Facelift Surgery in Des Moines

Rejuvenate your appearance with a facelift at Des Moines Plastic Surgery™. Our skilled surgeons, Dr. David Robbins and Dr. Hector Marcano, specialize in customized facelift procedures designed to address signs of aging and enhance your natural beauty.

Why Consider a Facelift?

As we age, factors like gravity, sun exposure, and lifestyle habits can take a toll on our skin and facial structure. A facelift—also known as a rhytidectomy—is a surgical procedure that can:

Reduce sagging skin and jowls
Smooth deep wrinkles and facial folds
Improve definition along the jawline and neck
Restore a more youthful and refreshed appearance

Facelift surgery tightens underlying facial tissues, removes excess skin, and redefines contours for a natural, revitalized look.

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Schedule A Consultation

To learn more about our Face Lift treatment in West Des Moines, Iowa, contact us and schedule a consultation with one of our board-certified plastic surgeons.

Schedule A Facelift Consultation

What to Expect from Your Facelift Procedure

Facelift surgery at Des Moines Plastic Surgery™ is personalized to address your specific concerns. During your consultation, your surgeon will evaluate your facial structure, skin quality, and areas of concern to develop a customized surgical plan.

The procedure involves:

Tightening underlying facial muscles
Removing excess skin
Redefining facial contours to enhance symmetry and balance

Our goal is to deliver a rejuvenated yet natural appearance that complements your unique features.

Recovery and Results

The recovery process following a facelift varies by patient, but here’s a general timeline:

Initial recovery: Most patients return to normal activities within 1-2 weeks. Swelling and bruising are common but subside over time.
Full results: Final results become apparent as swelling diminishes, typically within a few months.

Our team will provide detailed aftercare instructions and support you through every step of your recovery.

Enhance Your Facelift Results

For comprehensive facial rejuvenation, a facelift can be combined with complementary procedures, including:

Brow Lift: Elevates sagging eyebrows and smooths forehead wrinkles
Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty): Enhances the appearance of the upper and lower eyelids
Neck Liposuction: Removes excess fat under the chin and neck area
Laser Skin Resurfacing: Improves skin texture, tone, and reduces sun damage

During your consultation, your surgeon will discuss these options to create a plan that aligns with your goals.

Why Choose Des Moines Plastic Surgery™?

With a team of two highly skilled plastic surgeons, advanced surgical techniques, and a patient-centered approach, Des Moines Plastic Surgery™ is the premier destination for facelift surgery in Des Moines. We are committed to providing exceptional care and delivering results that help you look and feel your best.

Facelift Frequently Asked Questions

The Classic or full face lift: addresses the entire face and neck with incisions in the temple hairline, in front of the ear, and behind the ear along the hairline. This will provide complete correction of skin laxity and aging effects on the face and neck.

Mid-face lift: addresses the mid-face region including the cheeks and jowls. The incisions are located in front of the ear only.

S-face lift or neck lift: Also known as a “short scar facelift”, this procedure addresses the neck completely and to a certain extent the skin laxity along the jawline. The incisions are located behind the ear only in most cases but may extend around the earlobe for a short distance in some instances.

Facelift surgery is an outpatient procedure that usually takes 2 to 4 hours. The procedure is performed in our on-site accredited operating room under IV sedation or general anesthesia depending on what type of facelift is being performed. Local anesthesia is also injected into the planned surgical area.

During a traditional facelift, incisions begin at the temples (near the hairline) and extend around the earlobes, ending near the bottom of the hairline. This pattern may change depending on the extent of your lift as outlined above. Through these incisions, Dr. Robbins will trim excess fat, tighten the underlying tissues, and remove sagging skin.

The underlying layer of tissue is tightened as well as the overlying skin providing a natural result. The goal is not to make you look like a different person but to make you look like yourself, just 10-15 years younger. Facelift patients at Des Moines Plastic Surgery™ enjoy natural results which is a testament to Dr. Robbins’ skill and expertise in facelift surgery.

At Des Moines Plastic Surgery™, when you wake up from surgery in our fully accredited operating room located within our office, you will have a light compression bandage in place to help with swelling and bruising.

Your body will need time to heal and recover from surgery. Most patients take between 5 and 10 days off from their normal routine. The amount of bruising and swelling you experience is the limiting factor of when you can return to your normal routine. Strenuous activities should be avoided for 3 to 4 weeks.

Most patients tolerate recovery very well. Though facelift surgery isn’t usually considered very painful, it’s common to experience some stiffness, bruising, and swelling. In order to keep you as comfortable as possible, Dr. Robbins will provide you with specific aftercare instructions along with oral pain medication.

Swelling and bruising may be significant and are typically most noticeable in the first two weeks. Work and social interaction may need to be limited during this time. Dr. Robbins and the staff at Des Moines Plastic Surgery™ will see facelift patients back numerous times during the first few weeks after surgery. Full recovery from swelling may take up to a month and scars will fade over the next several months.

Moderate improvements may be seen through minimally invasive laser procedures or injectable treatments, but if loose or sagging skin is your primary concern, a facelift is the only solution that can provide dramatic and lasting results.

Yes, your facial rejuvenation can be customized to meet your individual needs. Patients who are experiencing facial aging in the forehead region may choose to combine their face lift with a corresponding brow lift. Eyelids (blepharoplasty) and neck liposuction may also be combined with face lifts. Laser wrinkle removal can be performed around the mouth with a face lift to improve skin tone, soften wrinkles, and reduce sun damage.

Laser treatments and injectable treatments may also improve the tone and texture of your skin. Additional procedures can be discussed during your cosmetic consultation with Dr. Robbins at Des Moines Plastic Surgery™.

Learn More About Face Lift Surgery

Ready to take the next step toward a more youthful, confident you? Contact Des Moines Plastic Surgery™ today to schedule your consultation with Dr. Robbins or Dr. Marcano. Together, we’ll create a personalized plan to help you achieve your aesthetic goals.

Schedule A Facelift Consultation