How effective is this treatment and what does it involve...is it surgery? Is this as good as a "traditional" facelift?
What is a One-hour Facelift?
Doctor Answers 144
I believe it is not how fast I can do surgery, but how good I can make it that is important. My time on the day of surgery will benefit my patients the rest of their lives. Personally, for me, it would be a soulless pursuit for my office to just collect the patients payment and then rush through the procedure and obtain a mediocre result. The real joy is doing my very best knowling my patients and their families have trusted me with their faces and their well-being.
One size fits all surgery will rarely provide patients with the desired results. Today, the popular media is filled with reports of the "latest and greatest" aesthetic treatments and procedures (including surgical procedures), many of which come and go in the blink of an eye. In some instances, the "latest thing" may merely turn out to be ineffective, but in some cases, it may turn out to have an unacceptably high risk of complications, and in a few cases it may turn out to be, quite frankly, dangerous.
One size fits all surgery will rarely provide patients with the desired results. Today, the popular media is filled with reports of the "latest and greatest" aesthetic treatments and procedures (including surgical procedures), many of which come and go in the blink of an eye. In some instances, the "latest thing" may merely turn out to be ineffective, but in some cases, it may turn out to have an unacceptably high risk of complications, and in a few cases it may turn out to be, quite frankly, dangerous.
Web reference: http://www.michaellawmd.com/how-to-choose-a-surgeon.html
A "one hour facelift" is purely a marketing term. Usually a "one hour facelift" gives you only a one hour result. Nobody can do a facelift in one hour and do it well and with any degree of accuracy or predictable results!
Unfortunately there is not a single 'facelift' and consequently, there is not just one 'one hour facelift'.
Facelifts exist on a continuum from a mini facelift to more classic facelifts and the deep plane facelift. When speaking of facelifts, it is important to remember that the classic 'facelift' refers to a lower facelift aimed at helping the jowl and possibly the neck area.
A mini facelift is often performed in one to two hours and can often be performed using local anesthesia. It is primarily designed to address the jowl area and can be combined with other procedures to address the neck as well. The mini facelift is a good procedure for someone with minimal aging changes and an interest in improving the jowls.
More extensive facelifts are generally used in patients with more extensive aging changes and more neck changes. These often require intravenous sedation or general anesthesia. The operations are more extensive but the results are often more noticeable and long lasting.
There are other options for facial rejuvenation including temporary filler enhancement, fat transfer augmentation, and ultrasound and radiofrequency tightening, which are important tools in the right situations.
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" I can do that facelift in one hour" is like, " I can name that tune in three notes". A one hour facelift is a joke. It is truly a marketing tool and no respectable plastic surgeon would ever use such a term. Be very wary of such a ploy and seek out several consults from qualified, board certified surgeons.
All the best,
Tal Raine MD FACS
There are countless marketing gimmicks to entice patients by promising various surgical treatment as "lunch time nose job, one hour facelift, etc." A real facelift operation which includes not only skin removal but also suspension of deeper facial structures will take more than an hour, even in the hands of the fastest surgeon. So a promised one hour operation must omit some steps involved in the surgery. Most likely, only skin is removed without suspending the deeper structures. Such procedures where abandoned over 20 years ago due to very short lived results.
So, don't fall prey to false advertising. The only facial rejuvenation which may be accomplished within an hour is injection of fillers to add volume to the face. But this is not a facelift operation.
Wow! A facelift in an hour. I can't do that. Please let me know how someone can achieve a beautiful, long lasting, naturally looking facelift in one hour. Most skilled plastic surgeons will take approximately 2 to 6 hours to perform a lower facelift and then add some more time if you are adding a brow lift and blepharoplasty. Be careful!
A one hour facelift is a marketing gimmick.
Most board certified surgeons can do a mini facelift in an hour, with minimal undermining. The problem is that as a responsible surgeon, after an hour, you're not done yet. You haven't reached the critical deep tissues to elevate and resuspend them. Instead, it's time for a hasty closure.
Many patients who spend an hour in the operating room and have a substandard result could have spend 90 minutes and have a fabulous minilift result.
Many minilift proponents tout that their facelifts can be done under local anesthesia. Any board certified plastic surgeon can do a facelift under local anesthesia. There is no corner on the market on $2 of local anesthetic.
Under a local anesthetic, you will feel the needles. You will be aware that they are being operated on. This is uncomfortable for many patients, so they prefer some type of sedation. That's why since the 1890's doctors have used anesthetics during surgery.
You can read the blogs and satisfaction rates about branded mini lifts. Then decide for yourself on how happy the patients were.
The secret that many patients are unaware of, is that with the recession, many plastic surgeons' fees are down, almost to the point of the clinics in many cases!
Thank you for your important question. Please understand that a facelift is a facelift and when any other name such as 1 hour, weekend, quick, lifestyle, or other unrelated name is applied to a facelift it is done so for marketing purposes. Many people feel that by putting a name in front of the word facelift that it will convince you that it is less surgery, easier recovery with the same good result that you see with a standard facelift.
Please consult a plastic surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, who is experienced in facelift surgery, has an excellent reputation in your community, and if possible ask to speak to patients that that surgeon has treated.
You want the best result possible if you're investing in facelift surgery and if your surgeon has to use marketing gimmick's convince you to have the surgery in my opinion that is cause for concern.
Web reference: http://drseckel.com/surgical-procedures/face-lift/
Having performed facial surgery for 17 years, I can tell you with certainty there is no such thing as a 1 hour Facelift. Even short incision Minilft procedures, where the SMAS muscle is tightened, take 2 1/2 hours in my hands. I would personally not be comfortable having a procedure based on time as a selling point. These are typically marketed as Lifestyle Lifts and are associated with a significant dissatisfaction index. Caution. Dr. G.
Some time I feel bad for patients today because with all the marketing and media involvement in everything that concerns plastic surgery the public is totally confused. There is no questions that a lesser procedure with a faster recovery is appealing to everyone. So a lot of lesser surgeons or even non surgeons are exploiting it for their own benefit. There is a lot of quackery out there. You need to do your home work and always get a consultation with a real plastic surgeon when it comes to your face and beauty.
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.
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