Facelift Surgery (Rhytidectomy

• Do you have “laugh lines”, “frown lines”, or deep wrinkles, folds, and creases around the mouth?
• Are you concerned about fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes and across the brow?
• Is your youthful appearance undermined by sagging, loose, or hanging skin (facial ptosis)?
• Have you noticed displaced fatty deposits or pockets of excess fat marring your facial contours?
• Are you worried about the appearance of a “double chin” or “jowls”?

If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, you may be an ideal candidate for a surgical facelift with Dr. Bryson Richards in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Despite the recent advent of non-surgical facial rejuvenation options, facelift surgery remains the most powerful and the most effective treatment for moderate to severe symptoms of both environmental damage and the natural aging process.  The goal of facelift surgery is to lift and tighten the facial tissues and musculature, while simultaneously removing excess fatty tissue and excising loose, sagging skin.  The result of a successful facelift is long-lasting, naturally-beautiful facial contours that restore your appearance of youth and vitality, so that your face better reflects your inner energy and well-being.

Today's advanced facelift surgery, utilizing cutting-edge surgical techniques and performed by a skilled and talented plastic surgeon such as Dr. Richards, bears little resemblance to traditional facelifts of previous decades, which often left patients looking like they “had work done.”  Older facelift techniques pulled the skin tight horizontally across the face, giving the facial contours an unnatural “windswept”, exceedingly tight, and “pinched” appearance that was hardly subtle.  Today's techniques allow surgeons to lift and adjust the facial tissues from deep within the skin and musculature, lifting upwards in a vertical direction, which enables a significantly more subtle, more natural appearance that will leave you looking refreshed and revitalized, and leave your friends wondering what your secret is!

The SMAS Facelift

Because your face is as unique as you are, your facelift surgery will be individually tailored to resolve your specific “problem areas” and achieve your specific aesthetic goals.  At your initial consultation, Dr. Richards will conduct a comprehensive analysis of your facial anatomy and aging pattern, as well as perform a review of your medical history, in order to create a custom-tailored facial rejuvenation treatment plan.  Facelift surgery with Dr. Richards is performed as an outpatient procedure under IV sedation or general anesthesia.  It usually takes between 2-5 hours, depending on the scope of revitalization required and whether an ancillary procedure such as a neck lift (platysmaplasty) is also needed to optimize your results.

Dr. Richards utilizes the most advanced surgical techniques such as the SMAS facelift, currently the “gold standard” in advanced facelifts.  SMAS, or the Superficial Muscular Aponeurotic System, refers to the fibrous extensions that run through the layers of subcutaneous fat to the epidermal (outermost) layer of the skin on the face.  This system enables the three layers of facial skin to move together as a single unit.  The SMAS plication, combined with a dual plane (or deep plane) facelift, is a powerful combination of techniques that lifts the tissues of the face from the deepest layers, pulling upward rather than back, eliminating lines and wrinkles, improving facial contours, enhancing the appearance of the cheeks and mid face, and most importantly, ensuring natural-looking results.

The SMAS technique involves small, precise incisions placed carefully in front of and behind the ear so as to avoid visible scarring.  When appropriate, Dr. Richards will perform liposuction to remove excess fatty deposits, then tighten the facial musculature and remove and/or reposition loose, hanging skin.  Patients with sagging jowls, a double chin, or hanging skin in the neck may also require a simultaneous neck lift to achieve optimal results.  

After facelift surgery, most patients will experience a certain amount of facial swelling and bruising, especially during the first 24-48 hours after surgery.  We encourage patients to keep their head elevated as much as possible during this time.  While the majority of facial bruising should subside within two weeks, residual swelling may require an additional 1-2 weeks to completely abate, after which your refreshed, youthful, naturally-beautiful face should become readily apparent.

 

Contact Dr. Richards

At Dr. Bryson Richards' practice located in Las Vegas, Nevada, we strive to offer a comprehensive menu of aesthetic services designed to deliver long lasting, highly effective results while minimizing discomfort and downtime, as well as the potential for risk and complications, as much as possible.  Dr. Bryson Richards is a highly skilled and experienced plastic surgeon dedicated to utilizing only the most state-of-the-art technologies and techniques, while maintaining exceptionally high standards of patient education and care at all times.  Whether you are seeking non-invasive rejuvenation to enhance your youthful glow or a surgical solution to a long-standing aesthetic concern, Dr. Richards and his highly trained, fully licensed staff will work closely with you to develop a treatment approach that is custom-tailored to achieve your unique goals and enhance your unique beauty.

If you would like more information on the amazing benefits of a surgical facelift with Dr. Bryson Richards, or would like to learn more about our other surgical procedures and non-surgical rejuvenation techniques, we encourage you to contact our office for a consultation today.  We look forward to hearing from you!