A facelift, also known as a rhytidectomy, is designed to address visible signs of aging in the face and neck by restoring smoother contours and a more youthful appearance. At Cosmetic and Reconstructive Specialists of Florida in Fort Lauderdale, facelift surgery is performed by board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. Christopher J. Low and Dr. Michael C. Cheung, whose extensive experience in cosmetic and reconstructive facial surgery allows for a highly personalized approach to facial rejuvenation.
Rather than relying on skin tightening alone, Dr. Low and Dr. Cheung focus on repositioning deeper facial structures to create natural-looking, long-lasting results while preserving facial expression and balance. Each facelift is carefully tailored to the individual, addressing concerns such as sagging skin, jowls, deep facial creases, and neck laxity with precision and attention to detail.
Rhytidectomy Before and After Results
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After
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Who Is An Ideal Candidate For A Facelift?
Everyone’s face ages differently, and Dr. Low adapts the method he uses to fit your needs. Some people have more sun damage. Other people have more volume loss. A facelift rejuvenates the mid-to-lower face and neck. With the reality of aging, just about anyone over the age of 45 could use the improvements made with a facelift.
These are characteristics Dr. Low looks for when a patient is considering a facelift:
- Mid-face sagging
- Jowls
- Deep nasolabial folds
- Deep creases under the eyes
- Fatty, loose areas below the cheekbones
- Banding, fatty tissue, and loose skin on the neck
What Are The Benefits Of Having A Facelift?
Thanks to our outdoor lifestyles in sunny South Florida, our facial skin takes a beating from the sun and the wind. Plus, our bodies produce one additional percentage point less collagen every year after our 20th birthday. Since collagen is the protein in the body that provides the structural framework that supports our skin and keeps it firm this allows the skin to sag and form lines and creases. Gravity and heredity play a role as well.
The result is the formation of deep creases beside the mouth, hanging jowls, sunken cheeks, loose skin and fat deposits on the neck, and an overall loose, saggy look.
A facelift with Dr. Low can reverse much of these changes in your aging face. These procedures firm the skin, remove creases, elevate sagging muscles, and generally take a decade or so off your facial age. That’s the reason people have been opting to have facelifts for over a century. These procedures can boost your self-confidence that had been sagging along with your sagging facial countenance.
What Are The Risks With A Rhytidectomy?
The facelift is one of the original plastic surgeries, the first recorded facelift was performed in 1916. In the following century, millions of people around the world have had facelifts performed. They have proven to be safe and effective for reducing the signs of aging across our mid to lower face.
These procedures with Dr. Low are major surgery. That means they include the risks associated with surgery: bleeding, infection, hematoma, and the like. Beyond those general risks of surgery, facelifts can create a temporary loss of muscle function and sensation. The incision scars can thicken and widen, especially if recovery procedures are not followed. There can be hair loss at the incision sites within the hairline. These complications are rare, however, and facelifts are a very satisfying procedure for most patients.
How Long Does Facelift Surgery Take?
These surgeries with Dr. Low can take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours depending on the method he uses and on your unique situation.
Facelift Options at CRS Plastic Surgery!
The following links will take you to in-depth descriptions of the face lift options that we offer.
- Full Face Lift - A Full Facelift is the most traditional procedure and is appropriate for patients seeking an optimal correction from moderate to significant facial aging.
- MACS Lift (Minimal Access Cranial Suspension) - This procedure is ideal for patients with mild or moderate facial aging but with good skin tone.
- Mid Face Lift - The mid-facelift is effective in treating the mid-face (cheek) area and the tissues below the eyes.
- Liquid Face Lift - This is a non-surgical procedure. Treatments with Injectable Dermal Fillers are indicated to prevent or delay the need for a facelift surgery. The fillers are used to smooth the creases and folds, plump lips, and fill hollowing areas in the face. The most popular fillers are Juvederm, Voluma, and Sculptra.
- Fat Transfer - This technique of fat transfer, sometimes called fat grafting, requires no incisions at the target site and can produce very natural-looking results. Fat transfer can provide a more natural alternative to cosmetic injectables and restore loss of facial volume that occurs due to the aging process. Fat transfer is most commonly used on areas of the face where volume has diminished over time, including the hollowed cheeks or temples, nasolabial folds, marionette lines, depressed tear troughs, and other deep creases or wrinkles.
What Is Recovery Like After A Rhytidectomy?
Facelifts are not a simple recovery, no matter the method Dr. Low uses. This is because skin is lifted off the underlying muscular structure, which creates trauma. Full facelifts obviously involve more difficult recovery due to the extensive incision lengths. Mid-face and mini facelifts have the shortest incisions.
