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A Weekend Lift
Joann's Story - Part Two
Visage Magazine
Volume 1.2, 2005
What is a Weekend Facelift?
"Weekend facelift" means different things to different doctors.
Not all doctors use the term, and different doctors may apply the
term to different types of procedures.
"Weekend facelift " generally implies limited procedures that heal
in a few days with few recovery problems.
Here is a general overview of some limited facial contouring procedures:
Suture Lifts: With these procedures, deep tissue such as
fat and muscle is lifted, but skin is not removed. The long incisions
associated with traditional facelifts are avoided with suture Iifts.
The doctor inserts threads under the skin and loops sutures around
deep supporting tissues. The threads are then tightened to lift
and support droopy tissues. Slight swelling goes away the next day
and bruising in three to five days. These methods are good for a
patient who has moderately loose jowls or facial skin.
Non-Surgical Tissue Tightening (e.g., Fraxel, Thermage, Titan):
These procedures use machines that heat up the deep tissue, causing
the collagen to tighten. They work best on people with good skin
elasticity and result in limited downtime. They do not require incisions.
Limited Minor Surgeries: These include making incisions to
either remove or tighten underlying tissue. Most of these are limited
procedures for the neck and jowls. They might include such work
as liposuction, platysmaplasty (tightening the "turkey band" muscles
under the chin), and cervicoplasty (surgically removing neck skin).
According to Dr. Kahn, surgeons are not committed to one type
of technique or surgery but work carefully to match the patient
to the procedures. And remember, it's important to have realistic
expectations. Dr. Kahn cautions that candidates
should undergo surgery for the right reasons. Consider facelift
procedures only if you have a good sense of yourself.
Traditional Facelift Versus Weekend Facelifts
Traditional facelifts have come a long way since the woman-caught-in-a-wind-tunnel
effect of the old days. Here is the critical difference: the older
techniques did NOT tighten the underlying deep tissue. Doctors literally
just pulled back skin, which stretched it thinner with each new
facelift. Modern procedures lift the deep tissue underneath.
Both traditional facelifts and weekend facelift procedures generally
result only in minimal pain and are not covered by medical insurance.
The following table lists a few things to think about when considering
a traditional facelift vs. limited facial contouring, or weekend
facelift procedures:
Traditional Facelift:
- generally used for patients with less skin elasticity
- typically takes several weeks to heal
- pre1980: only tightened skin
- post-1980: lifts underlying tissue
- cost varies by work done, may range from $7,000 to 12,000
- generally lasts 5 to 10 years, sometimes more
Weekend Facelift:
- best candidates have good skin elasticity
- back to work in a few days
- can involve different limited facial contouring procedures
- cost varies by procedures, ranging from $1,500 to $5,000
- length of time it lasts varies by procedure; long-term results
of some newer procedures not known
Dr. David Kahn's practice has been devoted exclusively to plastic
surgery since 1978. Board-certified in head and neck surgery and
facial plastic surgery, Dr. Kahn is on staff at St. Mary's Hospital
in San Francisco. He has performed over 5,000 .cosmetic surgeries
at both his San Francisco and Milpitas offices. For more information
about Dr. Kahn, call 1-800-564-6645 or visit www.
kahncosmeticcenter.com.
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