After a certain age, many people begin to notice a tired, droopy facial appearance, characterized by loose skin around their neck, cheeks, and jaw. Sun exposure and an unhealthy lifestyle can accelerate this aging process, giving otherwise vibrant men and women a look that doesn’t reflect how they feel. This is why facelifts (or a “rhytidectomy”) have had such immense popularity in recent years, as innovative techniques for face procedures emerge that provide natural, long-lasting results.
As a board-certified cosmetic surgeon in Westport, CT, Dr. Ellen Mahony is an advocate who can discuss your facelift with you and find the perfect solution for your aesthetic goals.
What Is a Facelift?
A facelift, also called rhytidectomy, is a cosmetic surgical procedure designed to improve visible signs of aging in the lower face and neck. The procedure lifts and repositions underlying facial tissues while removing excess skin to create smoother, firmer contours.
A facelift may help improve:
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Sagging skin in the cheeks and jawline
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Deep folds around the nose and mouth
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Jowls along the lower face
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Loose skin and excess fullness in the neck
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Loss of facial definition and contour
Facelift surgery is often combined with other facial rejuvenation procedures, such as eyelid surgery, brow lift surgery, or injectable treatments, for more comprehensive results.
Benefits of a Facelift
A facelift can restore a more youthful, refreshed appearance while preserving natural facial expression and movement.
Benefits of facelift surgery may include:
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Firmer, smoother facial contours
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Improved jawline definition
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Reduction of sagging skin and jowls
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Softening of deep facial folds and wrinkles
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More youthful-looking neck contours
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Long-lasting facial rejuvenation
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Refreshed appearance without looking overdone
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Increased confidence in personal and professional settings
Candidates for a Facelift
A facelift may be a good option for healthy adults who want to address moderate to advanced facial aging concerns that cannot be fully corrected with non-surgical treatments alone.
You may be a candidate if you:
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Notice sagging skin in the lower face or neck
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Have jowls or loss of jawline definition
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Feel your face looks tired or aged
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Want longer-lasting facial rejuvenation
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Are in good overall health
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Have realistic expectations about surgery and recovery
During your consultation, Dr. Mahony will evaluate your facial anatomy, discuss your goals, and recommend a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs.
The Facelift Procedure
Facelift surgery is typically performed under general anesthesia or sedation in an accredited surgical facility. Incisions are carefully placed around the ears and hairline to minimize visible scarring while allowing access to the underlying facial tissues.
During the procedure:
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Underlying facial structures are lifted and repositioned
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Excess skin is removed
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Facial and neck contours are refined
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Incisions are closed carefully to support natural-looking healing
Every facelift procedure is customized based on the patient’s anatomy, skin quality, and desired outcome.
Boost Your Face Lift with Complementary Treatments
Dr. Mahony can also perform other facial rejuvenation procedures before or after your facelift, including thread lifts (opens in new tab), eyelid lifts, brow lifts, and chemical peels. You may also want to discuss the benefits of volume enhancement, through fillers, implants, and soft tissue augmentation, or the innovative concept known as a “liquid facelift”. And, if desired, you can make a Connecticut face lift part of a more comprehensive Menopause Makeover.
Your facelift procedure will be custom-tailored to your unique skin condition, underlying facial contours, and, just as importantly, your aesthetic goals. Many people worry that a facelift will make them look pulled or overdone. Dr. Mahony makes sure that your results will look natural by performing, at minimum, a two-layer lift so that all of the tightening isn’t just done on the facial surface but also addresses the deeper layers of the face.
It’s important to remember that a facelift is not just about tightening the “fabric,” your skin, but the quality of the fabric! That’s why we recommend preparing your skin for a facelift with a Vampire Facial series. This innovative, in-office procedure uses your body’s own biologic materials to “wake up” the stem cells deep within the dermis, stimulating them to produce more collagen, repair the elastin fibers, and increase blood flow.
Why Choose Dr. Ellen Mahony for a Facelift
Facelift surgery requires both technical precision and an artistic understanding of facial harmony. Dr. Ellen Mahony takes a highly individualized approach to facial rejuvenation, focusing on subtle, elegant improvements that help patients look naturally refreshed rather than dramatically altered.
Patients choose Dr. Mahony because of her:
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Board certification in plastic surgery
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Extensive cosmetic and reconstructive surgery training
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Sophisticated, natural-looking aesthetic approach
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Attention to facial balance and proportion
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Personalized, boutique patient experience
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Compassionate and attentive patient care
Her refined surgical philosophy emphasizes graceful rejuvenation while preserving the natural character and expression that make each face unique.
