Male Facelift

Many men choose to undergo a facelift to improve deep folds and sagging skin of the face, as well as jowling. When performed by an experienced and skilled plastic surgeon such as Dr. Rian Maercks, the outcome of a facelift is a more attractive and youthful appearance that looks natural and refreshed.

What happens to the face with age

As the face ages, it goes through three transformations that are often visible to the naked eye. These transformations are known as deflation, descent, and radial expansion.

Descent: Inferior displacement of the soft tissues of the face
Deflation: Facial fat is lost over time
Radial expansion: Facial tissue is loosened

What is the goal of a facelift?

As one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries in the world, a facelift has the ability to take years off the face by lifting and tightening the facial skin. This gets rid of the bothersome wrinkles and loose skin that give away your age. The objective is to accomplish this while still maintaining a natural appearance that preserves your organic good looks. Dr. Maercks believes in correcting the signs of age without changing drastically your appearance. He will optimize your facial structure by highlighting your features through bespoke designed interventions. This means you get the more youthful appearance you want, but you will still look like yourself.

How are facelifts different for men?

While the end goal of a facelift is essentially the same for both men and women — to look younger and better — there are some differences between them, and it’s important to choose a plastic surgeon who fully understands these differences.

For example, men tend to have thicker skin, thicker connective tissue, denser muscles, more blood vessels, and a stronger bone structure than women have. This plays into how the skin is pulled during the procedure, which is why selecting a knowledgeable surgeon is key to achieving the results you want.

Facelift or Aesthetic Facial Balancing?

Sometimes patients come to Dr. Maercks believing they need a surgical facelift when in reality their goals can be accomplished non-surgically. At The Maercks Institute, a specialized treatment called Aesthetic Facial Balancing is often utilized to deliver a naturally lifted appearance without the need for surgery. This is a highly customized, quick treatment that uses cosmetic injectables to achieve remarkable results. During your consultation with Dr. Maercks, he will assess your face, neck, skin, and goals to determine whether a surgical facelift is your best option or not.

Facelift surgical details

The entire face should be addressed when a facelift is performed, and the underlying layer of muscle (called the SMAS) should be tightened. Dr. Maercks tends to go with the deep plane facelift technique (also called the “composite facelift”) because it has many advantages. These advantages include:

A much stronger (and therefore lasting) support
Avoids the thinning and delamination of the face

No tension on the skin
Superior treatment of the central face
Natural-looking results

A facelift can be combined with other procedures such as eyelid and/or brow rejuvenation, fat transfer to create youthful contours, and sometimes chin, nose, and/or jawline surgery.

How is a facelift performed?

As mentioned above, Dr. Maercks typically performs a facelift using the deep plane facelift technique. The patient is placed under anesthesia before the procedure begins. The incision is hidden in and around the ear. Fat is then re-distributed or sculpted from the neck, face, and jowls, and tissue is re-positioned as muscles are lifted and re-shaped. A more in-depth facelift may require an additional incision right under the neck. The incisions are closed with either skin adhesives or sutures after the procedure is complete.

All incisions are closed without tension in order to reduce scarring, and closure is always meticulous and tension-free in order to give you the best results after your procedure. Dr. Maercks may use any of the following techniques:

Soft tissue augmentation
Wrinkle reduction
Resurfacing techniques
Facial fat grafting

How to prepare for a facelift

Schedule a consultation with Dr. Maercks
Stop taking anti-inflammatory medications two weeks before surgery
Avoid alcohol starting five days before surgery

Recovery and results

A facelift is an outpatient procedure, and most patients return home the day of surgery. We offer overnight stay with nursing care at The Maercks Institute in Miami for patients who prefer this convenience. The first night should be spent in bed, with activity at a minimal level. Patients can resume a normal diet.

Facial and neck swelling is reduced by keeping the head elevated, and patients should ice for the first night to control swelling. After surgery, your face will be wrapped in a bandage to minimize pain and keep the skin flat. Most patients can control pain with Tylenol, but additional pain medication may be given as required or needed. You can expect to return to normal activity levels two weeks after a facelift. Within the first three weeks, close to 70% of expected swelling is resolved, although it may take 2 to 3 months for the swelling to go away completely.

A mini facelift requires less recovery time than a traditional facelift. You will see Dr. Maercks the following day to remove the bandages. Some bruising on the neck is normal, and no bandage is typically necessary after the first morning. We offer in-office hair shampooing for the first morning. On day five after surgery, the stitches on the chin and ear are removed, and you will be able to resume regular hair washing and showering.

The final desired results of any facelift may not be completely noticeable for several months after the procedure. Patients typically report looking and feeling ten years younger after their Miami facelift from Maercks, and results can last as long as a decade or more. Facial rejuvenation surgery has extremely high satisfaction results, and most patients love what they see.

Why choose The Maercks Institute?

At The Maercks Institute, you’re seen as an individual. Your face doesn’t blend into a sea of other patients. Instead, you’re seen as the unique patient you are, with your own aesthetic concerns and goals. When you choose Dr. Rian Maercks for your facelift, you can rest assured that you’re getting focused and individually tailored care. You will never look stretched or pulled. Dr. Maercks uses only techniques that ensure a natural-looking result. Not only is face surgery one of our main services; Dr. Maercks also designs a personalized treatment plan just for you.

As a board-certified cosmetic, plastic, and reconstructive surgery specialist with an artist’s eye, he will leverage your one-of-a-kind features and use experienced judgement, attention to detail, and artistic vision to achieve the results you want. Dr. Maercks elevates the standard of patient care and safety through his work as medical director at The Maercks Institute, and his approach to both surgical and non-surgical aesthetic procedures has garnered him international recognition by surgeons and patients alike. If you’re interested in scheduling a consultation for a facelift, we welcome you to contact our office today.