Understanding the Facelift

Phoenix Facelift

Dr. Jacobsen recognizes there are many options when it comes to receiving a facelift in Phoenix. One’s face is possibly the most personal and precious part of their body, and as such the facelift is a delicate procedure to be allowing a facial plastic surgeon in Phoenix to perform. Dr. Jacobsen feels very privileged and honored for every patient that lets him care for their facelift and sculpt the face that they have always wanted. Although the title of best cosmetic surgeon in Phoenix is subjective, Dr. Jacobsen can assure you that you will have one of the best experiences in Phoenix facial plastic surgery.

When it comes to Phoenix facelift doctors, Dr. Jacobsen strives to provide top-tier service before, during and after the procedure. Some surgeons claim in their advertising that they teach other surgeons how to perform facelifts or other cosmetic surgery in Phoenix to elevate their advertised facelift skills as a marketing technique. Dr. Jacobsen instead uses that time to further his own techniques, instead of teaching something that can always be improved on. Dr. Jacobsen will personally assure you that you will have an excellent and safe surgical procedure for your facelift followed by care by his staff, and fastidious follow-up 7 days a week. Dr. Jacobsen will be there for you, and will answer your calls, emails and your text messages after your surgery. When it comes to Phoenix facial plastic surgery, Dr. Jacobsen knows that with his excellent surgical skills and wonderful postoperative service you will not only get the facelift you’ve always wanted, but also the best facelift Phoenix experience.

Facelift surgery must be done very carefully. The surgery requires delicate surgical skills and careful attention to detail. Each patient wishes to have certain parts of the face tightened to give a more youthful look or healthier look and a more awake and alert look. Generally, the incisions are in front of the ear hidden in a vertical fold in this position and then following the back of the ear, and then down the scalp at the hairline, and behind the ear as well.  These incisions are often easily hidden into the normal lines of the face.

Through these incisions, the face can be lifted. Lifting the neck and creating a better contour to the neck and the angle under the chin tightening this area as well as the lower and middle portion of the face.  Skin is removed that allows the face and neck to be tightened.  Often an incision is required under the chin to assist in tightening the neck, creating a more favorable angle under the chin.

Most patients wish to have a natural look, and do not wish to be pulled tight too much. Leaving a freshened and healthier appearance without looking like they have had a facelift or recent operation.  Dr. Jacobsen does his best to give you a natural look without pulling it too much.

The number 1 question patients ask is what is their downtime?  The downtime is particularly different depending on what your daily life is like.  If you have a conference or have to give a talk to a large room with people you probably will need to have 3 weeks of recovery to allow the swelling to go to an adequately to feel comfortable speaking in front of people.  However, if you are working at a desk and are comfortable you likely can return to work in a week.

There often is swelling that needs to be cared for, and only time will bring this down.  Most the swelling is largely gone after the 1st week and then continues to go down over the next 2 weeks.  Because the facelift really is not noticeably painful, people tend to do more after the surgery than they should.  Dr. Jacobsen and his staff warn patients to minimize physical activity and to avoid lifting and straining and bending over or loading the dishwasher or opening heavy doors or carrying heavy bags.  This causes swelling to persist.  If you do too much you will have persistent swelling.

Often the facelift and the neck lift combined into one operation. The facelift when it is done by tightening the lower face a portion of the upper neck must be tightened as well to have a tapered appearance from the face to the neck. Similarly, if the neck is the main focus of the tightening, then a portion of the lower face must be tightened as well so that the neck tapers nicely into the face. The face cannot be tightened entirely by itself without the neck. The neck cannot be tightened entirely by itself without the face being tightened as well so that there is a nice taper from one anatomic area to another.

Dr. Jacobsen uses a compressive elastic garment that extends from the top of the head with a Velcro under the chin and the face to apply gentle pressure to give a nice contour to the neck and to prevent bruising and bleeding after the operation. This usually is used only for 3 or 4 days after the surgery.

Women usually asked about using ice on their face. I do not recommend using ice on the facial skin after the surgery as this can cause some injury to the skin.

