Cape Coral Facelift doctors

While excellent temporary improvements can be obtained using dermal fillers, Sculptra and Botox Cosmetic, true long term facial rejuvenation often requires a lifting procedures such as a Facelift or mini-lift.

Key Points:

1. Consult with a board certified plastic surgeon who can offer the entire spectrum of procedures and does not have a vested interest into talking you into the one procedure they do (like Sculptra injections)

2. Remember fillers, Botox Cosmetic and Sculptra are temporary, so look at your long term costs over a 10 year period if you plan to use only these alternatives

3. Often the "liquid" part of the liquid Facelift (dermal fillers, Botox Cosmetic, and Sculptra) work even better if they are combined with a real Facelift.

$ While you may save time and money with a liquid Facelift in the short term, your long term costs and downtime could easily be greater than just doing the Facelift (and you would have an overall better result with the real Facelift).

During a normal recovery from a facelift some bruising is expected. It usually occurs low in the neck and resolves over 7 - 10 days. Bruising can be reduced by the following measures:

1. Stop all blood thinning medications, supplements and herbal products prior to surgery. Your plastic surgeon should supply a list but the most common include aspirin, NSAID's like Advil, Motrin or Aleve, Ginkgo, Garlic, Ginseng and many more

2. Use Arnica Montana before and a few days after surgery. In my experience this herbal product does reduce bruising.

3. Closely follow your pre-op and post-op instructions concerning reduced activity levels, avoiding lifting and straining, keeping your head elevated at night as well as using ice packs on schedule.

Hematoma formation or development of a blood collection under the skin is unusual and happens in less than 5% of facelift patients. They usually occur in patients with the following predispositions:

1. Men because they have more vascular facial skin due to the beard hair and they have a tendency to become too active too soon.

2. Poorly controlled high blood pressure. Elevate blood pressure just after surgery can causes previously sealed blood vessels to open and bleed

3. Blood Thinning Medications, especially aspirin, which inhibits the normal platelet function needed for clotting following surgery. Aspirin should be stopped a full 2 weeks before surgery

4. Smoking. Nicotine reduces the blood supply to the skin edges and raises the blood pressure. This is all bad for facelift recovery

While the men out there can’t change this risk factor, the other 3 can be controlled. Making sure your high blood pressure is well controlled before surgery, stopping smoking 3 weeks prior to surgery and avoiding blood-thinning medications will reduce your risk greatly. Always take your normal blood pressure medicine the morning of surgery (check with your doctor if it is a diuretic).

As for men, they should be especially cautious to avoiding lifting, straining and vigorous physical activity for a full 3 weeks following facelift surgery.