Facelift / Necklift
Facial aging can be a slow, graceful process for many people. Fine lines and wrinkles emerge gradually, almost imperceptibly. But years of sun exposure, gravity, stress, and other factors ultimately affect all of us and can make you look older than you feel. A facelift performed by Richmond, Virginia plastic surgeon Dr. Gordon Lewis can restore a more youthful appearance.
Pricing: Starts at
$16,850
Turn Back Time with a Natural, Refreshed Look
A facelift, or rhytidectomy, is a transformative cosmetic procedure designed to rejuvenate your appearance by addressing the visible signs of aging in the face and neck. By tightening loose skin, smoothing deep folds, and restoring youthful contours, a facelift can help you look as vibrant and confident as you feel inside.
Dr. Lewis is an expert and performs facelift techniques focus on achieving natural, long-lasting results without creating a “pulled” or artificial appearance. We aim to enhance your unique features, leaving you looking refreshed and radiant.
What Can a Facelift Address?
- Sagging skin in the mid-face, jawline, and neck.
- Volume loss in the midface
- Jowls or loss of definition in the lower face.
- A tired or aged appearance.
Why Choose a Facelift?
- Youthful Contours: Restore natural definition to your face and neck.
- Long-Lasting Results: Enjoy a rejuvenated look that lasts for years.
- Boosted Confidence: Feel empowered by your refreshed appearance.
Facelift surgery is often combined with complementary procedures like eyelid surgery or non-surgical treatments to achieve a comprehensive, harmonious transformation.
Your Journey to a Youthful Glow Starts Here
Our personalized approach ensures every facelift is tailored to your unique anatomy and aesthetic goals. From your initial consultation to your final results, we’ll be with you every step of the way.
Ready to look and feel your best? Contact us today to schedule your consultation and discover how a facelift can bring out your natural beauty.
Who Is a Candidate for a Facelift/Necklift?
The ideal candidate for a facelift is a person between ages 40 and 70 who is interested in improvement of the shape and structure of their face. It is rare that medical problems cannot be managed in a way that is safe for surgery. High blood pressure and diabetes must be under control. Nicotine is exceptionally bad for the results of a facelift and must be fully avoided for 4 weeks prior to surgery and 2 weeks after. Dr. Lewis will not perform a facelift on an active smoker or nicotine user.
Younger patients may be candidates for one of the mini-facelift options that Dr. Lewis offers such as the MACS lift. This allows a faster return to normal work schedule and work activity.
Cost in Richmond
During your initial consultation, we provide a breakdown of all costs related to your procedure. This includes:
- Dr. Lewis’ fee
- Operating room fee
- Anesthesia fee
- Fee for Cosmetasure (insurance covering complication in the short post-operative period)
We make absolutely sure there are no hidden costs and no surprises.
Your Procedure
A facelift is one of the options Dr. Lewis offers to help address facial aging. It can restore a more youthful look to the lower and mid face and is nearly always done in a way to improve the contour of the neck as well. It can also be combined with other procedures to decrease the appearance of aging in the eyes and forehead.
It is commonly performed with other procedures such as:
- Fat grafting- restores lost volume beneath the eyes and on the cheeks
- Blepharoplasty- restores youthful contour to the eyelids
- Chemical Peel- improves texture to the skin
- Fractionated CO2 laser- stronger option to help smooth the texture of the skin
- Brow Lift- subtle increase in the height of the eyebrow
Individualized Approach
Dr. Lewis is a facelift specialist and uses various surgical techniques to produce optimal results. He individualizes his approach based on which option he thinks is best for you.
This operation is much more than just removing some excess skin. The primary goal of a facelift is to tighten the structures underneath the skin (the SMAS or superficial muscular aponeurotic system) and to reposition the fatty structures of the face to their more natural position.
This involves making an incision around the ear in a position that heals very well. Through this incision, we can lift the skin over the cheeks and subsequently carefully lift and tighten the SMAS layer to a more youthful position. This lift and tightening can be performed in a variety of ways. We will use sutures to expertly reposition this tissue to a higher and more natural location.
At the same time, the neck is addressed. The looseness in the neck is primarily driven by the underlying platysma muscle. This is divided and pulled backward to tighten the front of the neck. Usually this can be done through the incision around the ear, but occasionally an incision is needed under the chin.
After the underlying SMAS has been tightened and repositioned, the overlying skin can be repositioned. Now that the underlying tissue has been tightened, there is more skin than is needed and the excess is removed. The incision around the ear is very carefully repaired and the operation is finished.
A Note on Incisions
One of the tell-tale signs of a facelift is the incision around the ear. In all facelift-type surgeries (facelift, MACS lift, Lifestyle lift, mini-facelift, etc.) there is an incision at least in front of the ear.
Dr. Lewis is very skilled at making this scar blend in with the contours of the ear. Some surgeons will place this incision in the skin in front of the ear believing this scar heals well enough (it is also technically easier). Dr. Lewis believes this incision should be placed very close to the contours of the ear, and even within the ear in places. This makes for an incision that is usually nearly impossible to see without close examination.
The enables you to be able to wear your hair in any style you wish.
Recovery
This operation can provide a tremendous improvement for the look of your face, but it can have some moderate bruising and swelling as well. Some of Dr. Lewis’ patients have returned to work as early as a week after surgery, but we recommend taking 2 weeks off to fully recover.
Immediately after surgery, you will have a bulky dressing in place to capture any drainage you’re your incisions. You will also have a small drain to collect fluid from underneath the skin. You will return to our office the day after your surgery to remove this bulky dressing and to make sure all is going well. This visit isn’t needed If you elect to spend the night at the hospital.
Your second visit after surgery, will be for the removal of the sutures. This is done usually 5 days after the surgery. If the drain was not removed on the first visit, it will be removed on this one. After your suture removal, you may start applying makeup, including concealer and your return to normal life can resume at your leisure.
Refrain from strenuous exercise for at least 3 weeks after surgery to avoid increasing your blood pressure, which can potentially increase swelling and bruising.
Reducing Risks & Complications
With any surgical procedure there are risks that you must be aware of. To minimize the risks, ensure your surgery is conducted in a safe and secure environment using the latest surgical techniques by checking the certifications and accreditation of your surgeon. Accreditation boards and bodies are there to protect you. Dr. Gordon Lewis is one of the top facelift surgeons in Richmond and has more than 10 years of surgical experience. He is affiliated with several important professional organizations, including:
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)
- Richmond Academy of Medicine
- Medical Society of Virginia
- American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
In general, this surgery is very safe and is well tolerated. It is rare that serious complications happen. We will speak with you at length about these risks and answer all your questions.
Consultation Expectations
During your comprehensive 1-on-1 consultation, we cover several areas of discussion, including:
- Medical history and current medications
- Your aesthetic goals
- Your concerns about the surgery
- Options for surgically correcting these issues
- Risks associated with each option
- Estimated cost and financing options
Expect to spend close to an hour in our office for the consultation.
Location
Dr. Lewis performs surgical procedures at an accredited outpatient surgical center or a local hospital. He is affiliated with several local medical centers where his patients undergo surgery. He primarily operates at these locations:
Johnston-Willis Hospital
Stony Point Surgery Center
Initial consultations, follow up appointments and all non-surgical treatments and minor surgical procedures are performed at Lewis Plastic Surgery in Midlothian, VA.