Facelift operations are very well tolerated by women. It is nearly painless. It is one of the most painless operations and cosmetic surgery. It would seem as though the operation would be quite painful, because of the incision and the sensitivity around the face and neck. However, most women feel very little pain but more of a sensation of tightness. It is very important after the operation to avoid lifting or straining.

The incisions are finally closed with very fine suture material. Usually Dr. Jacobsen uses 7-0 Vicryl absorbable suture material. The suture material is dissolvable and usually falls out on its own after about 2 weeks.  The incisions are sealed with a fine layer of DermaBond a cyanoacrylate that is most like superglue but is flexible and is sterile.  This seals the incision and prevents bleeding and allows you to shower after the surgery immediately.  The incisions after the surgery required no creams or ointments or any specific care other than keeping them clean and dry with antibacterial soap and water.  You may shower directly after the incision as well.  It is best to treat the facial incisions after surgery with ice taking care not to freeze the skin with direct icing but using indirect icing with frozen peas in thin Ziploc bags or masks that can be obtained at the pharmacy that are filled with gel that can be frozen and interchange throughout the first day or 2 after surgery.  After the first 24 or 48 hours ice or cold packs will no longer help alleviate swelling. In the first day this can be very comforting and prevent additional bruising and minimize the swelling. The best way to minimize the swelling however is to avoid lifting and straining after the operation.  Even minor bending over to load the dishwasher can often allow your face to fill up with blood and feel congested and cause you to bruise or bleed.  It is best not to bend over or to lift and to allow your family to help you with car doors and heavy doors wherever you are.  He should sleep with her head of bed elevated at least 30° with an extra pillow which helps a great deal as well.  Your blood pressure should be maintained in a normal range as well.  Bruising always goes away with time and is always disappointing when patient skin bruising around your face and neck. It always goes away with time, but it is best to avoid this is much as possible with your own postoperative care. In a leading city of plastic surgery, techniques used in Phoenix facial plastic surgery are regarded as some of the best. If you’re considering a facelift Phoenix experience, please feel free to contact Dr. Jacobsen’s office with any questions or to schedule an appointment!

Dr. Jacobson rarely uses drains.

Normally for a full facelift the patient stays overnight in the surgery center recovery care center so that we can control your blood pressure and any pain issues that you may have as well as insure that you are well hydrated and without any nausea so that you can recover smoothly. Often, patients feel perfect throughout the day after the surgery and wonder whether why they stayed overnight. Usually patients feel great because the nursing staff there under Dr. Jacobsen’s direction and take great care to make sure that you are as comfortable as possible.

Dr. Jacobsen prescribes a facial garment that is compressive that is worn under the chin and over the cheeks for the first few days to minimize any bleeding and to minimize any swelling. This is a comfortable elastic device that can be taken on and off after the surgery.

Patients often wish to have only their neck or only their face done without the other.  It should be kept in mind however whenever the neck is lifted that the lower part of the face has to be lifted a little bit with it otherwise there is a transition zone between the neck and the face that causes folds, so a neck lift has to be tapered up onto the face.  Inversely, if the face is done, the lower face has to be tapered by lifting a portion of the upper neck as well otherwise there is another transition zone between the face and the neck that causes folds so a facelift has to be tapered down onto the upper portion of the neck.

Commonly the chin is somewhat saggy.  Chin is sag can create the loss of the sharp angle and definition of the underside of the chin with the neck.  During the facelift this area is rejuvenated by making a small incision under the chin directly in the fold under the chin that all adults have. In this way this incision is hidden. This incision can be used to remove some of the fat under the chin and to tighten the muscles under the chin as well. This gives a much sharper angle to the chin and to the neck. As a result, there are often incisions in front of the ear behind the ear and under the chin as well.

It should be noted that for men many times a facelift is a bit more complicated.  Because of the bearded skin there is more likelihood of bleeding and bruising postoperatively.  The blood supply to the bearded hair bearing skin of the face and neck in men is much more profound and thicker.  This can be managed and a facelift in a man is safe however it requires very careful surgery and very careful postoperative care. This can change the border of the hair bearing skin as it pulls the hair bearing skin laterally towards the ear slightly and up towards posterior neck as well. Sometimes male patients will have to shave just a little bit differently to accommodate the facelift.