Regardless of the method used in your facelift, you will return home with your face wrapped in bandages. Dr. Low may have placed drainage tubes. There will be extensive bruising and swelling that will last from two to three weeks. The first few days are the hardest, but then you will feel better quickly. Initially, your skin may feel tight in the face and neck. You will likely have numbness in areas and your incisions may itch at some point. This is normal and can last up to a couple months, as the facial nerves adjust to the re-draped skin. With more involved facelift procedures most patients can return to work by the third week. Mini facelift patients may only need a week before returning to work.
With any type of facelift, you’ll need to be patient with your results. This is because residual swelling can return. This usually occurs in the late afternoon or evening. Complete healing can take between 9-12 months.
See What Our Patients Are Saying...
"Best doctors ever my mom did a face lift and breast augmentation and replace old implant both doctor low and Cheung take their time to explain and make you comfortable. great job very happy and thanks a lot for the hospitality it was great choice will recommend to other to get procedure with this office both doctor are excellent Been and done with both of the doctor super happy 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻This office is awesome all the nurse the surgery coordinator caludia they all all great thank you so so much."
What Kind Of Results Can I Expect From My Facelift?
Today’s improvements in methods used by Dr. Low and other surgeons also delivers a much more natural looking rejuvenation compared with the former stretched look often associated with poorly done facelifts.
Depending on the method used and the areas targeted, you can expect a noticeable firming of your skin, reduction of lines and creases, removal of loose skin, and an overall younger, refreshed facial appearance.
How Long Will My Facelift Results Last?
Most people feel that facelifts make them look from 10-15 years younger. The changes made by Dr. Low are permanent, but your face will continue aging, as you would expect. It will age from a younger starting point, however, as the elevated facial structure created will endure and you will never return to the same degree of sagging you had previously. Your facial aging is also predicated on the amount of sun exposure you receive, along with personal habits such as smoking. To keep pace with the aging process, many patients return for a more limited procedure in 8-10 years or so.
What Will My Scarring Be Like After My Facelift?
Dr. Low is a board-certified plastic surgeon with rigorous training and over a decade of surgical experience. He uses his expertise with the different options for facelift surgery to effectively hide your incisions. He uses the natural chin crease and hides the ear incisions in the hairline as much as possible. These scars will heal well naturally and will be quite inconspicuous in a matter of months.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Is a Facelift Customized for Your Face?
This customized approach allows your facelift to restore youthful contours while preserving your natural facial expressions and identity.
Will a Facelift Make You Look “Pulled” or Overdone?
One of the most common concerns patients have is looking unnatural after surgery. Modern facelift techniques focus on lifting and supporting deeper facial structures rather than simply tightening skin. This creates smoother transitions and avoids the stretched appearance associated with outdated methods.
The goal is for you to look refreshed and well-rested—not like you’ve had surgery.
Can a Facelift Be Combined With Other Procedures?
Yes, many patients choose to combine a facelift with complementary procedures to enhance overall facial harmony. Common combinations include eyelid surgery, fat transfer, or neck contouring. These additions are not required but may be recommended depending on where aging changes are most noticeable.
Combining procedures can also mean a single recovery period, which many patients find convenient.
When Is the “Right Time” for a Facelift?
There is no exact age that determines when a facelift is appropriate. Instead, the decision is based on visible aging changes such as jowling, deep folds, neck laxity, and loss of facial definition. Many patients seek facelifts in their late 40s to 60s, though healthy individuals outside this range may also be candidates.
Your consultation helps determine timing based on your anatomy, goals, and expectations—not just your age.
How Natural Will Your Results Look Long-Term?
Facelift results are designed to be long-lasting, but they also evolve naturally with time. While the changes created by surgery are permanent, your face will continue to age gradually. The benefit is that you’ll always look younger than you would have without surgery, aging from a more refreshed baseline.
Maintaining healthy habits, sun protection, and good skincare can help preserve your results.
Does Surgeon Experience Matter With Facelifts?
Facelift surgery is one of the most technically demanding procedures in plastic surgery. Experience, precision, and aesthetic judgment are critical. Dr. Christopher Low and Dr. Michael Cheung bring extensive training in both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, allowing them to address complex aging patterns while maintaining facial balance and symmetry.
Patients often seek out their expertise for primary facelifts as well as revision cases because of their careful, individualized approach.
Schedule a Facelift Consult in Fort Lauderdale!
If you wish to learn more about Facelift surgery, or if you wish to determine whether you are a candidate for the procedure, be sure to book a personalized appointment with with Dr. Christopher J. Low and Dr. Michael C. Cheung today! Call 954-466-0325 today or fill out the appointment request form in our contact page. Our practice looks forward to serving you!
