Facelift | Neck Lift
Facelift | Neck Lift in Dallas | Plano with Dr. Ali Abtahi
Sagging skin and deep wrinkles on the face and neck are among people’s most common aesthetic issues as they age. One of the most effective and permanent treatments for this is a facelift or neck lift—cosmetic surgery procedures that remove excess skin from the desired area and re-drape the remaining skin tightly, creating a wrinkle-free, youthful appearance.
These procedures are so effective at making patients look decades younger than they are among the top 5 most popular cosmetic procedures in the U.S., with over 230,000 facelifts and 160,000 neck lifts performed each year—but optimizing the results for each patient means choosing the right surgeon.
When choosing Dr. Ali Abtahi as a facelift or neck lift surgeon, patients get an expertly trained and highly experienced professional who guides the patient’s entire aesthetic journey. To Dr. Abtahi, plastic surgery is a tool that helps patients achieve and lead a generally healthy life. He recognizes his role as a surgeon and human being is to help patients obtain an optimum level of health, which includes looking and feeling better about themselves.
Learn more about facelift and neck lift surgery by reading on or scheduling a consultation with Dr. Abtahi today. We are located in Plano, TX, and proudly serve patients visiting from Fort Worth, Southlake, Aledo, Dallas, Keller, Frisco, Grapevine, Colleyville, Arlington, and other nearby areas.
What is a Facelift | Neck Lift?
A facelift, medically referred to as a rhytidectomy, improves the visible signs of aging in the face. During a facelift, Dr. Abtahi makes incisions around the ears and along the hairline, then lifts and repositions the underlying tissues to create a smoother, more youthful appearance. The skin is then re-draped over the new contours, and excess skin is removed to smooth the skin’s appearance and eliminate saggy features and deep wrinkles.
A neck lift has a similar principle of removing excess skin and re-draping the remaining tissue, but this procedure focuses specifically on the neck and jawline. Whereas the facelift addresses aesthetic concerns like deep creases and wrinkles around the mouth and upper jawline, a neck lift eliminates vertical wrinkles in the neck and jowls.
Depending on the degree of aging each patient is experiencing, combining both a facelift and neck lift may be necessary to achieve a fully rejuvenated appearance. One without the other may result in an unfinished-looking appearance.
What Are Some Common Reasons a Person Might Want a Facelift or Neck Lift?
A facelift and neck lift are procedures with similar goals that target different areas of a patient’s body. As such, reasons for desiring a facelift or neck lift can be similar and may include:
Sagging Skin Leading to Deep Wrinkles: The face and neck are highly susceptible to the formation of wrinkles over time. Depending on where these wrinkles are most prominent, a facelift or neck lift will help the patient enjoy a smoother, more youthful appearance.
Loss of Volume: Specifically, in the cheeks, a loss of facial volume can lead to a hollow appearance. A facelift is particularly effective at helping restore volume and reduce sagging skin in the mid-face.
Double Chin: The neck lift helps give patients a tighter, more defined chin and jawline.
Your Dallas-Fort Worth Facelift | Neck Lift Consultation
One of the first and most critical steps in Dr. Abtahi’s facelift and neck lift procedures is a consultation to discuss individual goals, medical history, and each patient’s unique anatomy. This step is crucial for determining goals, aligning expectations, and preparing for an aesthetic journey.
Meet Ali R. Abtahi, DO MSc
Dr. Ali R. Abtahi, DO MSc is a highly skilled surgeon with extensive training in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Comprehensive Aesthetic Surgery, and General Surgery. Through his artistic vision and sincere passion for plastic surgery of the utmost quality, Dr. Abtahi is dedicated to delivering an elite, personalized experience.
Choosing the Right Facelift and Neck Lift Surgeon in Dallas, Tx
Accomplishing the desired results from a facelift or neck lift depends on choosing the right plastic surgeon. While cost is a consideration, there are far more components patients must strongly consider before settling on a surgeon.
Dr. Abtahi also recommends consulting with several surgeons before selecting one so that patients understand different approaches and skill levels. Things to consider between each surgeon include:
Is the surgeon board-certified? Does the surgeon have other affiliations with research laboratories or universities? Do they contribute to medical research in the field?
How long has the surgeon been practicing? Do they specialize in a particular type of plastic surgery, such as on the body or the face?
These assets are a fantastic way for patients to understand the level of a surgeon’s work. For example, looking at facelift before and after photos can help the patient to see how the surgeon works with different facial structures. Look for previous patients who have a similar appearance and assess how their results look.
A patient’s connection with their surgeon will make the aesthetic journey far more productive and enjoyable. Open communication and feeling comfortable are key to achieving each patient’s desired results.
What Are the Basic Steps Involved with Dr. Abtahi’s Facelift and Neck Lift Procedures?
The similarities between facelift and neck lift surgeries mean the fundamental steps involved in each procedure are quite similar. Each surgery involves the following steps:
Anesthesia: On the day of facelift surgery, after arriving at Dr. Abtahi’s clinic and getting checked in, the first step in the actual surgical procedure is administering anesthesia. Facelift and neck lift surgeries are performed under general anesthesia, meaning the patient will be asleep for the whole treatment.