Some Key Notes

  • All the sutures are used by Dr. Jacobsen are dissolvable.  Drains are rarely used.  All the incisions have surgical sterile glue placed on the incisions, so you may take a shower the same day after surgery.
  • Facelift surgery must be done under a light general anesthesia and SurgiCenter.  He will need to have a physical by your family doctor electrocardiogram and blood work done ahead of time.
  • Patients are often concerned that they may need another facelift in the future.  This is possible.  The likelihood of needing an additional facelift in the future is dependent on many factors including the nature of your skin, your activity, smoking, and other risk factors.  You do not have to wait until you are very old and look very old before you can have a facelift.
  • Younger patients are now having facelifts in their 40s. Even having a small mini facelift to help freshen their face with minimal scarring.  The mini facelift has a very short downtime.

WHAT IS A FACELIFT?

facelift, or rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure that improves visible signs of aging in the face and neck, such as:

  • Sagging in the middle of your face
  • Deep creases below the lower eyelids
  • Deep creases along the nose extending to the corner of the mouth
  • Fat that has fallen or has disappeared
  • Loss of skin tone in the lower face that creates jowls
  • Loose skin and excess fatty deposits under the chin and jaw can give even a person of normal weight the appearance of a double chin

The loss of youthful contours in the face can be due to a variety of factors, including heredity, gravity, environmental conditions, and stress.

Rejuvenation procedures typically performed in conjunction with a facelift are brow lift, to correct a sagging or deeply furrowed brow, and eyelid surgery to rejuvenate aging eyes.

WHAT A FACELIFT WON’T DO

As a restorative surgery, a facelift does not change your fundamental appearance and cannot stop the aging process. A facelift can only be performed surgically; non-surgical rejuvenation treatments cannot achieve the same results, but may help delay the time at which a facelift becomes appropriate and complement the results of surgery.

Phoenix facelift doctors are some of the most renowned in the world. If you considering a facelift in Phoenix or are interested in learning more, please feel free to contact our office to learn more.

Facelift procedure steps

A facelift procedure includes the following steps:

STEP 1: ANESTHESIA

Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedure. The choices include intravenous sedation and general anesthesia. Your doctor will recommend the best choice for you.

A variety of other procedures can further enhance the outcome of a facelift. They include:

STEP 2: THE INCISION

Depending on the degree of change you’d like to see, your facelift choices include a traditional facelift, limited incision facelift or a neck lift.

A traditional facelift incision often begins in the hairline at the temples, continues around the ear and ends in the lower scalp. Fat may be sculpted or redistributed from the face, jowls and neck, and underlying tissue is repositioned, commonly the deeper layers of the face and the muscles are also lifted. Skin is redraped over the uplifted contours and excess skin is trimmed away.

A second incision under the chin may be necessary to further improve an aging neck. Sutures or skin adhesives close the incisions.

Traditional Facelift

An alternative to a traditional facelift uses shorter incisions at the temples, continuing around the ear and possibly within the lower eyelids or under the upper lip.

Limited Incision – Mini Facelift

Sagging jowls, loose neck skin and fat accumulation under the chin may be corrected with a neck lift. The neck lift incision often begins in front of the ear lobe and wraps around behind the ear ending in the lower scalp.

Neck Lift

The neck lift is usually combined with a facelift.  The neck lift is used to correct redundant skin on the neck particularly under the chin.  The skin is not excised directly under the chin which leaves quite a considerable scar.  Instead the skin is pulled up behind the ear on the LEFT and RIGHT side and the dissection is carried from behind the ear down to the neck allowing the skin to be lifted from the LEFT and RIGHT side just as you would do with your hands in front of the mirror.  This tightens the skin around the neck and under the chin.  An additional incision as often made under the chin allowing fat to be removed under the chin and the muscle and the chin to be tightened to give a better angle under the chin and a sharper appearance to the angle of the chin.  The neck lift is rarely done by itself and is usually done in combination with a facelift.  If the neck skin is pulled tight it will create an imbalance look with the facial skin that is not pulled tight.  So generally, with a facelift the neck is pulled up slightly as well and with the neck lift the face is pulled up slightly as well.  Generally speaking with a full facelift the neck is limited to some significant degree as a matter of the course of a facelift.  What you need and what you want to change can be determined by examination and Dr. Jacobsen can help you with this.

