Facelift Protocol

Facial Rejuvenation is a significant investment. The longevity of your facelift result is determined by the quality of your skin, specifically, the amount and strength of the collagen in the dermal layers of your skin. You will want to maintain your surgical results and this requires strengthening and improving the collagen and elasticity of the skin through three key factors, the use of sunscreen, Skin Medica TNS Recovery Complex and the Clarisonic skin cleansing system.

• The first thing you must do is protect your skin from further collagen breakdown by daily sunscreen use. The sunscreen must be at least a SPF 30 (SPF 50 for outdoor activity) and protect against both UVA and UVB rays.  We recommend Skin Medica Total Defense + Repair (available in SPF 34 or SPF 50+) that helps protect against the infrared-A rays which penetrate deeper into the skin than the UVA and UVB rays.
• Second, you must rebuild collagen lost in your skin from sun exposure and aging. There are only two products proven by the FDA to increase collagen content of the skin; Retin-A and Skin Medica’s TNS Recovery Complex. Retin-A works by irritating the skin, which causes the formation of collagen, strengthening the dermis. The problem is that some patients do not tolerate this well because of the redness, flaking and sun sensitivity. TNS was developed for burn treatments and works by an entirely different mechanism. TNS actually stimulates our cells that still have the ability to make collagen, but greatly decreases throughout the aging process. By stimulating the cells with a unique protein, our cells again begin collagen production. There are absolutely no side effects from the TNS Recovery Complex. Studies show that patients using TNS twice a day produced essentially the same amount of collagen as Retin-A once a day but with no side effects.
• It is essential that you clean your skin well. The Clarisonic Mia Fit (for women) and Alpha Fit (for men) cleansing brush uses sonic vibration to cleanse the skin six times better than cleansing manually and may stimulate collagen production while minimizing fine lines and wrinkles. A thorough cleaning also allows for better absorption of your products.

In addition, patients who battle skin imperfections and have pigmentation concerns can be significantly helped by a series of 3 Skin Medica peels which:

1. Reduce the visible signs of aging;
2. Achieve a healthier, more radiant, more youthful appearance;
3. Tighten & improve skin texture;
4. Minimize the appearance of skin imperfections and even skin tones.

Finally, if you began preoperatively with older sun damaged skin that lacks elasticity, a mini in-office neck lift is now offered and may be necessary, a few years’ post-surgery. This will significantly enhance the long term results for your neck.