Potomac Plastic Surgery: Houtan Chaboki, MD
2311 M Street, N.W. Suite 501
Washington, DC 20037
Phone: (202) 800-2085
Monday - Friday: 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
A skillfully performed facelift procedure can refresh your appearance and help you look more energized and vibrant. Dr. Houtan Chaboki is a facelift specialist in Washington, DC, who uses his refined surgical skills to elevate your natural appearance, not to change the way you look. As a renowned, double board-certified facial plastic surgeon, he specializes in numerous advanced techniques, including the limited-incision facelift (mini facelift) and deep plane facelift (SMAS facelift) to customize your procedure. Men and women from Arlington and Ashburn, VA; Bethesda and Chevy Chase, MD; and other nearby areas trust him to bring out their inner vitality and boost their self-confidence with facelift surgery.
Keep in mind that each patient is unique and your results may vary.
A facelift is a plastic surgery procedure that rejuvenates the lower 2/3 of the face. There are a variety of techniques designed for patients with early signs of aging and those with advanced aging. Dr. Chaboki personalizes each procedure to the needs and cosmetic goals of the patient.
Because facelift surgery is such an extremely personalized procedure, it’s not possible to provide a detailed quote without an in-person consultation. Ultimately, the exact cost of your facelift is dependent on a number of factors, such as the technique Dr. Chaboki uses and the fees associated with the operating facility. After your initial consultation, we provide you with a quote that reflects your specific surgery. Learn more about what’s included in the cost of your facelift on our Financing & Fees page.
Women and men who are in good health make good candidates for a traditional facelift when they want to correct moderate to significant facial aging that includes:
Although the aging process affects the entire face, it may be noticeable in some areas earlier than others. Dr. Chaboki gives patients a choice to address individual areas or the entire face based on their needs and desires. He offers a variety of facial rejuvenation options that can complement a facelift by renewing the forehead, lower eyelids, and the mid face.
After a comprehensive evaluation at Potomac Plastic Surgery, Dr. Chaboki will recommend the best option for you based on your areas of greatest concern, the amount of correction you would like to achieve, and your underlying facial anatomy.
Also referred to as a short scar lift, S‐lift, or mini facelift, this technique allows our Washington, DC, patients in their 40s to 50s with early signs of aging to enhance their looks without the downtime of a full facelift. Dr. Chaboki chooses this technique based on a patient’s anatomy and degree of sagging, not necessarily their age.
Also called a full or complete facelift, this approach is for patients with more advanced aging of the lower two-thirds of the face. Fat, skin, and tissue will be reshaped, lifted, and repositioned for a refreshed appearance.
A mid facelift, or cheek lift, focuses more on improving the lower eyelids and the cheeks rather than the chin and jawline. If this is the area of your face that’s primarily affected by aging, it may be the best match for you.
This technique improves the deeper tissues of the face, tightening and repositioning them before also redraping the skin. The results of this approach tend to be more dramatic and longer lasting.
A lower facelift rejuvenates the lower face by tightening wrinkled, sagging skin and loose facial muscles, and raising fat and tissue that have sagged to the lower cheeks and jowls. It can also define your jawline and contour your neck when combined with a neck lift.
Learn more about these different facelift techniques in our blog post Differences in Facelift Surgery.
Occasionally, a second facelift may be required for those who have had a prior facelift. These procedures vary in complexity and degree of correction. Minor touch-ups may be performed in the office with local anesthesia. While Dr. Chaboki can make you look younger and more vital, he can’t stop the natural aging process.
Certified by both the American Board of Otolaryngology and the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Dr. Chaboki has extensive knowledge of the intricacies of the face and neck. When you choose him for your procedure, you’re choosing one of the most reputable facial plastic surgeons in DC, as well as a nationwide leader in preservation rhinoplasty.
Learn MoreDr. Chaboki performs your facelift via various types of anesthesia, including local anesthesia and anesthesia with sedation. The anesthetic option that’s best for you depends on the specifics of your procedure as well as other factors, such as your overall health. Regardless, Dr. Chaboki works with you to develop a surgical plan that prioritizes your safety and comfort. Learn more about your anesthesia options in our blog post.
Once you are anesthetized, Dr. Chaboki makes incisions around your ears and possibly under your chin. This provides him with maximum control during surgery while also creating very discreet scars. However, if you choose a limited-incision facelift, Dr. Chaboki may make incisions that trace around only the lower part of your ears. He tightens the underlying muscle and other tissue, removes excess fat deposits, and lifts and redrapes the skin for a smooth, refined contour.
