• Face Lift and Neck Lift (Rhytidectomy)
• Ideal Face Lift Candidates
• Your Personal Face Lift Consultation
• The Face Lift Procedure
• Face Lift Recovery
• Face Lift Results

Face Lift and Neck Lift (Rhytidectomy) – Mountain View, Palo Alto, Los Altos

We specialize in the face lift at our plastic surgery center, serving Mountain View, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, Silicon Valley, and the entire Bay Area for more than two decades. The face lift offers Palo Alto and Peninsula residents long-lasting, beautiful results. It revitalizes and enhances the radiance and youthfulness the face, alleviating and rectifying the physical indications of time and age.

Concepts in facial rejuvenation are slowly changing to emphasize a more natural result to maintain or increase facial volume. We follow and institute the latest advancements in face lift procedures at our Mountain View-based surgical facility. We have always believed in creating a fundamentally natural look, expecting some post-operative expressive facial lines as appropriate. The older idea of 'high and tight’ face lifts, sometimes producing a windswept look, is not the desired goal. No lines on a face that is 50-60 years old is unnatural! Emphasis is placed on creating a smooth neck and jaw line as well as supporting the face and elevating the cheek fat-pad. Sometimes an additional incision is made inside the mouth to help elevate the mid face. I have used the deep plane face and neck lift technique for more than 15 years. This face lift procedure places the tension on the deeper muscles and supporting tissue, not the skin. Exceptional attention to detail reduces the chance of visible scars and usually allows you to wear your hair in any style.

Frequently, subtle but significant improvement can be obtained by elevating predominantly the lateral brow and reducing the frown lines by performing a traditional or endoscopic brow lift at the time of the face lift. Every effort is made not to elevate the brows too high, especially the inner portion which can result in a surprised look.

In conjunction with the face lift, our Mountain View facility offers Palo Alto and Bay Area residents a variety of cosmetic surgical and non surgical procedures to enhance the overall restorative effects of the face lift.

Eyelid rejuvenation, reducing excess upper lid skin and fat as well as recontouring the lower eyelid fat with removal of redundant lower eyelid skin, if it is present, can be performed separately or also at the time of the face and neck lift.

Deeper wrinkling around the eyes and mouth is best improved with laser resurfacing. I have been using BOTOX® Cosmetic for 8 years as a wonderful adjunctive treatment to diminish frown forehead and crows feet lines as well as elevate the corners of the mouth and reduce small neck bands. Collagen and Restylane® are also a good adjunctive treatment, particularly to soften smile lines and fill out the lips.

Skin texture, color and fine lines are treated by my superb aesthetician, April Shea, who performs a variety of superficial peels; microdermabrasion and skin care treatments at the Pearl Skin Rejuvenation Center.

What is "right" for you may not be the same as for even your best friend. An incredible amount of options are available to you. Sometimes this feels overwhelming to you. At your face lift consultation at our Mountain View surgical center, Palo Alto, and Bay Area patients will explore many avenues to find a solution that is customized to your needs. I am proud of my entire staff. They will assist you on every level to make your experience at the Pearl Plastic Surgery Center enjoyable and rewarding.

Signs of Aging? Changes appear gradually; however, it may seem "over night" when you suddenly look in the mirror and decide the face you see doesn't reflect the way you feel. A face lift can help you look as good as you feel. Also known as rhytidectomy, a face lift smoothes the loose skin on your face and neck by tightening underlying tissues and removing excess fat. Your face will appear firmer and fresher!

Your bone structure, heredity and skin texture play a role in how many "years" a face lift can "remove" and, to some extent, influence how long it will last.

You'll find basic information about a face lift on this website. However, a personal consultation with Dr. Pearl, who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, is the best way to get answers to your specific questions. To set up a face lift consultation, contact our Mountain View surgical facility today.

Face lifts are most commonly performed on patients in the 40-60-age range. The procedure can produce good results for people in their 60s, 70s and even 80s. You may be a good candidate for a face lift if you have any of the following types of conditions:

• Loss of a well-defined jawline
• Deep wrinkles in the cheeks and sagging skin near the cheekbones
• Loose skin, wrinkles or excess fatty tissue in the neck
• A deep line that runs from the corner of your nose to the corner of your mouth

Face lift surgery needs to be approached with extra caution if you have any of the following medical conditions:

• Uncontrolled high blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Blood-clotting problems
• The tendency to form excessive scars
• If you are a smoker
• Please alert us if you are affected by any of these conditions.

If you believe you are a qualified face lift candidate, Palo Alto residents contact Dr. Samuel Pearl, the face lift expert, in beautiful Mountain View, California to set up an appointment.

A personal consultation is the first step. Dr. Pearl will assess your physical and emotional health and discuss your specific cosmetic goals for surgery.

If you are overweight and have a realistic desire to lose more than 15 pounds, your weight loss could affect our results. It's important to discuss these plans with Dr. Pearl and his staff.

