Rediscover Your Youthful Glow at Chevy Chase Facial Plastic Surgery

You’re certainly not alone if you’ve noticed that your appearance has begun to change as you get older. While the aging process impacts us all in different ways, some of the most common indications that it has started to impact your look include sagging, drooping, fine lines, and wrinkles. Patients who have started to spot these changes in the mirror each day now have the option of undergoing facelift surgery at Chevy Chase Facial Plastic Surgery. Dr. Jennifer Porter is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon with more than 25 years of procedural experience, having performed thousands of facial rejuvenation procedures. She’s earned a reputation for cosmetic excellence and will be excited to learn about how she can help you enjoy your ideal aesthetic outcome. To learn more about what we can do for you and how facelift surgery can enhance your look, reach out to our Bethesda, Maryland offices and set up your initial consultation today.

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The Ideal Facelift Candidate Facial Aging Explained

Facial aging is generally related to four main factors:

  • The facial muscles begin to loosen and droop, which causes the fat compartments of the face to lose their youthful positions
  • Facial fat volume loss, particularly in the cheeks
  • Aging of the skin
  • Facial skeletal shrinkage

These changes cause wrinkles and folds in the face, which in turn causes the face to look more tired, deflated, and bottom-heavy, eventually leading to the formation of jowls and heaviness of the neck. As a result, the nasolabial folds or “smile lines” deepen, and the “marionette lines” become etched in. When performed by a highly specialized facial plastic surgeon like Dr. Jennifer Porter, a deep plane facelift can be used to reverse this aging process by focusing on returning the soft tissues to where they used to be.

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Are There Other Procedures Involved with a Facelift?

Dr. Porter and Dr. Sitapara commonly utilize their extensive understanding of facial anatomy to combine a facelift with other surgeries that will restore your facial features more comprehensively. During your consultation, they’ll help you explore the various treatment options that are available to you and work with you to craft a customized treatment plan that will be developed according to your personal cosmetic goals.

Blepharoplasty

Eyelid rejuvenation can give you a more youthful, rested, and alert appearance. This is sometimes combined with a brow lift as well. Undereye bags or loose skin can be addressed with a lower blepharoplasty and is commonly done in conjunction with facelift surgery.

Learn More About Eyelid Surgery

Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty surgery can change the shape, size, slope, and nostrils of the nose to complement surgical changes in the lower face. When done concurrently with a lower face and neck lift, our surgeons are able to achieve tremendous changes to a patient’s profile.

Learn More about Rhinoplasty

Buccal Fat Pad Removal

Buccal fat pad removal is an increasingly popular surgery that addresses unwanted fullness in the cheeks and mid-face. This creates a more contoured appearance and is often a great way to complement your facelift results.

Learn More about Buccal Fat Removal

Injectable Procedures

We’re proud to offer our patients a wide variety of injectable procedures, each of which creates impressive results without requiring any extensive downtime or recovery period. We’ll help you choose the injectable that’s right for you during your consultation.

Learn More about Injectables

The Mini-Facelift Procedure

Our approach to facial rejuvenation surgery focuses on naturalistic results that minimize incisions. We customize our surgical lifts to the individual, allowing us to successfully achieve amazing results across all ethnicities and age groups. A mini facelift can also be referred to as “short scar,” “weekend,” “MACS,” or “S-lift.” and can be an excellent choice for people in their 40s who have mild to moderate skin laxity. This involves tightening a sheet of connective tissue under the skin called the SMAS with sutures.

A vast majority of plastic surgeons rely on this technique alone and perform all of their facelifts and neck lifts in this manner. The deep plane technique, in which our surgeons specialize, is more complex than a typical SMAS lift and is a more effective way to reverse significant facial and neck aging. It can be used to lift the midface because it focuses on fully releasing the anchor points of the face, with the added bonus of improving the appearance of the cheeks without the need for fillers or other volumizers.

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The “Lift and Luminate” Program

The Lift and Luminate Program is an individualized program designed by the surgeons at Chevy Chase Facial Plastic Surgery to improve all aspects of facial aging. As we age, the soft tissue of the face and neck drops, we lose significant volume in the cheeks and temples, and our skin begins to deteriorate.