A facelift is rarely performed as a standalone procedure. Facial features tend to age at the same pace, so signs of skin laxity in the lower face are usually accompanied by neck skin sagging. A facelift without a neck lift will cause your sagging neck to appear more pronounced. A neck lift, which can be performed without a facelift, involves removing excess fat and/or tightening muscles under your chin through a small incision below your chin.
Adding a neck lift to your facelift procedure targets problems a facelift itself cannot, such as excess fatty deposits under the chin, prominent bands in the neck, and loose neck skin. The types of facelift procedures that Dr. Chaboki often combines with a neck lift include traditional facelift, lower facelift, and deep-plane facelift.
During your initial recovery period, expect some temporary swelling and bruising. Discomfort can usually be managed with prescribed medicine. Keeping your head elevated and avoiding physical exertion also minimizes swelling and discomfort.
Dr. Chaboki will give you a detailed outline of what you can expect in the days, weeks, and months following surgery. While experiences vary with the details of the surgery and individual patient factors, here are some general recovery milestones:
You can read a brief summary of what to expect during facelift recovery in our blog post.
Dr. Chaboki often combines facelift surgery with other procedures to provide more complete rejuvenation of the face. Options include:
Med spa treatments provide non surgical rejuvenation for patients who are not ready for cosmetic surgery. Options include:
A liquid facelift is a personalized combination of non surgical treatments, best for patients with early to moderate signs of aging, that usually involves little to no downtime. During your consultation, Dr. Chaboki can help you understand the pros and cons of surgical and non surgical procedures.
Once your recovery is complete, your face will look younger, fresher, and more attractive. When you choose Dr. Chaboki as your facelift surgeon, your results should appear natural without looking extreme or “worked-on.” His priorities are patient safety and natural-looking rejuvenation.
After a facelift, you should look better than nature intended for the remainder of your life. The aging process continues, however, so the procedure won’t stop wrinkles and sagging skin from developing over the years. You should look better than if you had not had the procedure in the first place.
Some patients visit Dr. Chaboki for a secondary facelift several years after the original procedure. Minor touch-ups may be requested earlier. You may choose non surgical procedures such as BOTOX, facial fillers, or laser treatments to help maintain a youthful appearance.
Patients are comfortable during surgery, whether the procedure is performed in the office via local anesthesia or in a surgical facility with IV sedation. Patients may experience a very brief, mild sting from the initial numbing medication.
A certain level of discomfort is normal and expected after plastic surgery. Patients often describe sensations as tightness, soreness, or discomfort that is easily managed by oral pain medication (e.g., acetaminophen, codeine). Many patients have reported not requiring prescription pain medication after the first several days or so.
Severe pain, which is unusual, should always be reported immediately to your plastic surgeon.
Patients may start considering cosmetic facelift surgery at a younger age, for those who were born with excess skin or fat. Neck liposuction and chin augmentation with an implant are more often performed for these younger patients. Many patients start considering cosmetic facelift surgery (e.g., mini lift or S lift) after age 40.
A patient’s safety is always our primary concern. Any plastic surgery has inherent risks, but facelift surgery is considered a safe surgery in healthy patients.
Dr. Chaboki will review your medical history and medications, in addition to an appropriate examination to evaluate not only the aesthetic plan, but also to perform plastic surgery safely. Some patients may also need testing and/or preoperative medical evaluation by their primary care physician before surgery.
The skin and tissue near incisions may appear puffy and pink initially. This puffiness will improve with time. Topical petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline® or Aquaphor®) applied to external incisions helps the skin appear its best and reduces scars. Keep incisions moist with petrolatum ointment at all times during the initial healing period. Do not use any other hair products, creams, or lotions until advised otherwise. In addition, take extra care when combing, brushing, or styling the hair in the early recovery period.
Other methods to maximize skin health include not smoking, staying adequately hydrated, maintaining a healthy diet, sleeping well, and using sun protection.
Those patients with significantly more skin laxity and neck fat will generally require more surgery. Older patients usually require more surgery as compared to younger patients. Generally, ideal patients for mini lifts or S lifts are typically younger with mild signs of facial aging.
Less invasive plastic surgery procedures sound appealing, but may not give desired results in some patients. Each patient is unique, and an appropriate facelift procedure can only be determined by a comprehensive evaluation by a cosmetic surgeon. A consultation with a facelift surgeon will help determine which factors are contributing to your appearance — and which procedures are appropriate to rejuvenate the face and neck.
You can ask this question of 5 different surgeons, and you might get 5 different answers. Pinpointing the number of years a facelift can erase isn’t possible, but typically patients believe they look about 10 to 12 years younger after facelift surgery. A successful facelift not only turns back the clock, but accomplishes this goal in a way that looks natural.