During your physical evaluation, Dr. Pearl will assess your bone structure and the underlying face tissues. The thickness, texture and elasticity of your skin and the severity of the wrinkles and folds will also be considered. Your hairline will be examined to determine where incisions can be discreetly placed. These factors will be considered in developing your personalized surgical plan.

Frequently other procedures can be performed along with a face lift to meet your appearance goals. For example, a face lift is frequently combined with:

• A brow lift, to correct lines or furrows in the brow, elegantly elevates the lateral brow to produce a more artistic brow shape as well as improving frown lines and forehead creases
• Eyelid Surgery to correct bags beneath the eyes and excess skin and fat above the eyes
• Rhinoplasty
• Skin surface treatments, such as laser resurfacing or dermabrasion, to minimize significant facial wrinkles
• Microdermabrasion, micropeels and a complete skin care program under Dr. Pearl's expert and experienced aesthetician, April Shea.

If you feel you are an ideal candidate for the face lift procedure, Mountain View, Los Altos, Palo Alto, and Bay Area residents should call Dr. Pearl, an expert cosmetic surgeon, to set up a consultation today.

The technique chosen for your surgery depends on your features, Dr. Pearl's surgical preferences and expertise, and your desired results. Extreme emphasis is placed on creating a natural result. Usually the objective is to produce a better you, not a different person.

There are many variations to the face lift procedure. However, the incision is typically hidden in the natural contour of your ear and then extends around the earlobe and back into the hairline. Following surgery, the incisions are easily concealed by your hair or with makeup. There may also be a small incision hidden beneath your chin.

Working through these incisions, Dr. Pearl frees the facial skin from its underlying tissues followed by deep tissue dissection to your smile lines and nasal cheek juncture. The deep structures including the cheek pad are securely tightened in an upwards and backwards direction followed by excision of excess skin. There is no emphasis on placing excessive tension on the skin. An incision is usually placed under the chin that allows removal of the muscle band in your neck. Removal of fat is also performed through this incision. Although there are always individualized modifications to these techniques, this deep plane face lift allows Dr. Pearl to consistently produce significant contour improvement in the cheek, jawline and neck.

If you do not have a significant amount of excess skin, you could be a good candidate for an endoscopic face lift. This minimally invasive procedure requires small incisions that are placed inconspicuously according to your individualized surgical plan.

When facial sagging in the cheek area is pronounced, a procedure called a mid-face lift may be performed. Incisions are often made inside the mouth as well as behind the hairline that provide superior access to the central cheek region.

The face lift is a complex procedure that requires intense concentration on even the minutest detail. In order to obtain natural-looking results, it is critical your surgeon not only possesses exceptional surgical skill but also has an artist’s vision, making sure every tiny detail works together to form a beautiful whole. Dr. Samuel Pearl has been performing the face lift procedure for Mountain View, Los Altos, Palo Alto, San Jose, Los Gatos, Campbell, Saratoga, and Bay Area residents for nearly twenty years. His unique combination of artistic flare and dedication to perfection has given numerous patients rejuvenated, youthful-looking faces. He has proven he has the knowledge and expertise to help you attain your desired results.

When surgery is complete, you'll be taken to a comfortable recovery area. A bandage may have been wrapped around your face to help control swelling. Sometimes, small drainage tubes are placed beneath the skin to drain away fluids that might otherwise accumulate. Discomfort is usually minimal, but any pain you feel can be controlled with medication. Although everyone heals at a different rate, you can expect that your recovery will follow this general time line:

The First Day

• In this early stage of healing, you should rest with your head elevated to help minimize bruising and swelling.

Within the First 3-5 Days

• Swelling reaches its peak, and then begins to subside. Iced compresses will be an essential part of your daily treatment.
• Bandages will be removed, and by day 3 you may shower and wash your hair.
• Most sutures will be removed.
• You may return to light activity, but continue to sleep with your head elevated.
• You can wear makeup to conceal any discoloration.

Within Two Weeks

• Most of the bruising will disappear within seven to ten days.
• You may resume many of your normal activities, including non-strenuous work.

After Several Weeks

• You may resume exercise.
• Swelling and puffiness will continue to subside.
• Numbness in the facial area will diminish; however, some numbness may persist for several months.

Throughout the healing period, you should avoid exposure to direct sunlight. For the long term, use sun block to protect your skin.

Our patients have been very pleased with their refreshed and rejuvenated appearance. Although the healing may take some time, you can expect the end results to be worth the wait.

A number of factors, including your heredity and your lifestyle, play a role in how long the results of your face lift will last. Even though the aging process continues, patients are usually very happy with their appearance for many, many years. Some patients find that they want to make additional improvements at a later time.

If you are contemplating a face lift procedure and you reside near Mountain View, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, San Jose, or the Bay Area, contact Dr. Samuel Pearl, a face lift specialist with an artist’s touch.