A facelift, often referred to as rhytidectomy, is a facial-rejuvenation procedure that corrects signs of aging. Factors like stress, sun exposure, and the effects of gravity and time can contribute to fine lines and loose, sagging skin. These troublesome consequences of aging may seem inevitable, as deep creases, nasolabial folds (the lines from the corners of the nose to the corners of the mouth), hanging jowls, a loose jawline, “turkey-gobble” neck, vertically tight cords on the neck (“platysmal bands”), bags under the eyes, and lax skin begin to take the place of once-youthful features. The loss of confidence in the way one looks can impact many aspects of one’s life, from personal relationships to business successes.
The effects of facial aging don’t have to be permanent, however. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Barry Weintraub believes in achieving results that are natural, understated, always with a “less is more” approach and a keen eye towards natural attractiveness. You should look refreshed and rejuvenated after a facelift, never “fake” or “done.” All incisions are hidden so that telltale signs of surgery are not apparent. Critical to a superior result is meticulous and tedious plication and suspension of the deeper facial layers, or SMAS (submuscular aponeurotic system), in an effort to achieve a result that should last in excess of ten years. Often Dr. Weintraub employs auxiliary procedures to enhance his delicate facelift work. These procedures can include: removal of fat from jowls and neck, addition of fat to areas devoid of volume (such as the cheekbone region, and areas around the mouth), as well as laser resurfacing to transform skin from burlap to silk.
What Is a Facelift?
Facelift surgery is a long-term solution to correct aging, haggard-looking faces, replenishing them with lost volume and restoring facial definition, thus taking years off of your appearance. A facelift can correct a variety of facial conditions, including wrinkles, laugh lines, hanging jowls, drooping noses, baggy eyes, and sagging skin. Undergoing a facelift can also redefine the jawline and chin for an elegant-looking profile.*
Dr. Barry Weintraub often focuses on multiple facial areas during your procedure. Other surgeries can be incorporated to address your specific needs. For example, your facelift procedure can be combined with a necklift, brow lift, eyelid surgery, and rhinoplasty, as well as other facial-rejuvenation procedures, balancing your face and ensuring a cohesive appearance.
Of particular note is the youthening effect of a subtle rhinoplasty done in conjunction with a facelift. As we age, the nose often droops and becomes more bulbous in men, and less feminine in women. In addition, a conservative chin augmentation can work wonders to define and recreate the jawline of youth. The secret is to know how much to correct so that the result is absolutely natural looking.
Patients who undergo facelift surgery do so in the comfort of Dr. Weintraub’s AAAASF (American Association of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities) accredited, stunning, and extremely private New York surgical facility. The procedure lasts a few hours and patients can expect minimal swelling and bruising following surgery. Results can be seen almost immediately. Facelift surgery yields long-lasting definition and contours to achieve a facial profile that promotes confidence.
Considering a Facelift
There is no specific chronological age that determines when you should have a rejuvenative procedure. When you look in the mirror and see something that truly bothers you – that’s when you should pick up the phone or send us an email to arrange for a consultation. Remember, though, there is only one person to have plastic surgery for: you and you alone. It should never be undertaken due to pressure from others.
Goals of a Facelift
Facelift surgery should lift areas of loose or sagging skin to an attractive position, but it should never be tight or unnatural looking. Undergoing a facelift can also reduce the appearance of troublesome facial folds, hanging jowls, fine lines, and wrinkles. Top NYC plastic surgeon Dr. Weintraub always focuses on producing rejuvenating facelift results that are natural looking, understated, and elegant.
What Sets Dr. Weintraub Apart
Dr. Weintraub has always been blessed with a strong aesthetic sense. He possesses a unique blend of medical science and artwork, as it truly is artwork that he performs on the human form. His attention to detail ensures that he gets the best results possible, and he is meticulous about everything he does, from pre-op to post-op care and beyond.*
He studied medicine at Cornell during a time when core values were emphasized, and it is on these values that he bases his practice. He believes that physicians should be humble and respectful, and should never lose sight that the person they are operating on is exactly that: a person possessing real-life issues and concerns. The chairmen of the department of general surgery at Cornell at the time, Dr. Tom Shires, along with another luminary, Dr. Leon Morgenstern of Cedars-Sinai, taught Dr. Weintraub that “The operating room is a sacred place. It’s a very serious place. Never be cavalier about surgery.”
During his surgical residency training, Dr. Weintraub regularly visited Mexico to donate his time operating on deformed children and adults who couldn’t afford proper healthcare. In less-than-optimal conditions, he learned how to perform surgery with the basics, and received great satisfaction in making profound differences in people’s lives by restoring their faces and bodies. Similarly, when he was Chief Resident at the New York Hospital – Cornell Medical Center, and later when he was Chief Resident at the Reconstructive Unit at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, he found that his compassion for patients, along with his skill and precision as a surgeon, could change lives and bring people joy they never thought possible
Dr. Weintraub believes that surgery is never a race. The patient is always number one. He keeps in his wallet a piece of paper that is his motto in the operating room: “Always demand what is right, and never accept second best.” He likes to consider himself a “thinking surgeon,” and does not enter the operating room with a mechanical series of steps to execute robotically, but likes to remain alert and ready for whatever intraoperative challenges might spontaneously arise. Although many notable surgeons openly listen to music while performing surgery, Dr. Weintraub does not, preferring the mood of the operating room to remain serious and focused.
Over 60% of Dr. Weintraub’s practice is comprised of complex redos of surgeries performed by other offices. Such procedures always involve difficult issues, since there exist not only the limitations of a patient’s own anatomy, but also the limitations of another surgeon’s aesthetic, and the scar tissue that has developed as a result. Patients seek Dr. Weintraub from all over the world to correct their aesthetic problems. He takes great pride in getting the best results, and always enjoys the challenges of such procedures.
Last, Dr. Weintraub will not hesitate to turn patients away if he feels they are not good candidates for surgery. If a surgery is not in someone’s best interest, he will be the first to say so. However, when a patient is a good candidate, the results produced by Dr. Weintraub can be magical, and he feels that it is an honor to give patients a gift they can enjoy for the rest of their lives.