If you are considering eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), facelift surgery, or a brow lift or thread lift, contact our office in Springfield, Missouri to learn more about your treatment options.

Ask Dr. LaFerriere

Am I ready for a facelift?

As we age, the skin near our face and neck begins to droop and sag, and our facial muscles begin to slacken. This causes the appearance of nasolabial folds (folds between the nose and mouth), jowls along the jawline, as well as a collection of loose skin hanging from the neck (commonly referred to as a "turkey neck"). This skin laxity and muscle weakness in the lower part of the face is best corrected with facelift surgery.

Patients who are considering facelift surgery often second-guess their decisions, wondering if it is the right time for them to consider surgery. As simple as it sounds, one of the easiest ways to tell if facelift surgery is right for you is to perform the following test:

With your hand positioned near the middle of your jaw, index fingers up and thumbs beneath your jaw...pull your skin gently up toward your ears. Do you like the result?

If the answer is yes, we invite you to schedule a facelift consultation with Dr. LaFerriere. Dr. LaFerriere is in the best position to tell you whether facelift surgery is right for you or whether your cosmetic goals can be met with a less invasive alternative, including BOTOX® injections, a mini facelift, or a thread lift. Contact our office in Springfield, Missouri today to learn more about your treatment options.

At what age should a facelift be considered?

Candidacy for facelift surgery is determined more by the patient’s goals than their age. In fact, there is really no "best" age for facelift surgery. A facelift procedure performed on a younger patient in their 40s has several benefits, namely, the operation is easier and results last longer. However, facelift surgery can benefit patients who are in their 70s as well. It is important to note that the longer you wait to undergo a facelift, the less elastic your skin becomes, making it harder to achieve a subtle, natural looking result.

Will my incisions be noticeable?

Well placed incisions allow you to enjoy the benefits of facial plastic surgery without telltale signs for others to see. You may have noticed the obvious scars in front of the ear and behind the ear below the hairline of someone who has had a facelift procedure. Unfortunately, this type of scar inhibits them from wearing their hair in certain styles without feeling self conscious. Many of our referrals come from hairstylists who see the best and worst of facelift incisions on a regular basis.

Dr. LaFerriere takes great care to hide his facelift incisions. The incision is broken up and partially hidden in the ear on women (see picture) and in the natural crease directly in front of the ear on men, to allow for beard growth.

What are facial implants made of?

Modern facial implant materials are extremely safe and durable. The implants used at our practice are made of materials that will not cause any adverse reactions and will not be rejected by the body. The most common implants used are Gortex, Silastic, and Teflon implants. Each of these implants has been used safely for decades.

During your consultation, Dr. LaFerriere will help you select the type of implant that is right for you.

Facelift, Brow Lift, Blepharoplasty, Thread Lift and More – Facial Plastic Surgery in Springfield, Missouri

Dr. Keith LaFerriere offers a comprehensive selection of facial plastic surgery procedures that are specifically designed to reduce or eliminate the telltale signs of aging. If you are considering facial plastic surgery to refine your facial contour or address loose, bagging skin beneath the eyes, sagging skin (or jowls) near the face and neck, or a drooping brow, a consultation with Dr. LaFerriere can help you determine first, if facial plastic surgery is right for you, and if so, which treatments are appropriate for your needs.

Click on the links below to learn more about facelift surgery, brow lift, thread lift, eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), and additional treatments available through our Springfield, Missouri practice. Each section below features before and after photos, as well as informative Q&As. We have also provided a "facelift breakdown" with summaries of the various facelift procedures performed by Dr. LaFerriere. If you would like further information about the treatments featured on this page, please contact our facial cosmetic surgery center today.

• Facelift
• Facelift Procedures Breakdown
• Liposuction of the Neck
• Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)
• Brow Lift
• Volume Enhancement with Fat Sculpting
• Facial Implants

Facelift

When most people think of facial plastic surgery, they envision the most dramatic means of facial rejuvenation – the facelift. Facelift surgery is the ultimate solution for facial aging, simultaneously redefining and accentuating the youthful contours of the face.

Fundamentally, the facelift is designed to address the lower two-thirds of the face. However, facelift surgery can be combined with eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) or brow lift surgery for comprehensive facial rejuvenation. During a facelift consultation at our office in Springfield, Missouri, Dr. LaFerriere will meet with you to discuss your cosmetic goals and recommend the procedure (or combination of procedures) that will best meet your needs. Younger patients may be better suited for a mini-lift or a thread lift, while some of our older patients will benefit most from a standard facelift or deep plane facelift. We invite you to view our facelift breakdown below for a detailed explanation of each procedure.

