Top 5 Facelift Tips

5. Pamper Yourself

Immediately after your facelift surgery, you won’t be able to enjoy some of your favorite pampering activities. So, go ahead and get your manicure and pedicure done a few days before your surgery. Get your hair cut and colored as well since you won’t be able to do so for about 4-6 weeks after your facelift. And in anticipation of not being able to take a shower for a few days, take a relaxing shower or bath the night before or early morning of your surgery. However, don’t apply any products to your face or hair afterwards as you want to be in your most natural state at the time of surgery. A unique feature of an MVP Lift (MVP Facelift) with Dr. Russell Kridel, we will shampoo your hair for you a couple of days after your surgery. You will leave the office with an extra skip in your step. One trick if you don’t want anyone to know you had surgery, is to change your hairstyle as well just before surgery. After your facelift, your friends will be looking at your overall new look and your secret will remain safe.

4. No Smoking

Smoking is a major “do not do.” It is at the top of the list of habits to avoid for good reason. The nicotine and chemicals found in cigarettes can restrict the blood vessels and make it very difficult for the body to heal. You must alert your facial plastic surgeon if you are a smoker during your consultation and patient history. Because the detrimental effect of smoking is so significant, many surgeons will not operate on an active smoker at all. Some will require that you stop smoking for at least 3 to 4 weeks prior to surgery and 4 to 6 weeks after surgery. Blood tests can actually confirm whether or not you are compliant. The best course of action of course, is to permanently quit months in advance.

3. Plan Ahead

When you have an MVP Lift at FPSA (Facial Plastic Surgery Associates) you will stay overnight in the hospital. This is to make sure you are comfortable and relaxed. The day after your surgery you will visit our office so that we can change your dressings. Following the overnight hospital stay, you will be recuperating at your home. While the majority of patients find the recovery process much easier than they thought it would be, there will still be some discomfort. It is critical to follow the post-operative instructions provided to you. So, in preparation for your post-operative care regimen it is a great idea to plan “creature comforts” in advance of surgery --- from making sure you have a loved one nearby for the first few days, to having your favorite sheets and pillows on your bed. Set up a dedicated recovery area near your bedside with pillows, blankets, and plenty of comfortable, loose-fitting clothes with buttons or snaps, that don’t pull over your head. Fill a basket with your written instructions, medical supplies, water bottles, medications, and healthy snacks so you have everything you need right at your fingertips.

2. Create Your Own Checklist

At FPSA, we will set up all of your post-operative appointments prior to your surgery and we will provide you with complete pre and post-operative instructions. However, it is really helpful to make a complete checklist, including all of your personal to-dos, before your facelift. By creating a list based on a timeline countdown before your surgery and all the way through to one month after your surgery, you will be completely organized during the entire process. You will include everything from all of your appointments with FPSA to picking up your dry cleaning. Think of it as a personal vacation and you will be rewarded with a new look with very little stress.

1. Select the best facelift surgeon in Houston

To achieve a natural look, it is imperative that you select your surgeon carefully. After all, the success (or failure) to achieve your aesthetic goals lies solely in the hands of your surgeon. The first step is to be sure to select a board-certified facial plastic surgeon, because of their advanced training they are specialists who focus solely on the face and neck. You don’t want a surgeon who performs far more breast augmentation surgeries to perform the more intricate and challenging facelift procedure. You also want to be sure your surgeon has a great deal of experience, more than 50 facelifts annually, and can show you before and after photos of other facelift patients. Make sure you ask to see close-ups of the patient photos so that you can see how the surgeon handles the incisions. Sadly, at FPSA, we have seen patients who come to Dr. Kridel for a revision facelift to correct unslightly incisions from a poorly executed facelift by another surgeon. You also want to meet your surgeon in person for a consultation that includes digital photo imaging, so that you can see an image of what you can expect to achieve. At FPSA, your consultation is extremely thorough, you can expect to be with us for 1.5 to 2 hours. Dr. Kridel and our entire staff happily answer all of your questions during your visit. In addition, we are happy to provide names of other facelift patients you can speak with about the surgical experience with Dr. Kridel. Dr. Russell Kridel is considered one of the best facelift surgeons, not only in Houston, but throughout the entire country. He has published over 25 scientific journal articles and textbook chapters just on facial rejuvenation techniques. His MVP Lift, multi-vector positioning facelift, is noted for its high success rate and fabulous natural results. One of the keys to this technique is meticulous dissection and re-draping. Dr. Kridel has also pioneered a “hidden incision” surgical technique that makes your facelift incisions virtually undetectable. We often get comments from patients that their own hairdresser could not tell that they had a facelift. He is often referred to as “The Doctor’s Doctor” because other physicians refer themselves, their family members and other patients to Dr. Kridel for aesthetic surgery because of his proven records of success and reputation for superior surgical skill in facial plastic surgery techniques. He has also been recognized annually by patients and peers as a Top Doc and Best Doctor for over 15 years. Needless to say, you will be in the best of hands with Houston facelift specialist, Dr. Kridel.

--- Kirin, Facial Plastic Surgery Associates, Houston

To make an appointment with Dr. Kridel for an MVP Facelift consultation, please call 713/526-5665.