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Facelift

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Houston Facelift Surgery

with Top Facial Plastic Surgeon Dr. Sanaz Harirchian



Facelift surgery can reverse visible signs of aging to restore a refreshed and youthful look. Houston facelift specialist Dr. Sanaz Harirchian combines her artistic eye and commitment to excellence with a deep understanding of facial anatomy and advanced techniques to deliver natural-looking facelift results. As a Board-Certified facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Harirchian devotes her practice exclusively to the face and neck, a focus that she believes gives her patients the best possible care. Your facelift with Dr. Harirchian is customized to meet your needs and goals. In addition to facelift surgery, she also offers mini-facelift surgery, awake facelift, facelift revision procedures, neck lift surgery, specialized post-weight loss facelifts, and non-surgical liquid facelift procedures. 

What Happens to the Face With Age?

As we age, the muscle, connective tissue, and fat pads of the face and neck gradually change. Neck muscles can lose tone and descend, creating a sagging neck. The skin and underlying subcutaneous fat may become thinner. Loss of elastin and collagen in the skin can impact the elasticity and overall health of the skin. Subsequently, skin and muscle can descend with gravity. These changes can lead to the formation of jowls, deep nasolabial folds (“laugh lines”), deep marionette lines, a poorly defined jawline, and neck “banding.” The goal of facelift surgery is to appropriately reposition the descended tissue to restore youthful features with long-lasting results.

Benefits of Facelift Surgery

Facelift surgery can address multiple signs of aging in a single procedure. Potential benefits of facelift surgery include:

  • Tighten sagging skin
  • Eliminate jowls
  • Create a more defined jawline
  • Smooth away fine lines and deep wrinkles
  • Remove excess fat in areas such as the chin
  • Restore lost volume in the mid-face 
  • May be combined with other procedures, including chin augmentation, fat grafting, eyelid surgery, or fractional Co2 laser resurfacing, for more comprehensive rejuvenation

Dr. Harirchian’s Approach to Facial Rejuvenation

Not all faces are the same, so why should all facelifts be the same? Dr. Harirchian tailors her approach to each unique patient, with a common goal of creating natural, youthful, and long lasting facelift results.

Knowledge of facial anatomy can help you understand your facelift procedure. The muscles and connective tissue of the cheek and midface make up the superficial muscular aponeurotic system (SMAS), which lies deep to the skin. The SMAS continues into the neck as the platysma muscle, which is also deep to the skin. The “deep plane” of the face is made up of the SMAS and platysma muscle. Dr Harirchian performs a modified deep plane facelift, dissecting under the SMAS and platysma to lift and reposition the neck muscles, jowls, and midface. Consequently, the deep structures of the face and neck are repositioned back to a more youthful position.

Dr Harirchian’s facelift approach is to restore the youthful anatomy of the face and neck by lifting and repositioning the deeper tissues of the face, rather than simply pulling or lifting the skin. The result is natural-looking and never too tight or “windswept.”

3 noses

How Does Facelift Surgery Work?

Preparing for Your Facelift

If you are interested in facelift surgery, the first step is a consultation appointment with Dr. Harirchian. She will examine your face and neck carefully, discuss your concerns and goals, review recovery expectations, and answer any questions. If you and Dr. Harirchian decide that facelift surgery is right for you, she will give you detailed preoperative instructions to follow leading up to your scheduled surgery.

What to Expect From Your Facelift Procedure

Facelift surgery is typically an outpatient procedure performed with intravenous anesthesia. Dr. Harirchian will begin with carefully placed incisions. For a full facelift, an incision is typically made underneath the chin, whereby excess neck fat is carefully and conservatively removed. A corset platysmaplasty is then performed to tighten the platysma neck muscle. An incision is then made in the hairline, behind the tragus, and behind the ear. Dr. Harirchian dissects underneath the “deep plane” of the face and neck, to release ligaments and move muscle and fat layers back to a more natural and youthful position. After the deep structures are tightened and lifted, the excess skin is removed.

Facelift Recovery

After facelift surgery, you may experience some swelling, bruising, and discomfort, which can be managed with medication. Dr. Harirchian will provide you with detailed postoperative guidelines and she will schedule follow-up appointments to monitor your healing.

Facelift Results

Dr. Harirchian will take great care to personalize your treatment plan to achieve your desired results. You can expect to look younger and naturally rejuvenated. See Dr. Harirchian’s patient gallery to view photos of real facelift patients. 

Why Choose Dr. Harirchian for Your Houston Facelift?

Dr. Harirchian understands how important it is to choose the right surgeon for your facelift. She will take the time to make sure you understand all your treatment options and she will design a customized treatment plan that is specific to your aesthetic goals. Dr. Harirchian is a Board-Certified and fellowship trained facial plastic surgeon with the skill and experience to deliver natural-looking results. Contact us today to schedule your consultation appointment.

From the onset I received EXCEPTIONAL customer service from the administrative staff. During my consult, Dr. Harirchian took time to fully understand my issues and desired cosmetic results. She answered questions and educated me on options available for the procedure I was contemplating. In doing so, I was able to make a well-informed decision about my plastic surgery procedure. As with any medically invasive procedure, one experiences a heightened degree of anxiety. The staff and Dr. Harirchian went above and beyond to ease my anxiety throughout this process. I am extremely pleased with my results thus far and I attribute part of that to the care the staff provided and masterful surgical skills of Dr. Harirchian.

Frequently Asked Questions About Facelift Surgery

Am I a candidate for a facelift?

If you would like a long-term solution to visible aging, a facelift could be right for you. Ideal facelift candidates are in good general health, non-smoking, and have realistic expectations.

How do I know what type of facelift is right for me?

Dr. Harirchian offers a full range of face and neck surgery and non-surgical procedures for facial rejuvenation. The depth of her experience and extent of her offerings enables her to guide you to the best option for your individual needs and goals.

What will my scars look like after facelift surgery?

Dr. Harirchian is skilled in minimizing any visible scarring. Facelift incisions are placed in natural skin creases to camouflage any scarring.


Contact Dr. Sanaz Harirchian for Facelift Surgery in Houston

Dr. Harirchian is dedicated to helping patients in Houston look and feel rejuvenated. Contact us today with any questions or to schedule your consultation.


1Mayo Clinic. Face-lift. Available: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/face-lift/about/pac-20394059 Accessed June 11, 2020.

2American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Who is a candidate for facelift? Available: https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/facelift/candidates. Accessed June 11, 2020.

Dr. Sanaz Harirchian has either authored or reviewed and approved this content.

Sanaz Harirchian, M.D