 

STEP 3: CLOSING THE INCISIONS

Once healed, the incision lines from a facelift are well concealed within the hairline and in the natural contours of the face and ear.

Affordable Facelift Phoenix – Facelift Pricing

Total All-Inclusive Fees$ 11,435
Dr Js Surgical Fees$ 8,000
Garment$70
Payment to Dr Jacobsen$8,070
Estimated Anesthesia Fee$1,040
Payment to St Joe’s SurgiCenter – Overnight$1,500
Total Payments$11,435

Note: This is a pre-examination estimate that is appropriate for most patients wishing this service.  The fees may change slightly based on your personal needs.

Dr J and his staff look forward to understanding the details of your unique case, desires and aspirations, and to providing you with realistic, safe and attainable results that leave you looking beautiful, and truly feeling like yourself. Take the first step toward your healing or rejuvenating procedure with Dr J by filling out our contact form to request a consultation, or to inquire about any of the services we offer. We look forward to treating you!


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  • Dr. J has an amazing personality and the surgery was quick, painless, and perfect. I didn’t even need to take any painkillers after I woke up. I look and feel so much better. Would highly recommend him to anyone considering surgery. The staff was also incredibly easy to work with. All around great office energy and the medical staff at the surgery center are so sweet.

    Crystal Greer Avatar Crystal Greer
    July 12, 2021
  • I’m 9 days post op and I’m very happy with the results so far (still healing). Dr. J is easy to talk to. I went in for a consult and was able to schedule the procedure for the very next week. All went very well. I was so afraid to remove the bandages - I was expecting a bloody/bruised mess. I was pleasantly surprised to see tiny incisions with no scabbing or bruising. I’m very impressed.

    Olimpia Garner Avatar Olimpia Garner
    April 24, 2021
  • Enjoyed meeting and working with Dr. J. I had an eye lift and it was a pleasant experience from start to finish. Dr. J’s bed side manner is very personable and genuine. He explained everything step by step and made the procedure very painless. Even though I’m from Minnesota - I will be coming to Dr. J for any future cosmetic surgical needs. I cannot recommend Dr. J enough.

    Trudy Hart Petersen Avatar Trudy Hart Petersen
    April 24, 2021
  • What a brilliant human! I’m so thankful for finding this amazing genius. I’ve struggled with skin sagging since my weight loss surgery. My arms were my nemesis, I have other skin removal surgeries to have in the future but my arms were really my starting point and I had went to try to freeze the remaining stubborn fat and skin to hopefully shrink. Yeah that didn’t work. Then I found this guy, he’s awesome, his staff is awesome and professional and I cannot say thank you enough to this life changing leap into the rest of my journey. I truly and blessed to have had the opportunity to be able to experience the joy he has for his craft. He has truly changed my life. Thank you Dr. J.

    Sholeena Gable Avatar Sholeena Gable
    January 8, 2021
  • I, Theresa Buschbacher, prepared this review and submitted it on my husband,s account. Superb, Excellent, Caring, Compassionate, Knowledgeable, Experienced, these are all descriptive terms that one must earn. Dr.J has completely filled the requirements of each and every of these terms and they can all equally be applied to him. His knowledge immediately puts you at ease (and when what he says will happen does actually happen, you get a big smile inside and you know you have a relationship with an excellent doctor)! Now for the support staff, they relate to you and express a genuine concern for what you are going through. They work with you and put you at ease while accomplishing what is needed for the “business end” of the doctor’s office. This is a WINNER!!

    Mike Buschbacher Avatar Mike Buschbacher
    December 16, 2020
  • Dr. Jacobsen and his staff did such an amazing job taking care of me. Went in for my consultation on Tuesday and they were able to get me in surgery by Thursday. By far the best prices in the valley after searching everywhere! Incredible care! I have referred all my friends to Dr. Jacobsen!