This really depends on the reasons someone has for wanting a facelift. Many women and men who get facelift surgery say they feel more confident in their personal lives or at work after the procedure. When considering whether a facelift is “worth it” or not, it’s important to have realistic expectations about the results. If you do, chances are you’ll be happy with the outcome.
Combined brow lift, eyelid lift, and facelift surgery is referred to as a “full facelift.” Facial plastic surgery is tailored to the unique needs of each patient, based on several factors such as individual anatomy, degree of facial aging, medical conditions, and patient personal preferences. While a brow lift, eyelid lift, and/or facelift are commonly performed together, these procedures don’t have to be performed at the same time.
Strenuous activities or exercise after plastic surgery will increase the risk of bleeding, swelling, and bruising. Activity restriction during the recovery period varies based on the operation performed and patient’s medical condition. Light activities, such as slow walking, may be performed soon after anesthesia. Heavy activity, such as aerobics, yoga, cycling, running, heavy lifting, or similar vigorous activities are typically allowed 2 weeks after the procedure. Contact sports are generally allowed after 6 weeks.
Patients can go to work or school the next day or work from home, if desired. Most patients, however, plan at least one week off from work or school after plastic surgery. A longer period of recovery may be necessary for combined procedures.
Patients should remain in the area at least the first day after plastic surgery. Regional travel by car is usually allowed the following day after surgery. Patients should wait at least 1 week before air travel after plastic surgery, but waiting 2 weeks is preferred. The risks associated with travel reduce with time.
Makeup should not be used around the operated area for the first week after surgery. Shaving is usually allowed after the first week from facelift surgery. As healing is monitored, Dr. Chaboki will help determine an appropriate time to resume makeup and shaving on or near operated areas.
Any plastic surgery procedure (surgical or non surgical) may result in bruising and swelling, which may peak in the first day before improving. In addition, the bruising generally fades away faster than swelling. Lastly, surgical procedures tend to swell or bruise more, as compared to non surgical treatments performed in the office.
To ensure the best outcomes after facelift, make sure to read and follow our plastic surgery care instructions and the following guidelines below:
Avoid Blood Thinners
Some normal medications or herbs may worsen bruising. Stop all ibuprofen, aspirin and aspirin-like products for at least 2 weeks prior to your procedure. Avoid any herbal teas, supplements, or medications that thin the blood, such as St. John’s wort, ginkgo, ginger, garlic, ginseng, kava, vitamin C, and vitamin E.
Elevate Your Head
Let gravity play a role in the recovery process. Positioning your head on top of a few pillows, or elevated mattress top, will help reduce bruising and swelling in the treated area. Avoid bending over as much as possible, too.
Apply Ice
In addition to reducing swelling, a cool compress helps constrict blood vessels, which may decrease the extent of bruising. Ice, however, should not be placed directly on the skin. A soft cloth helps spread the cooling effects. Ice is the most important during the first 2 days after cosmetic treatments.
Avoid Heavy Activity
Heavy or strenuous activity that increases the heart rate or blood pressure can increase bruising and delay recovery. Heavy activities to avoid include, but are not limited to, all types of exercise and sex. Even lighter activity, such as yoga, should be avoided. This restriction on activity is for the first 2 weeks after plastic surgery.
Try Arnica Montana and Bromelain
Herbal supplements that help some patients reduce bruising and swelling include Arnica montana and bromelain. Both of these are available over-the-counter without prescription. You should look for these supplements in a tablet form. Bromelain is also found in pineapples.
Bruising improves faster than swelling after plastic surgery. On average, most bruising resolves within the first 1 to 2 weeks in the early phase of healing.
Non surgical facial procedures (e.g., BOTOX®, Restylane®, KYBELLA®) are performed in the office with local anesthesia. Minor surgery (e.g., mini lift) may also normally performed with local anesthesia. Facelift surgery may be performed with either IV (twilight) sedation or general anesthesia at accredited facilities with a licensed anesthetist.
Patients are safe and comfortable during their procedures. The decision on the type of anesthesia used during plastic surgery depends on the extent of surgery, additional cosmetic surgery procedures along with the eyelid surgery, patient factors and preference, and surgeon factors and preference. After an evaluation, the plastic surgeon and patient decide together the appropriate anesthesia type for plastic surgery.
Dr. Chaboki practices facial plastic surgery at several DC-area surgical facilities to accommodate his patients:
Minor procedures with local anesthesia are performed in the DC office. Surgical procedures with IV (twilight) sedation or general anesthesia are performed at accredited facilities with a board-certified anesthetist.
