Procedures To Combine With A Facelift

A facelift (rhytidectomy or meloplasty) on its own addresses changes in the lower face. However, if there are other areas of the face that also show signs of ageing, it’s quite common that patients will consider combining additional procedures with it, at the same time.

Combining procedures may create more comprehensive results across the upper and lower face, and it may also mean avoiding undergoing separate surgeries later on.

Whether or not additional procedures are performed with a facelift will depend on the patient’s needs, and personal preferences such as how much time they’re willing to spend recovering, what kind of results they’re expecting and finances available. In this blog, we’ll go through the most commonly combined surgeries and what they may involve.

Brow lift surgery

A facelift typically focuses on the lower face, including the lower cheeks, marionette lines, jawline and jowls. What it doesn’t cover is anything above the cheekbones and eyes – which is when a brow lift might be considered.

A brow lift, often performed through small incisions at the hairline or within the scalp, targets the upper third of the face. It involves adjusting the position of the brow and releasing the deeper structures that tend to be susceptible to laxity over time.

Whilst each procedure may be performed separately, addressing each area at the same time by combining the two procedures is helpful because they target different facial regions to give an overall more balanced result, and involves different approaches and incision placements to perform them.

Dr Jeremy Richardson is trained in a range of brow lift techniques, including Gliding Brow Lifts (GBL), minimally-invasive non-endoscopic brow lifts, and lateral temporal lifts.

As for recovery, the procedure downtime tends to overlap with the facelift recovery. Bruising and swelling can be more noticeable in the first two weeks, especially around the temples and upper eyelids.

Upper eyelid surgery (upper blepharoplasty)

Upper eyelid surgery, or upper blepharoplasty, is a common procedure performed alongside a facelift. It involves removing excess skin from the upper eyelids and may also include a small amount of fat or muscle, depending on what’s contributing to the heaviness.

For some patients, this procedure is purely cosmetic, but in other cases, it’s also performed for functional reasons, particularly if the skin starts to create heaviness that affects vision.

When combined with a facelift, upper eyelid surgery doesn’t always add much time to the recovery process. There may be more swelling and bruising around the eyes, for some patients, and there will still be specific steps to follow to care for the area and the additional incision sites.

Lower eyelid surgery (lower blepharoplasty)

Lower eyelid surgery tends to be a bit more complex than the upper, especially when it’s being performed in combination with a facelift. It’s generally performed to address puffiness under the eyes, hollowing, or excess skin just below the lower lash line.

There are a few different ways that lower eyelid surgery can be performed, depending on the patient’s needs and individual features. Some techniques involve making an incision just beneath the lower lashes to remove or reposition fat and tighten the skin, while others can involve placing an incision on the inside of the eyelid, to access the area without creating an external scar.

When performed with a facelift, the mid-face may also be addressed at the same time. This may be suitable for patients who have hollowing under the eyes and volume loss across the cheeks, as it allows these areas to be addressed together.

Recovery-wise, the eyes may feel tight or dry for a few days, and swelling around the lower lids can take a little longer to subside, compared to the upper lids.

Neck lift (cervicoplasty and platysmaplasty)

Even though some facelift procedures include the neck, they are not typically designed to extend far enough to address concerns like neck bands, or laxity that is present in the submental region or lower neck.

For patients with more noticeable changes across the neck area, a separate neck lift, referred to as a cervicoplasty, performed with a platysmaplasty, at the same time.

A neck lift usually involves an incision under the chin and behind the ears to allow access to the platysma muscle. The surgeon can then address the muscle, remove excess fat, digastric muscle or the protruding portion of the submandibular gland, and create the desired changes and contour. Once the muscle has been resuspended, any excess skin can then be removed.

Depending on the extent of the procedure, the recovery time for a neck lift can be similar to a facelift, although there may be more tightness in the front of the neck initially. Drains or a haemostatic net may be used to help control swelling and bruising.

Possible other procedures with Facelift surgery

During your consultation, Dr Jeremy Richardson and his team may also suggest a skin care regimen to help repair and prepare your skin for surgery or or resurfacing with laser or a chemical peel (TCA). Other procedures that may improve facial harmony and balance include an upper lip lift, facial implants, forehead reduction / scalp advancement, facial fat grafting and rhinoplasty.

What you should consider when you’re combining a facelift with other procedures

When Dr Jeremy Richardson is planning your facial surgery, this will involve assessing and possibly addressing multiple areas of the face at once, as it is important that the procedures are properly planned comprehensively to work together.

Another important factor to think about is that your suitability for each procedure will need to be carefully determined before proceeding.

If you’re considering a facelift and think that you might benefit from adding other procedures to your procedure plan, it can be helpful to raise this when booking your consultation with Dr Jeremy Richardson, who has experience in performing each additional facial procedure.

Dr Jeremy Richardson, an experienced specialist plastic surgeon who performs facelift, neck lift, upper and lower blepharoplasty, brow lift, upper lip lift, facial implants, forehead reduction / scalp advancement and facial fat grafting procedures will be able to assess the areas that may need addressing, walk you through the logistics of combining surgeries, and give you a clear idea of what kind of recovery timeline to expect.

Melbourne-based facelift, blepharoplasty, brow lift, neck lift, upper lip lift, forehead reduction / scalp advancement, facial fat grafting, and rhinoplasty surgeon: Specialist Plastic Surgeon Dr Jeremy Richardson

With years of training and experience, Specialist Plastic Surgeon Dr Jeremy Richardson performs cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery procedures in Melbourne.

Dr Richardson has gained a specific interest in facial cosmetic and reconstructive procedures, including facelifts, brow lifts, neck lifts, blepharoplasty, upper lip lift, facial implants, forehead reduction / scalp advancement, facial fat grafting and rhinoplasty. With his extensive skillset and experience, he can also perform procedures on the breasts, body and skin.

To discuss your suitability for a facelift and the possibility of combining procedures, please get in touch with our team to book a consultation with Dr Richardson.