Face Procedures

Facelift (Rhytidectomy) in Manhattan

Facelift | Rhytidectomy | Manhattan | New York City The Facelift is a surgical procedure used to smooth the loose skin on your face and neck, and to reduce the most apparent signs of aging in the facial area, giving you a more youthful appearance. The procedure involves reducing the creases from the nose and mouth, the slacking jaw line and sagging jowls and fat deposits around the neck by removing excess fat and tightening underlying muscles, and redraping the skin on the face and neck. Though the procedure cannot give you a completely new look it can give you a younger, fresher look, and can also have a positive effect on your self-confidence.

The Best Candidates for a Facelift are Those Who Have:

Face and neck skin which has begun to sag, but whose skin has elasticity and whose bone structure is strong and well defined.
Loss of a well-defined jaw line
Deep wrinkles in the cheeks
Loose skin, wrinkles or excess fatty tissue in the neck

How is it Performed?

During a facelift, complications are infrequent and usually minor. Each individual will vary greatly in his or her anatomy, physical reactions and healing abilities, and thus outcomes are never 100% predictable. Some complications that may arise include hematoma (blood under the skin that must be removed by your doctor), injury to the nerves that control facial muscles (usually temporary) infection, and reactions to the anesthesia. Smokers are more likely to experience poor healing of the skin.

If you are interested in learning more about our Facelift Procedure, call 212-570-6080 today to schedule an appointment.

Eyelid Tuck (Eyelid Surgery) in Manhattan

Eyelid Tuck | Eyelid Surgery | Manhattan | New York City The eyes are perhaps the most expressive part of the face. They reflect happiness, sadness, pain, anxiety, worry, confidence, tiredness, general health, etc. They also reflect your age. Is it therefore any wonder that cosmetic eyelid surgery, technically termed a blepharoplasty, is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures for both men and women?

For many people, the first signs of aging appear around the eyes. One may develop excess skin of the upper eyelids, wrinkling, bags and an overall tired appearance. There may be drooping of the eyebrows as well, which will accentuate the excess skin on the upper eyelids (see our description of Browlifts). Smoking, excess sun exposure, poor hydration, lack of sleep, use of illicit drugs, chronic tension and anxiety are other contributing detrimental factors. Women may have difficulty in applying make-up and men may have extreme hooding which can obscure the field of vision. All of these factors may result in conveying a non-verbal message to others of tiredness and old age which is not consistent with what you truly feel.

Properly performed eyelid surgery can address many of these problems to restore your energetic, youthful appearance. It is a subtle operation, designed to improve, restore and reveal what was originally there and not to substantially change the eye shape or contour. These changes, despite their subtlety, can have a dramatic impact on your appearance, self image and self confidence.

In essence, we want your eyelid surgery to restore the "twinkle" to your eyes!

Philosophy of Eyelid Surgery

Eyelid Tuck | Eyelid Surgery | Manhattan | New York City There are some operations in plastic surgery where you want to see substantial differences, such as making a breast larger or smaller. There are other procedures, such as cosmetic eyelid surgery, where subtlety is absolutely essential. One wants to end up looking normal – not overdone. In eyelid surgery, the difference between success and failure is measured in tiny millimeters of tissue removed or changed. All of this requires a surgeon to have astute artistic judgment and extensive surgical experience.

Dr. Jacobs' philosophy is to be very conservative in this type of delicate surgery – we seek to rejuvenate and restore so that your eyelids look youthful and normal and your eyes look "bright and alive. " Overly tight eyelids or "cat-like" distortion are to be avoided and over-zealous removal of fat bags can leave you looking hollow and emaciated. In fact, preservation of fat or re-positioning of fat can be amazingly effective in providing a youthful appearing result.

For women, eyelid surgery is designed to reveal the delicate contours of the upper eyelid and particularly to enhance the application of make-up. Therefore, the skin excess is totally removed. Lower eyelids should be smooth as well, with no bags, lines or wrinkles to deal with.