Incisions for many facelift techniques, including mini lift and S lifts, are hidden within the natural contours around the ear. The facelift incision may be anywhere from the temple, sideburns, around the ear, and/or upper neck. The incision location and length vary largely based on the age of the patient and how much lift he or she needs. Dr. Chaboki will minimize the incision but maximize the lift, without creating an unnatural appearance. The facelift incision, regardless of exact location, fades from view over time.
Most facelift and neck lift surgeries also have a supplemental incision under the chin. This chin incision is well hidden in a natural crease and is used largely to access fat in the neck for liposuction, chin augmentation, or neck muscle tightening.
For more information, read our blog post on facelift incisions.
Some have argued that facial exercises or electric stimulation of the facial muscles can help tighten the face and reduce the sagging appearance common with aging. However, there isn’t scientific research that shows it being worthwhile for cosmetic improvement. In addition, most plastic surgeons and dermatologists have not seen long-term, predictable results from such non surgical treatments. Any cosmetic results, if present, tend to be very short term and subtle.
Facial exercises and electric stimulation are not a replacement for a surgical facelift or neck lift. Patients with significant neck fat or sagging skin will typically require facelift surgery.
The newer techniques of facelift surgery, such the S lift or SMAS lift, are generally considered “mini” lifts when compared to older facelift methods. Mini facelifts generally have shorter incisions and quicker recovery time.
Non surgical facelifts can be performed with wrinkle relaxers such as BOTOX Cosmetic or Dysport®. By relaxing the muscles that pull down the jowls (i.e., platysma), BOTOX can provide a temporary neck lift. This type of non surgical lift may be referred to as a Nefertiti lift. Results with a BOTOX non surgical facelift are subtle as compared to surgery and are temporary.
A liquid facelift, also called a non surgical facelift, refers to non surgical methods of rejuvenating the face with injections. These cosmetic injections include facial fillers (such as JUVÉDERM® or Restylane®), fat injections, and relaxer injections (such as BOTOX® Cosmetic). Liquid facelifts are better to enhance the cheeks, midface, lower eyelid, temples, chin, jawline, and lips; these procedures generally do not focus on the neck.
The face ages in a multidimensional manner. Gravity is only one aspect of appearing older. We all also gradually lose facial volume with age and sun damage. Fat and bone loss contribute to this facial shrinking and thinning. A combination of lifting with a facelift and filling with fat transfer, also called fat injection, provides a more natural, comprehensive rejuvenation.
Patients may assume that facial plastic surgeons only recommend plastic surgery. The best plastic surgeons, however, provide a variety of options (including non surgical), with a preferred option given a patient’s personal goals, underlying anatomy, and degree of facial aging.
The SMAS, which stands for superficial musculo-aponeurotic system, is a layer of fat and muscle tissue just under the surface of the skin on the face. Modification of the SMAS is the main component of most facelift surgery, not just the skin. Long-lasting facelift results are obtained by lifting and tightening the SMAS through a variety of techniques, including deep plane facelifts.
Some asymmetry might be improved with facelift surgery. As a result, Dr. Chaboki may make modifications on facelift surgery to improve symmetry.
Keep in mind that a certain degree of asymmetry will still persist and cannot be corrected. For example, patients with asymmetric jowls commonly also have asymmetry of the eyes, ears, and face and underlying asymmetric bone.
Thread lifts were once considered a possible solution to tighten the face and neck without surgery. However, there isn’t clinical evidence that shows it being worthwhile for cosmetic improvement. In addition, plastic surgeons and dermatologists have not seen long-term, predictable results from such non surgical treatments. Any cosmetic results, if present, tend to be very short term. Thread lifts are not worth it.
A thread lift is not a replacement for a surgical facelift or neck lift. Patients with significant neck fat or sagging skin will typically require facelift surgery.
A facelift focuses on the lower face, neck, and jowls. A mid facelift focuses on the cheeks and mid facial area, including the lower eyelids. A mid facelift can be combined with other facelift types, or performed on its own.
Plastic surgery covers a broad area of medicine, which includes both reconstructive procedures and cosmetic procedures. If your procedure is medically indicated, some portion of the cost may be covered by your insurance plan. Insurance coverage varies greatly for patients, and patients are ultimately responsible for fees.
To discuss your goals for cosmetic facial surgery and the areas that you would like to improve, request a consultation with Dr. Chaboki online or call his office at (202) 800-2085. Women and men visit him for facelift surgery from Arlington, VA; Silver Spring, MD; and throughout the Washington, DC, metro area.