Which facelift surgery is right for me?

Over the last decade, facelift surgery has evolved to the point where patients can choose from any number of surgical techniques, producing results that look incredibly natural. Our patients can be confident that with Dr. LaFerriere, the "windblown" look is a thing of the past. During your facelift consultation at our office in Springfield, Missouri, Dr. LaFerriere will recommend a surgical technique based on what you want to accomplish and what your specific aging changes are. Your facial plastic surgery will then be tailored to meet your specific needs.

Remember, if it doesn’t look natural, it doesn’t look good.

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Facelift Procedures Breakdown

"Mini Lift"	The "mini" facelift is designed to address the early signs of aging near the neck and jawline. The "mini" lift is best suited for patients with small amounts of excess neck skin. The procedure is performed with limited incisions around the ear and limited undermining of the skin. Recovery time is between one and two weeks and once healed, incision lines are virtually undetectable.
Standard Facelift (Extended SMAS)	The standard facelift attends to the more extensive aging changes in the neck and jawline. Incisions begin in the hair of the temple and extend down into the ear or just in front and extending behind the ear, into the hairline. The SMAS (thin layer of muscle and tissue underneath the skin) is elevated and tightened, allowing the skin to be redraped for a more youthful, but natural looking facial contour. This repositioning of the SMAS is what helps to prolong the results of the facelift procedure. Recovery time is at least two weeks.
Deep Plane Facelift	The deep plane facelift is the method of choice for patients with more extensive aging changes, including heaviness and sagging in the cheeks along with sagging in the neck and jawline. The incisions for this procedure mirror the standard facelift and recovery time is at least two weeks.
Mid Facelift	The mid facelift is designed to elevate the cheeks to a more youthful positing. Mid facelift incisions can be made near the temple or eyelid, and recovery is approximately three to four weeks. Where neck drooping and jowls are also present, the mid facelift can be performed in conjunction with the standard facelift for more comprehensive rejuvenation.
Mid Face Suspension Lift – "Express Lift" The "express lift" is a minimally invasive procedure that is generally performed on younger patients. The procedure has the same indications as the mid facelift, but is designed for those with fewer aging changes. In order to elevate the cheeks and reduce the appearance of nasolabial folds, the cheek pads are suspended with permanent sutures. This helps to add fullness to the cheeks and restore the balance of facial features. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia or light sedation, and while results are not as permanent as the mid facelift, recovery time is brief, approximately one week. For a more complete look, the express lift can be combined with the standard facelift.
Thread Lift Dr. LaFerriere sometimes uses a thread lift to improve the appearance of sagging checks on people who are showing early signs of aging. During the procedure, specially designed sutures lift sagging tissue, giving the appearance of more fullness in the cheeks. Thread lifting does not replace facelift surgery and does not give the same long term results, but is a less invasive alternative that can be performed under local anesthesia.

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Liposuction of the Neck

Excess fat beneath the chin is a problem for patients of all ages. With targeted liposuction, this area can be sculpted to produce a smoother, more youthful looking neck and jawline. To remove the fat, a small incision is made beneath the chin and behind each ear. Using a device called a cannula, the fat is suctioned away. The entire procedure is performed under local anesthesia with sedation.

The ideal candidate for liposuction of the neck will have good skin tone. Neck liposuction is not a solution for sagging skin near the neck; however, in younger patients, loose skin will adhere naturally following liposuction of the neck, resulting in a more sculpted, angular look. Patients over the age of 50 with loose skin will benefit the most from a facelift to recontour the neckline. There are also several other treatments available to improve neck contour, including chin augmentation.

To learn more about liposuction of the neck, facelift surgery, thread lift, and other facial contouring procedures, contact our facial cosmetic surgery center in Springfield, Missouri.

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Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

Your eyes are your widows to the world. They also reflect your mood, telling people you are happy, tired, curious, awed, or perplexed. The eyes, however, can also show telltale signs of aging, possibly giving people the wrong impression and affecting the way you are perceived.

Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) is one of the most popular facial plastic surgery procedures available at our Missouri practice. The procedure gives countless men and woman each year a renewed sense of self confidence. If you are concerned with sagging upper eyelid skin or bags beneath your eyes, blepharoplasty may be right for you.

Upper Eyelid Surgery

In upper eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), Dr. LaFerriere first marks the individual lines and creases of the lids in order to keep the scars as invisible as possible along the natural folds. The incision is made, and excess fat, muscle, and loose skin are removed. He then uses fine sutures to close the incisions, minimizing the visibility of any resulting scar.

Upper blepharoplasty should be contemplated when the upper lids hang over the eyes. Sometimes the overhang is so extensive that it becomes difficult to put on eye makeup or the hooding of the eyes interferes with vision. Visual obstruction is one of the only conditions that may be covered by medical insurance.

Note - sometimes what appears to be sagging of the upper eyelids is actually from drooping of the brow, and is better addressed by a brow lift. During your blepharoplasty consultation at our office in Missouri, Dr. LaFerriere can determine which procedure will best meet your needs.

Lower Eyelid Surgery

In lower eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), Dr. LaFerriere may determine that the fat in the lower eyelid needs to be removed to give the most pleasing result. If this is the case, he will perform a procedure called a transconjunctival blepharoplasty, where an incision is made either behind the lower eyelid or just below the eyelashes, where it is inconspicuous, and the excess fat is trimmed away. If there is a large amount of excess skin or muscle, Dr. LaFerriere may choose to make an internal incision. When sutures are used to close this kind of incision, they are invisible to the eye. They are also self-dissolving and leave no visible scar.

For patients with wrinkles of the lower eyelid skin, Dr. LaFerriere can also smooth the skin simultaneously during blepharoplasty with CO2 laser skin resurfacing. To remove loose, excess lower eyelid skin, Dr. LaFerriere may also use what is known as a "pinch technique."

Lower Blepharoplasty with Fat Repositioning

Dr. LaFerriere may recommend that the fat in your lower eyelids be preserved and repositioned to reduce the loss of volume that can sometimes give a hollowed look to the eyes. By using a more advanced procedure, lower blepharoplasty with fat-repositioning, Dr. LaFerriere can achieve a natural, refreshed look that will retain the youthful fullness in the area under the eyes.

In lower blepharoplasty with fat-repositioning, the incision is also made inside the lower eyelid, but instead of removing the excess fat, Dr. LaFerriere repositions it and secures the fat pad with sutures. Special tape is worn on the skin to hold the sutures in place and is removed at the one week post-operative visit.

Recovery

For a week following blepharoplasty, you will be required to clean the eye area daily and apply ointment as directed. Patients can often return to work in a week or less after eyelid surgery. Lower eyelid surgery with fat-repositioning may require a slightly longer recovery period. During your one-week blepharoplasty post op visit with Dr. LaFerriere at his Missouri office, he will remove any permanent sutures used during surgery; self-absorbing sutures will dissolve on their own.

Brow Lift

The brow and forehead areas often show the first signs of aging. And, unfortunately, a furrowed brow or drooping brow many times can make you look angry or tired. A brow lift from Dr. LaFerriere can address a "heavy" brow, forehead wrinkling, and frown lines, all of which tend to cause even people in their thirties to look older than they actually are.

The Procedure

A brow lift involves making five tiny incisions behind the hairline. An endoscopic, or minimal-incision brow lift, utilizes a skinny endoscope, minimizing the size of the incision as well as the resulting scar. For patients with high hairlines, an incision can be made just at the hairline, maintaining the hairline position while providing all the cosmetic benefits of the brow lift. This is known as a tricophytic brow lift.

Recovery

You will experience a certain amount of swelling and possible bruising in the 10-day period following a brow lift. The staples or sutures will be removed at your one week post-operative appointment at our Missouri office. As the incisions heal, you may experience some numbness as well as itching, both of which will diminish with time. Most patients may return to normal activities after one week; however, there may be further restrictions on strenuous activity for up to one month.

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Volume Enhancement with Fat Sculpting

Today fat seems to be public enemy number one. We’re obsessed with eating low-fat foods and exercising to lose body fat. But loss of fat in the facial area due to aging can create an undesirable appearance.

Think of the smooth roundness of a child’s face. We’re all born with a natural volume of facial fat that we naturally lose over time. This loss of fullness can lead to sagging skin, wrinkles, and hollows in the cheeks or over the brows. The good news is that most people have excess fat in other areas of the body (and you know where those areas are!) that can be used to restore fullness and volume to the face.