For men, the goals of eyelid surgery are quite different. Men naturally have a small crease of extra skin on the upper lids. And in fact, if they have ultra smooth and tight skin, they appear less masculine. Therefore, Dr. Jacobs will deliberately leave a small amount of excess skin on the upper eyelids to appear more natural. Lower eyelids on men need not be totally wrinkle-free either – but bags should be removed. Again, Dr. Jacobs will deliberately leave a slight excess of skin in order to prevent an overly tight and un-naturally smooth appearance of the lower eyelids. For men, a residual small line or wrinkle is perfectly acceptable and perhaps distinguishing.

Consultation: The First Step

Eyelid Tuck | Eyelid Surgery | Manhattan | New York City If you have a concern about your eyes, the first step is a consultation. We will initially request your concerns, examine you and discuss possible treatment options. Sometimes surgery may not be necessary at all! There are many non-surgical treatments, such as Botox, skin fillers, laser treatments, peels, etc, which can help to stave off the need for an operation – sometimes for years.

On the other hand, sometimes surgery is the best option. We will examine your brows, upper and lower eyelids and mid-face, all of which contribute to your eyelid appearance. If the brows are droopy and adding to the excess skin of the upper eyelids, then a browlift may be suggested.

Examination of the upper eyelids will reveal any excess skin, fat deposits, hollow eyes, asymmetry of the eyelid levels, and frown/worry lines. Recommendations may include removal of excess skin and fat, correction of the eyelid levels, augmentation of tissue to disguise hollow eyes and deliberate weakening of the muscles which cause frown lines.

Examination of the lower eyelids will reveal any excess skin, fat bags, eyelid laxity, deep lines below the fat bags (commonly called "tear troughs"), and any descent of the mid-face cheek area. Recommendations may include removal of excess skin, removal or re-positioning of excess fat, tightening of the eyelid edge itself, smoothing of the junction of the eyelid and cheek to eliminate the tear trough and consideration of a mid-facelift to elevate the cheek structures (see our description of the Mid-Facelift).

In addition, if there are any moles or other skin lesions present, an attempt will be made to remove them if possible.

How Is The Operation Performed?

For the upper eyelids, two very carefully measured parallel incisions are made in the upper lids. They are designed to follow the natural contours of the crease fold of the eyelid. The excess skin and muscle between the two incisions is then removed and the wound edges carefully sutured together. When the wound is open, any excess fat can be removed. In addition, surgery can also be directed to the muscle which contributes to the "worry/frown" lines between the brows. The muscle can be weakened so that the "worry/frown" lines are less apparent. In rare cases, stitches can be used, which will elevate the eyelid to match the level of the other eyelid. In cases where there is extensive lateral hooding, the incision may be carried further out, concealed in a natural skin crease, in order to encompass the excess hooded skin.

For the lower eyelids, an incision is made just below the eyelashes. Through this incision, excess fat bags are either removed or re-positioned in order to provide a smooth lower eyelid contour. The skin is pulled up and excess tissues carefully measured and then removed. If eyelid edge laxity is present, then this is corrected simultaneously utilizing one of several possible techniques. The wound is then carefully sutured closed. This operation will improve the half-moon crescent of the lower eyelid only. If there is additional laxity and descent of the mid-face (the cheek tissues adjacent to the side of the nose), this too can be lifted as well and is performed through the same incision. This is known as a Mid-Facelift, or, it may be considered as an extended lower eyelid tuck. Please read about this in the description of the Mid-Facelift.

In younger patients who have large lower eyelid bags but no excess skin, a hidden incision can be made on the inside of the lower eyelid. This surgical approach can only allow for removal of bags – it cannot be used if there is excess skin to be removed.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Click here to view our frequently asked questions about Facelift/Eyelid Surgery

If you are interested in learning more about our Facelift or Eyelid Surgery Procedure, call 212-570-6080 today to schedule an appointment.