Our specially curated program combines the deep plane facelift procedure with fat grafting to restore diminished volume and a deep chemical peel to build collagen and improve the appearance of the skin. This is the most comprehensive way to address all signs of facial aging with the advantage of only one recovery process.

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Why Our Patients Love Facelift Surgery

Chevy Chase Facial Plastic Surgery (CCFPS) is a specialty practice, meaning that the majority of our procedures are dedicated to facial rejuvenation. Patients choose CCFPS for expert care and a supportive experience. Our surgeons, Dr. Jennifer Parker Porter and Dr. Jigar Sitapara, prioritize the safety, comfort, and natural appearance of those in their care. With facelift surgery, they use techniques that minimize scarring, with the goal of achieving results that look like the patient’s younger self. If you’d like to learn more about how our surgeons have earned their reputation for excellence, we’re excited to hear from you. Reach out to Chevy Chase Facial Plastic Surgery in Bethesda, Maryland and set up your initial consultation today.

Your Facelift Consultation

The consultation is an important part of your cosmetic journey with us here at Chevy Chase Facial Plastic Surgery. For this appointment, you’ll visit us at our luxurious office space in Bethesda, Maryland, where you’ll meet with a surgeon and patient coordinator to develop your treatment plan, explore the various options that are available to you, and ensure that you know everything you might need to know about the procedure that’s right for you.

As part of your initial consultation at our office:

  • You and your surgeon will spend extensive time discussing the facial features that you would like to improve.
  • You will have a physical examination and review your medical history to ensure that you are a good candidate for facelift surgery.
  • The doctors will use facial morphing technology as a communication tool so you fully understand what type of results you can expect.
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Preparing for Your Surgery

Once you receive medical clearance from your primary care physician, you will return to the Chevy Chase Facial Plastic Surgery offices for your preoperative visit. We will provide you with a kit containing items that will make your recovery safer and more comfortable, as well as postoperative instructions and answers to any questions you may have. You’ll get a detailed recovery timeline, and we’ll also explain everything you might want to know about your procedure and the techniques that we’ll be using to create your results.

Reducing Your Recovery Period

A “mini” or “weekend” facelift addresses mild to moderate signs of facial aging, including the jowls. This technique minimizes both incision placement and post-procedural recovery time. This procedure may not be appropriate for those with heaviness in the neck or more severe signs of facial aging, though, so your surgeon will inform you of the best course of action depending on your individual anatomy and goals. During your consultation, we’ll help you explore all of your options, explaining the benefits of each technique and helping you land on the procedural choice that’s right for you and your personal goals.

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Expertise You Can Count On

Dr. Jennifer Porter has been in practice for over 23 years and holds dual certification with the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. She is a clinical associate professor at Georgetown University Medical Center. Dr. Sitapara is board certified in Otolaryngology (head and neck surgery), is a faculty member at George Washington School of Medicine, and completed fellowship training in New York to master the nuances of the deep plane technique. He is a current member of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and has numerous publications in the field.

With the deep plane technique, Chevy Chase Facial Plastic Surgery emphasizes natural-looking outcomes with minimal scarring. They focus on rejuvenation rather than alteration. Our practice is one of less than a few percent of practices that use the deep plane approach, which is the best way to address aging in the lower face and neck. To learn more, reach out to our Bethesda, Maryland location and set up your appointment today.

The Day of Your Procedure

Dr. Porter and Dr. Sitapara perform all surgeries at the SurgCenter of Silver Spring, Bethesda Surgery Center (Johns Hopkins), or at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC. On the day of your procedure:

  • Your doctor will prepare you for surgery, and the nurses will escort you to the operating room.
  • You will receive either sedation or general anesthesia; you and your surgeon will discuss this anesthetic protocol as part of your consultation.
  • A head wrap will be placed to speed up the healing process. This will be removed by our team on the following day.