    C D Avatar C D
    November 13, 2020
  • I got in right away. I felt very reassured that I was in very professional caring hands. I highly recommend Dr. Jacobsen. The staff was very friendly. The office was very nice and comfortable. My experience was beautiful. I’m very thankful to have been his patient today. ❤️

    Aimee Beth Avatar Aimee Beth
    November 6, 2020
  • This will be a long review but worth the read! I'm beyond impressed with the overall quality, cleanliness, prices, customer service and results. First impressions, their branding of their classy theme provided an elegance that I felt right at home. I felt like a king who was going to get the best treatment! Secondly, very clean... I mean this place was immaculate! You can tell these folks worked hard to build their business and put in the work to upkeep it! As a business owner myself I applaud the way they conduct their business and never loose their family values, that caring, compassionate, family oriented value that most businesses start off with but loose over time. I can tell that money is not their passion. Their customers results are, the smiles and cries one has when they see their results. I was terrified of anesthesia, and when I expressed my concerns about my PTSD the surgeon, anesthesiologist and staff all took the time to sit with me and listen to me then proceed with a break down of how well they were going to take care of me and make sure I have the best experience possible. In which I certainly did! And best part I didn't wake up out of it, scared, panicking or anything like that. I was a little tired of course, but I went live for my fans soon as I got in the car. I felt comfortable the entire time I was waiting and when my nerves were really high I was honest and told them. They put in the extra love to make sure I was ok. When I went back and they gave me whatever magical cocktail, I felt as my procedure was 4 seconds. I didn't wake up during surgery, didn't hear anything nor wake up in pain! Everything they could have possibly done right they absolutely did! I felt safe too. And when I had questions after they were great about responding and following up. The cleanliness was great, and they took all precautions during this time of COVID-19. I knew the day I met Dr. Jacobson during my consultation that he had to be my surgeon! I hope this review helps viewers make that final decision on choosing Dr. Jacobson as their surgeon and if anyone has questions you are more then welcome to ask and I will answer to the best of my abilities? Thank you Dr. Jacobson and your staff?? my results are incredible! And I'm not even fully healed yet and I can't stop staring at my chest! It's a dream come true and it wouldn't have be possible without you and your staff. God bless!

    Darian Terrell Avatar Darian Terrell
    October 12, 2020
  • Got my breast augmentation and lift done here so amazed and pleased with the results hands down a wonderful surgeon and gentleman 5stars all the way around

    Jessica Shipman Avatar Jessica Shipman
    October 3, 2020
  • Dr J is absolutely brilliant. His office and staff are out of this world and his demeanor is so friendly and up beat. He makes you feel like you are in the best possible hands... And you are! The Surgeon I met with before I saw Dr J told me I would need a general anesthetic for my surgery and likely a skin graft. I was terrified. Went to Dr J for a second opinion and he was totally nonchalant about what needed to be done. He did it a week later in his office with just some local freezing and it was amazing! No problems at all. I would never see another Dr for surgery. Dr J is truly above the rest! Even his peers give him awards. His office is full of them! Big hugs to him and his staff for turning this in a happy ending from a scary start.

    Michelle Suzuki Avatar Michelle Suzuki
    October 2, 2020

Get started today!

Dr J and his staff are committed to providing you with exceptional and compassionate care. On behalf of our entire team, we invite you to request a consultation to talk to Dr J about your goals, expectations and aspirations. We can’t wait to find out how our 20-plus years of experience in cosmetic and functional plastic surgery can help change your life, and make you a happier, healthier person.

Dr. William Jacobsen
Plastic Surgery
2525 East Arizona
Biltmore Circle, Suite C236
Phoenix, AZ  85016

Phone: 602-212-0100
Fax: 602.279.1701
info@drjsoffice.com

Our Procedures & Treatments

Dr J considers every surgery an opportunity to express his vision with his patients, and believes in natural, beautiful results that leave you feeling confident and beautiful, but most importantly, feeling like yourself. From extremely rare and complex surgical cases, to cosmetic surgery, Dr J has the experience, compassion and understanding to help you achieve your surgical goals.

Our Procedures & Treatments

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