Restore a More Youthful, Refreshed Appearance With a Facelift in Westport, CT
A facelift can help restore smoother facial contours, improve jawline definition, and create a naturally rejuvenated appearance that reflects how vibrant and confident you feel. Dr. Ellen Mahony combines advanced surgical expertise with a personalized, artistic approach to help patients achieve elegant, natural-looking facial rejuvenation results.
To learn more about facelift surgery in Westport and Fairfield, contact Dr. Ellen Mahony, MD, at 203-221-0102 to schedule your private consultation.
ASK DR. MAHONY
Yes, absolutely. There are many factors to consider when recommending or not recommending a facelift to a potential patient. Some of the most common reasons I steer patients away from one is that it’s too early, and other, less invasive options like ALMI, (opens in new tab)Threadlifts, (opens in new tab) or even simple fillers (opens in new tab) are the right option for where their face is in its aging process. I also don’t recommend this procedure if someone is in particularly poor health with a circulatory problem or is a heavy smoker. These conditions not only impede recovery but also increase risks and may hinder positive outcomes.
That’s a great question and one I am asked all the time! It’s very confusing. I think there are just a few things you need to know and ask about. First, is it a skin-only lift, or will it include the deeper tissue as well? I favor a 2-layer lift; I believe it reduces the dreaded “wind tunnel” look and also lasts longer. Another question is the length of the incisions and their placement. When the skin laxity is modest, the lift incisions can often be limited to the face. This ‘shorter’ incision extends from the sideburn down to the earlobe- often referenced as a mini-lift or short scar lift. A longer incision that extends behind the ear is best when the lax skin is draped down over/below the jaw line- the extra incision length is for insetting the additional loose skin.
Oh, believe me, I LOVE the sun as well and did my fair share of baking in it throughout my (unwise!) youth. But unfortunately, the sun is not good for the skin – especially the skin that you are investing in with a facelift! I recommend that all of my facelift patients take even more care to protect their face from the sun and use a medical-grade sunscreen like EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46 (Tinted & Untinted) or EltaMD UV Sport SPF 50, which we sell in our office. Any surgical site is prone to burn after surgery and is likely to develop hyperpigmentation. For these reasons, it is very important to avoid the sun after surgery.
I like to make an incision along a crease in front of the ear and sometimes extend it around the earlobe and behind the ear.
Frequently Asked Questions
As an example, injectable fillers are great for blending in transition areas between the lower eyelids and cheek, or between the cheek and chin, or for adding volume to the midface cheekbones. These ‘transition’ areas develop as the skin begins to show its laxity. Eventually, however, the laxity progresses, and not only are there abrupt hollows where these transitions began, but also there are visible folds of skin at the junctions between facial segments. Usually, at this point, the jawline has lost its definition due to skin redundancy. Regrettably, at this point, fillers are not very effective at camouflaging these signs of aging and, in some cases, can even magnify them. In comparison, a facelift can both reposition the facial tissue, restore anatomic volume, and remove excess skin – a better investment of time and finances.
Most people who come here are feeling pretty good in 2 weeks! Some bruising and tightness are to be expected, but pain and a lengthy recovery are unusual. Dr. Mahony likes everyone to wear a facial garment as much as possible for about 5-7 days; it’s removable. And, although she often places a drain at the time of surgery, it comes out the next day. Showering is fine the day after surgery, as is washing your hair. For a 2-week period, you should restrict your activities to avoid bending and lifting- nothing greater than 5 pounds.
For a few days, your face may feel tight and look tight. But as the tissue relaxes and the swelling resolves, the ‘tight’ sensation quickly diminishes.
Keep in mind that ‘nothing lasts forever,’ and if you are a candidate for a lift, chances are you have many years of aged, weather-exposed skin behind you…With that said, it is reasonable to expect about 5-8 years. Factors that will influence this duration include your health, age, weight, skin quality, and the steps you take to protect your face in the future.
No. A facelift addresses only excess, lax skin. Depending on the type of wrinkle, some maybe addressed at the time of surgery with an add-on procedure.
Anytime an incision is made, the very tiny nerves that pass through the superficial skin/tissue are necessarily divided. This even happens with a cut to the knee or hand. It takes time for these small nerves to create new connections and heal. Because the face is so much more sensitive, most people are more aware of the diminished sensation associated with facelift incisions. This is usually temporary.
A hairline can shift in the sideburn area, the temple area, and the hairline behind the ear. I like to discuss the likelihood of this possibility in advance of the surgery.
That’s certainly the goal. The quality of scars/healing is a function of skin type, prior history of thick or heavy scars, health, and tissue tension.
