity pulls down any loose or sagging skin from the jawline to the neck region. This is often due to genetics, so people who have parents or other close relatives that develop this feature are more likely to develop jowls as well. The facelift procedure is highly effective when it comes to fixing this telltale aging sign by stretching and trimming excess jowl/neck skin folds and reattaching them to stable facial structures, leaving the lower face and neck area smoother and better contoured for a more youthful appearance.

Will a facelift fix droopy eyelids or eye wrinkles?

A facelift alone will not fix each and every aging facial characteristic. Additional facial cosmetic surgeries may also be necessary for things like drooping eyelids, crow’s feet, or additional eye wrinkles. If needed, Dr. Zenn can perform a number of cosmetic eye area procedures, including blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery, to specifically target and repair drooping eyelids. Eyelid surgery can take place concurrently with a facelift, or it can be offered on its own. Patients who don’t yet need lower face or surgery may still be candidates for blepharoplasty. Eyelid surgery can also be performed alongside a brow lift procedure.

Will a facelift change the appearance of my nose?

While a facelift can diminish those deep creases that often form near the base of the nasal tip and extend downward to the outer corners of the lips, a facelift will not change the overall appearance of your natural nose. If you are interested in reshaping your nose, fixing nasal cartilage bumps, or otherwise altering the size and projection of your nose, you will need to undergo a rhinoplasty procedure.

Can a facelift restore facial skin volume & plumpness?

Individuals often begin to lose their normal facial skin volume due to the natural aging process. This can sometimes be caused by weather damage to the delicate skin near your eye and cheek areas, which can result in deep hollows surrounding the eyes and near the cheekbones. In this case, a facelift alone won’t restore lost facial skin volume. However, Dr. Zenn can expertly remove unwanted fat from other areas of the body and transfer this fat to your face in a process known as facial fat transfer. This procedure plumps up the areas of the face that may have lost some of their natural volume and can be performed at the same time as a facelift.

Do facelifts last forever?

Facelifts can help turn back the clock, but they don’t stop it from ticking entirely. Older facelift techniques, which many surgeons still use, rely on pulling and tightening the skin. Unfortunately, gravity will prevail, and the skin will eventually begin to loosen and sag again. That said, Dr. Zenn’s cutting-edge techniques address the supporting structures of the face, for longer-lasting results.

What will my experience be like after my surgery?

Your facelift will be an outpatient procedure, and you’ll be seen the next morning in our comfortable office. After that, you’ll be encouraged to stay home and rest for one week. You will be seen in our office at one- and two-week intervals for suture removal. You will be able to reach Dr. Zenn or his nurse 24 hours a day for any questions that may arise post-surgery.

How visible are scars after a facelift?

Dr. Zenn is extremely meticulous with the placement of his facelift incisions and understands how to place them to ensure that their appearance and size will be minimal. To do this, Dr. Zenn will choose discreet and inconspicuous places for the incisions such as the natural folds of the ears, the hairline, or under the chin so your scars end up in your natural creases or obscured by your hair. After the initial healing is complete, most patients can’t even tell where the incisions were. Best of all, the scars will continue to fade over time.

How much does the procedure cost?

At Zenn Plastic Surgery, we take the time to understand your desires for seeking a facelift, and Dr. Zenn will work closely with you to determine what procedures will create your ideal results. All of Dr. Zenn’s plastic surgery procedures are uniquely tailored to fit each individual client’s needs. Your facelift plan may involve components of skin removal, deep support, fat grafting to replace volume, and eye rejuvenation, among other possibilities. At Zenn Plastic Surgery, your quoted package price will be all-inclusive. This means that your total package price will cover your initial consultation, the pre-op appointment, before and after photos, scar gel, garments, all follow-up appointments, and any facility and anesthesia fees. Additionally, all facelift patients receive a complimentary skin care evaluation with our injector and a 10% discount on all skin care products for one year following surgery. In order to make this procedure more accessible, Dr. Zenn offers several convenient payment options and plastic surgery financing through Care Credit and Alphaeon Credit. Reach out to our practice and set up your consultation when you’re ready to learn more.

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