Facelift

A softened jawline, sagging neck, and drooping cheeks can all take a toll on your confidence. If your appearance doesn’t reflect the youthful energy you feel, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Frederick Park performs facelift surgery in Rocky Mount, NC, to turn back the clock in a way that looks natural.

What Is a Facelift?

A facelift, or rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure that improves visible signs of facial and neck aging. Dr. Park performs facelifts to reverse the general changes caused by a lifetime of using facial muscles and the pulling of gravity. This can include removing and tightening skin, tightening muscle, and contouring fat.

Featured Facelift
Before & After Photos

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Keep in mind that each patient is unique and your results may vary.

Can You Benefit From a Facelift?

A facelift can restore your confidence and help you look and feel more youthful and vibrant. It’s important to understand that a facelift addresses the lower two-thirds of the face. Ideal candidates for facelift surgery want to correct conditions such as:

  • Sagging in the middle of the face
  • Nasolabial folds that form along the nose extending to the corners of the mouth
  • Fat that has fallen or disappeared
  • Loss of skin tone in the lower face that creates jowls
  • Appearance of a double chin caused by accumulated fat

Dr. Park may recommend combining a facelift with other facial rejuvenation procedures—both surgical and nonsurgical—to ensure harmonious results. For example, many patients considering a facelift can also benefit from blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), a brow lift, or laser skin resurfacing.

What Is a Mini Facelift?

A mini or short-scar facelift is a less extensive technique that usually improves minor sagging on the lower face and upper neck. A mini facelift incision is smaller than a facelift incision, and it’s best for people with early signs of aging and minimal sagging. Dr. Park offers shorter scar options with SMAS plication for patients with mild to moderate sagging in the lower face. A complete facelift is better for those with more extensive skin laxity, jowling, and aging.

Dr. Frederick K. Park smiling, wearing black suit with coral tie
Dr. Frederick K. Park Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon

With more than 30 years of experience providing the highest quality aesthetic care at his Rocky Mount practice, Dr. Park is the choice of women and men considering plastic surgery from Greenville, Raleigh, and throughout North Carolina.

Meet Dr. Frederick Park

What Is a Liquid Facelift?

The combination of BOTOX® and dermal fillers, such as JUVÉDERM®, is sometimes called a liquid facelift or a nonsurgical facelift because it can smooth many types of wrinkles and restore volume to hollowed areas of the face. This approach can help with mild to moderate signs of aging on the face. However, liquid facelifts are temporary and require regular touch-up treatments to maintain a more youthful appearance. They generally cannot address more significant signs of aging.

Dr. Park’s Approach:

The face undergoes classic changes during the aging process. I perform facelifts to reverse the general changes caused by a lifetime of using facial muscles and the pulling of gravity. This can include removing and tightening skin, tightening muscle, and contouring fat.

One of the common complaints heard is that the skin of the neck is too loose, and the lower cheek area is hanging down, forming jowls.  Deep folds where the cheeks meet the lips, called nasolabial folds, are also signs of an aging face.

There are many techniques to try to improve these problems. I believe the muscle layer must be tightened for a long-lasting result.  I offer shorter scar techniques for patients who require less lifting. Still, I feel that traditional access that extends behind the ear offers the best opportunity to tighten the neck in patients with significant skin laxity.

Your Facelift Options at Park Plastic Surgery

If you’ve spent much time researching facelift procedures, you may feel overwhelmed by the number of techniques available. Many of these are ineffective or promise results that they can’t deliver. Dr. Park uses techniques that have stood the test of time, knowing they produce excellent, natural-looking outcomes.

Dr. Park customizes each surgical plan based on his physical examination of your skin’s quality and tone, the degree of aging, and the cosmetic goals you describe during your consultation. He uses one of two facelift techniques for most patients: SMAS plication and SMASectomy.

SMAS Plication Facelift

SMAS refers to the superficial muscular aponeurotic system, an organized fibrous network composed of the platysma muscle, parotid fascia, and fibromuscular layer covering the cheek. A SMAS plication facelift is slightly less invasive than a SMASectomy and is a good approach for patients with mild to moderate sagging in the lower face to create a more defined jawline.

The procedure involves making incisions in front of the ear to gain access to the SMAS. Dr. Park then folds the SMAS layer on itself (plication) and sutures it to create tension that minimizes wrinkles and jowling. He then removes excess skin and closes the incisions.

SMASectomy Facelift

A SMASectomy lifts and tightens the underlying muscles of the midface, lower face, and neck to restore the cheeks, eliminate jowls, and contour the jawline and neck. It also removes excess skin, smoothing wrinkles and folds in the remaining skin. Dr. Park makes incisions that start along the hairline and follow the natural lines around the front and behind the ear.

After lifting the skin to expose the SMAS layer, he repositions, tightens, and elevates the tissue. Dr. Park then re-drapes the soft tissue and skin, trims excess skin, and closes the incisions.

How Much Does a Facelift Cost in Rocky Mount, NC?

The cost of a facelift varies according to the surgical technique used, the time in the operating room, your unique goals and needs, and various other factors. We will provide you with a specific price quote after you have discussed your procedure with Dr. Park. You can also contact us for a general facelift price range.

Financing Options

It’s easy for qualified patients to finance their procedures through CareCredit®, which offers attractive payment plans for women and men choosing elective cosmetic surgery or nonsurgical treatments.

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What Is Facelift Recovery Like?

You should plan on taking 1 to 2 weeks off from work if your job doesn’t require strenuous activities. You’ll need more time off for a physically demanding job. We provide detailed post-op instructions that, when closely followed, can minimize discomfort and healing time.

You can expect swelling and bruising to peak during the first 3 to 4 days after the surgery. Residual swelling may last for a few months. If you plan to attend a significant social event after your facelift, such as a wedding, you should book the procedure at least 3 months before the event date.

Dr. Park wants you to begin moving around your house within a day of the procedure to boost circulation but still get plenty of rest. Avoid vigorous exercising for at least 4 to 6 weeks.

Meet With Dr. Park

If you’re looking for a facelift specialist in Raleigh, Greenville, Durham, or anywhere else in North Carolina, you can request a consultation with Dr. Park at our Rocky Mount location by using the online form. Or give us a call at (252) 937-5003 to schedule an appointment.

Facelift Surgery FAQ

How much younger will I look after surgery?

Although each individual has a unique experience, most people feel they look around 10 years younger after facelift surgery.


What’s the best age for a facelift?

Every person ages differently, so there’s no perfect age for facelift surgery. The best time for a facelift is when you decide you’re ready to address signs of aging, such as sagging jowls and wrinkled skin, or when nonsurgical options no longer provide the rejuvenation you want.


Is facelift surgery painful?

You will be given an anesthetic before the surgery so you won’t feel anything during your facelift. We use long-acting anesthetics to minimize post-operative pain and a combination of limited prescription pain medications and NSAIDs for general pain management.


Will my results look natural?

Dr. Park uses advanced facelift surgery techniques that give your face a naturally refreshed look. You should still look like you, just a younger version of yourself.

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