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Facelift Cost ≈ $12,100 average cost

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True Face Lift Incisions?

I had a facelift in Costa Rica 19 months ago. The results were gone within 3 months, and I had no incisions in the temple area! Now, if I pull up from above my ears, I can see the result I was expecting. Should a true facelift have incisions going into the hairline by the temple?

This has been the biggest mistake of my life, to travel half-way across the world to a doctor who appeared to be at the top of plastic surgery. I wish I had gone to the USA or stayed in England.

Asked 34 months ago by secrets in England.

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incision

Facelift Incisions

I'm sorry to read about your disappointing experience. I rarely use an incision in the temple area; this is not the cause of your poor or non-existent results. It is best for a patient to have their cosmetic surgery in a country where standards and regulations protect the patient. Unfortunately, my only advice is go to an experienced surggeon for your revision.

Doctor's Website

Richard W. Fleming, MD

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

See a plastic surgeon who is a facelift specialist.

It is unfortunate, but not uncommon, to hear this. This is why we tell patients to see an experienced facelift surgeon. In Beverly Hills we have many qualified plastic surgeons who do many facelifts and have a high standard because of this. Making an incision in the temple hair is not usually a good idea in that it elevates the sideburn and temple hair so that an unnatural result is obtained. Thirty years ago we developed the Irregular Trichophytic incision in the hairline so no hair is... more

Toby Mayer, MD

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Incisions for a facelift serve 2 main purposes: access...

Incisions for a facelift serve 2 main purposes: access to the deeper tissues and removal of excess skin. Facelift incisions are something that many people are concerned about before the procedure but, if planned thoughtfully and executed with expertise and care, they should be virtually invisible. The key to the outcome after a facelift is less the incision but more so what has been done underneath the skin. Some repositioning of the SMAS layer is necessary in order to achieve long-lasting... more

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Frank P. Fechner, MD

Worcester Facial Plastic Surgeon

A second procedure would likely provide the rejuvenation you desire

There is indeed a “standard” for characteristic incisions for facelift surgery. However there are variable placements amongst surgeons. More often than not, temple incisions are performed by the majority of facelift surgeons. This is either in the hairline area running horizontally from the ear or running vertically above the ear in the hairline. Now there are some physicians that can get a good result without making incisions in the temporal hairline area, but this is... more

David Q. Santos, MD

Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

Incisions from facelift

There are various incision desgins for facelifts, and not all make temple incisions. Some use hariline or side burn incisions.

Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Short cut facelifts give short cut results.

A thorough facelift almost always give good results. There is a period of convalescence but once this is behiind the patient, most never need another in the future.

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Invisible But Effective Facelift Incisions

Facelift incisions serve the purpose to allow access to the parts of the face being operated upon. You describe disappointment rapidly after your procedure, which generally results from the removal of only a small amount of skin with little or no alteration of the deeper, supporting structures of the face. Since the skin has very unpredictable elasticity, any initial benefits from the surgery are very subtle and short lived. Very effective facelifts can be performed... more

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Daniel Shapiro, MD

Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Facelift Incisions

Facelift incisions help surgeons get access to the structures to lift, as well as allow surgeons a method of removing the excess skin. The economics of plastic surgery is quite different than purchasing a television. Essentially a specific model and brand of television will be the same regardless of where you purchase it. On the other hand, there is a wide difference between a superior result, well-concealed incisions versus wide, poorly healed scars with... more

Anil R. Shah, MD

Chicago Facial Plastic Surgeon

FACELIFT OUTSIDE OF THE U.S.

Facelift involves a well concealed incision that starts either in the hairline or just barely in front of it and travels down and around creases in the ear and either into the hairline in the back of the neck. Lifting and tightening the skin and muscle beneath give the right direction of tightening for a pleasing result. Often in the U.S. patients go outside of the country for "inexpensive" plastic surgery (MEDICAL TOURISM) but there is no real way determine of... more

Earl Stephenson Jr., MD, DDS

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Fcelift incisions

I see a lot of people travel to similar countries and even third world countries to have plastic surgery at a very cheap price. You get what you pay for and sometimes worse. You are lucky there are no major deformities or problems like I have seen commonly. You certainly sound like you would benefit from a real Facelift.

Jason B. Diamond, MD

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Facelift incisions are variable

Facelift incisions are variable. In some cases, incisions in the temples are used while in others, the incision will stop at the edge of the hairline. There is no right or wrong answer. I'm sorry to hear that you did not get the results you want. I would suggest visiting a plastic surgeon who will listen to your concerns and provide possible solutions.

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D.J. Verret, MD

Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon

Facelift incisions

There are many different versions of facelift incisions and some go up into the temple, some along the hairline and some stop right at the top of the ear. At least if you can still make changes occur with your fingers that you like, you could undergo a revision and be happier. Go to a great doctor this time in your area!!

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Some incisions do go into the hairline by the temple

It really depends on what you and other patients desire. You should go to a surgeon who listens to you and does everything he can for you. Temple incisions are used but it depends, again, on what you want. This area of incision does help and allow the surgeon to bring the lift a little higher and work more on the area around your mouth and the lines around it. Three months is definitely not a long term result. But don't worry, there are ways to help you. You will likely need to have it... more

Philip Young, MD

Bellevue Facial Plastic Surgeon

Inadequate Facelift results can be fixed

You are lucky. You have only an inadequate result. That can be fixed. In that we are in South Florida which recieves patients from all over central and South America, I have been involved regularly in patients who have had major complications after various off shore operations. The lucky ones are those whose only problem has been inadequate surgery. They are easy to improve. Think about it; The surgeon abroad must plan an operation which will have you home in a finite period of time.... more