When is it time for a face lift?

Deborah was in her late 50s when she decided to defy gravity. “I’d had injectable facial fillers to plump up the folds from my nose to the corners of my mouth, but I wanted something more permanent,” she recalls.

“Facial plastic surgery is an anti-gravity procedure,” says Dr. Rappaport. “In Deborah’s case, we did a mid-face lift—surgery that corrects sagging in the cheeks and minimizes the nasolabial folds from the nose to the corners of the mouth. I also tightened the vertical platysma muscle in her neck.”

‘I needed to get back to work’

“My biggest concern about having surgery was that I have a full-time job,” Deborah explains. “I needed something that I could have done and get back to work. I didn’t want—or need—a full facelift. And I really didn’t want a lot of scarring.

“The beauty of a mid-face lift is that it pulls up your cheeks and the scars are virtually invisible,” she says. “I was back at work in six days.”

No one will see your scars

“A midface lift is done through incisions in the hairline around the temples and inside the mouth,” Dr. Rappaport explains. “The scars won’t show, but you can expect some temporary swelling and bruising after your surgery.

“Each person’s recovery is unique, but as I tell my patients, you can see your best friends 10 days after surgery, and your worst enemies in two weeks,” he adds. “Patients who experience more swelling and bruising may take more time to recover.

“I went to visit my daughter out-of-state three weeks post-op, and she didn’t know I’d had any surgery,” says Deborah.

After her mid-face lift, Deborah also noticed a bonus she hadn’t expected. “The elevation in my cheeks lifted my lower eyelids as well, which gave me a younger appearance,” she says.

Facial fillers help maintain a youthful face

“Gravity is not your friend,” Deborah laughs. “The day you stand up after surgery, it’s working against you.”

“We’re buying time with facial plastic surgery,” Dr. Rappaport acknowledges. “Gravity and aging continue, but you can expect a facelift to turn back the clock seven to 10 years.

“Once we’ve built the foundation of a younger face with a mid-face lift, you can help maintain your new look with facial fillers and clinical skin care,” says Dr. Rappaport. “Facial fillers enhance volume—an important component of a youthful face.”

Get ready for compliments

Dr. Rappaport’s facelift techniques produce natural-looking results by elevating the tissues that support your facial structure—not by stretching the skin, which produces a telltale wind-swept look. Your friends will notice you look better, but they won’t know why.

“My nicest compliment was from a gentleman in my exercise class who said, ‘I like your new look,’” says Deborah.