Incisions: Dr. Abtahi will make incisions around the ears and the hairline for a facelift. Incisions will be placed under the chin and behind the ears for a neck lift. The location and length of the incisions will depend on the specific technique, depending on the patient’s anatomy and goals, and will be determined during the consultation phase.
Tissue Repositioning: Dr. Abtahi then lifts and repositions the underlying tissues of the face or neck to create a more youthful and defined appearance. The skin is then re-draped over the new contours to eliminate wrinkles and add volume and definition to the face or neck.
Fat Removal or Grafting: Depending on the patient’s needs and goals, Dr. Abtahi may also remove or add fat to specific facial or neck regions to create more balanced and natural-looking results.
What to Expect in Recovery
After the procedure, Dr. Abtahi will provide thorough instructions for recovery and follow-up appointments to monitor the healing process and address any concerns.
The benefits of choosing a plastic surgeon like Dr. Abtahi is that he is with his patients throughout their entire journey, working as a guide to ensure there are no unanswered questions or worries.
Schedule a Dallas Facelift or Neck Lift Consultation Today
Facelift | Neck Lift in Dallas, TX FAQs
Most patients feel comfortable returning to work or social obligations 10-14 days following their facelift and neck lift surgery. At one week with appropriate camouflaging (hair down, scarf, sunglasses, etc.) you can easily go to the grocery store or small outing without drawing much attention to yourself. On average, at one week, about 50% of your swelling will be gone. At two weeks, about 80% of your swelling will be gone. At two months, about 90% of your swelling will be gone. Adjunctive procedures, like fat grafting, eyelid surgery, lip lift, brow lift, or CO2 laser, may slightly prolong this timeline.
If you ask 5 different surgeons what a mini-facelift is, you’ll get 5 different answers. Rather than use this nomenclature, Dr. Abtahi prefers to simply describe the areas of the face being lifted. A traditional facelift involves addressing laxity of the cheek, lower face, and neck. A mini-facelift addresses only one or two of these components. In both cases, the technique used is the same — a deep plane approach where ligaments are released for a natural and maximized lift. In some cases, a minimal access approach may be used to lift all of the areas that a traditional facelift does. Every facial surgery case is different and is customized to the patient’s needs.
Whether you are undergoing plastic or reconstructive surgery, we try to make the preparatory process very simple for you. Prior to your facial cosmetic surgery date, we will meet for a pre-operative visit, during which we will give you a detailed list of medications to avoid, your post-operative instructions, a bag of all the supplies you’ll need to take care of yourself, as well as send in prescriptions to your pharmacy. It’s best to fill the prescriptions prior to your surgery date, so it’s one less thing you have to do after the fact. Be sure to share your post-op instructions with whoever is helping to take care of you so that you are both familiar with the instructions and restrictions before the surgery even takes place. Meal prepping is also beneficial.
The age of patients receiving a facelift and/ or neck lift greatly varies. Massive weight loss patients can present as young as their 20s or 30s needing a lift. Patients in their 40s are a very popular age for face and neck lifting now because the results aren’t as conspicuous to friends and family, and many of these patients are looking to avoid the alien look that can result from over-filling. Patients in their 50s and 60s are the most common age group to have aging face surgery as this group has typically maxed out on the benefits of non-surgical modalities. Dr. Abtahi also performs facelifts on patients in their 70s and 80s. As long as you are a consenting adult in good health with a correctable condition, you are a surgical candidate.
A “liquid facelift” is a misnomer since dermal fillers do not lift tissue (in spite of everything you may have been told before). Filler simply adds volume and improves the contour and proportions of the face. This is easier to get away with when you are younger, but as you age and require more product to contour, overfilling is a risk and mistake made by many non-surgeon practitioners. Unfortunately, the alienation of the face by overfilling is what many patients assume is a surgical outcome. A traditional facelift or neck lift surgery will make you appear more natural as it is simply repositioning and lifting your tissues to where they came from when you were younger.
Most modern facelift surgery involves tightening the layer of tissue known as the SMAS. During a deep plane facelift, Dr. Abtahi elevates this layer of tissue in the face and releases the ligaments in the face to allow for maximal lifting power and durability as well as the most natural repositioning of the aging tissues. A deep plane facelift also eliminates skin tension once the skin excess is removed and tailored. The deep plane facelift is an advanced procedure, and most surgeons do not utilize this technique because of its complexity.
The ultimate goal of a facelift and neck lift is that you can wear any hairstyle with inconspicuous scarring. As the scars along the hairline heal, the incisions are designed to allow hair growth through them for optimal camouflage. The remaining incisions are placed in natural creases and transition zones in the face for optimal camouflage.
Most patients feel comfortable returning to work or social obligations 10-14 days following their facelift surgery. On average, in one week, about 50% of your swelling will be gone. At two weeks, about 80% of your swelling will be gone. At two months, about 90% of your swelling will be gone. Adjunctive procedures, like lip lift, blepharoplasty, fat grafting, or CO2 laser, may slightly prolong this timeline.