The Recovery Process

Immediate Recovery

After you wake up from surgery, you will spend about an hour in the recovery room and then be taken home or hotel by a loved one. Expect to stay out of the public eye for seven to 10 days following a mini-lift and 14 days following a deep plane face/neck lift. Most people can easily work from home after a few days and take only Tylenol for pain control. 

Getting Back to Normal

Rigorous exercise is not advised for the first two to three weeks, but light activity is encouraged once your sutures are removed. Your surgeon will provide you with helpful aftercare instructions, which will include sleeping with your head elevated. You will be able to eat a normal diet and be on your feet after surgery.

Your Final Results

Tiny drains are placed on a case-by-case basis in order to speed up your recovery, and will always be removed the day after surgery. We’ll schedule a series of follow-up appointments that will enable us to monitor your healing process and also give you the chance to ask any questions that you might have.

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Our Facelift Results

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Ensuring Your Comfort

We will ask you to return to our Bethesda, Maryland offices at different points during your recovery, so we can make sure you’re enjoying a comfortable and speedy healing process.

  • One day after surgery, we will remove your dressing, slip out the small drains if they were placed, and place a new lightweight wrap. This light wrap can be removed at home the following day, so you can wash your hair/shower approximately 48 hours after your surgery.
  • After seven to 10 days, we will take out the sutures. You may have some light bruising and swelling that will continue to improve on a daily basis.
  • We will see you back at Chevy Chase Facial Plastic Surgery one month post-op to ensure you are healing as expected and see you regularly after that.
  • After you have fully recovered, you should see the complete benefits of your facelift: more youthful features and a firmer, more well-defined appearance in your lower face and neck.
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FAQ

How much younger will I look after a facelift?

What is the ideal age for a facelift?

How much younger will I look after a facelift?

When getting a facelift, there is no set guideline for how young a patient will look after the procedure. Results can vary drastically depending on the extent of age-related wrinkles and laxity of the skin, the overall health of the patient, and the patient’s age, as younger patients tend to heal faster and better. Additionally, following the facelift aftercare regimen is essential, as otherwise, the healing process may be inhibited, reducing final results.

However, numerous studies have tackled this subject and found that the average patient looks seven to twelve years younger after a facelift procedure. This is not a hard limit; it’s entirely possible for patients to look even younger under the experienced hands of our surgeons, especially if they avoid sunlight, stop smoking, and drink lots of water while they are healing. Results can be even more impressive with our Lift and Luminate Program or if a facelift is paired with other treatments in the face and neck area for a completely revitalized appearance.

To know for sure what kind of results they might be able to expect, patients should schedule a consultation with Chevy Chase Facial Plastic Surgery. We can take a look at their medical history and perform a full examination to get a better idea of the condition of the patient’s skin. Together, we collaborate with our patients to discover their expectations and find a treatment plan that can help them achieve the results they crave. Using this information, we can provide a more accurate estimate for the final results.

What is the ideal age for a facelift?

Getting a facelift is an extremely personal decision that must be made by each patient on an individual basis. Everyone ages differently, and some people might be much younger than average when they start to see fine lines and wrinkles ravage their once smooth and taut skin. For most people, this process begins in the mid-20s to late 30s and progresses over time. What might start out as a small crease during a smile can turn into always-present lines that make a person appear older than their age.

The right time to have a facelift is highly variable. It depends on the person and their anatomy. Some people age much more quickly than others due to genetics and lifestyle choices. Once the onset of jowls and neck laxity becomes more noticeable, often patients begin to consider the option of a mini facelift or full facelift. Our surgeons most commonly perform these surgeries in patients between the ages of 40 to 70.

Book Your Consultation Today

Through a skillful and detail-focused facelift procedure, Drs. Porter and Sitapara can restore a firm and youthful appearance to a patient’s lower face and neck. Comprehensive knowledge of facial anatomy and aesthetic ideals promotes results that are attractive, in harmony with other features, and in line with each person’s goals. Find out more about facelift surgery and other aesthetic procedures through our practice. Contact us online for a consultation or call our office at (301) 618-0733.

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