The Procedure

Structural fat transfer is a procedure that utilizes tiny, invisible incisions to collect your own body fat. The fat is then relocated through injection to create desired improvements in your facial area. Recent advancements in this fat transfer process have made it an excellent long-lasting option for filling out sagging or hollowed areas, enhancing cheekbones, adding fullness to eyelids, reducing dark circles under the eyes, and even filling out the lips.

Fat transfer can be very effective method when used alone, and it’s a beautiful way to sculpt and add fullness in conjunction with blepharoplasty, a brow lift, or a facelift. Recovery time varies, but is normally one to two weeks. To learn more about the procedure, schedule a consultation at our office in Springfield, Missouri.

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Lip Enhancement

Full, defined lips are considered a sign of youth, beauty, and sensuality. Unfortunately, as we age our lips gradually lose volume and become thinner. Temporary and permanent lip enhancement procedures can help us look younger by plumping the lips and redefining their natural outline. These lip enhancement procedures are simple, safe, and effective. Most can be performed in a very short amount of time under local anesthesia or sedation.

The lips can be augmented with the patient's own body tissue (fat injections), popular tissue fillers (collagen, Restylane®), soft synthetic implants (Advanta, Gortex) or a lip lift procedure. A consultation with Dr. LaFerriere will help you understand the many options available and determine the best lip enhancement solution for you.

Temporary Solutions

One of the simplest ways to enhance the lips is with Collagen or Cosmoderm™/Cosmoplast™ injectable fillers. Results have been shown to last several months. Restylane®, a hyaluronic acid based filler, has also become a very popular lip enhancement treatment at our practice. Restylane® is not only simple to place in the lips, it also lasts significantly longer than Collagen.

Permanent Solutions

Lip enhancement with the patient's own excess fat is a much more permanent solution. Dr. LaFerriere can collect your own body fat using tiny, virtually invisible incisions and then reinject that fat into your lips for increased volume and softer, fuller lips. Advanta and Gor-tex lip implants can also be utilized to permanently increase lip volume. The implants are inserted via tiny incisions near the corners of the lip. Patients should be aware that it can take time to get used to the feel of lip implants - though Advanta lip implants are quite soft, they will always feel less "natural" than injected fat.

Lip "Lift"

If the upper lip has lengthened to the point where it completely covers the upper teeth, a lip "lift" procedure may be recommended to shorten the area between the nose and upper lip. Lip lift procedures are designed to remove a small section of skin beneath the nose to lift and recontour the upper lip. For patients with a small upper lip, Dr. LaFerriere can advance the red (vermillion) border of the lip by removing a thin section of skin above the lip. If the patient desires a more shapely upper lip, Dr. LaFerriere can taper this incision to produce a "Cupid's Bow" contour.

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Facial Implants

Well-defined facial contour is celebrated as a sign of beauty. Because the size, angle, and shape of facial features such as the cheeks, chin, and nose can have great impact on facial symmetry and overall attractiveness, facial implants have become a popular cosmetic alternative to procedures such as the facelift and brow lift. With facial implants, Dr. LaFerriere can augment the facial skeleton to improve facial contour.

Chin Implants

Chin implants can help balance the features of the face, especially a large nose. In fact, a large percentage of rhinoplasty patients can benefit from a chin implant to build out a receding chin and lessen the prominence of the nose. A chin implant can also help to enhance the benefits of a facelift by improving neck contour. The surgery itself is relatively simple, Dr. LaFerriere will make a tiny incision under the chin to insert the implant, leaving only a small, virtually undetectable scar.

Dr. LaFerriere will select one of several chin implant designs that will best improve not only your profile but will fill out a narrow chin as well. Numerous sizers as well as computer imaging will aid in this selection.

Cheek Implants

Cheek implants, placed through the mouth, can create the kind of high cheekbones and angular, dramatic look that many women dream of. Dr. LaFerriere offers a selection of anatomically shaped implants of various sizes to augment the cheeks. During your consultation, Dr. LaFerriere will help you select the implant that will give you the look you desire.

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If you are interested in learning more about facial implants, lip augmentation, facelift surgery, thread lift, brow lift, or blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), contact our Springfield, Missouri facial cosmetic surgery center today.