Everything to Know About Facelift Surgery in Fort Myers with Dr. Audrey Farahmand

Posted on 2026-02-05 19:32:31

Choosing a facelift is not about chasing perfection. It is about restoring harmony between how you look and how you feel. In Southwest Florida, sun exposure, humidity, and active lifestyles all leave their mark on facial skin and deeper structures. For many people in Fort Myers, that turning point arrives when good skincare, injectables, and lasers no longer counter the laxity along the jawline or the softening of midface contours. That is where a well-planned facelift, performed by a skilled facelift surgeon, can deliver durable, graceful change.

This guide brings together practical details and professional insight drawn from years of experience in aesthetic surgery and patient counseling. It also highlights considerations specific to facelift surgery in Fort Myers with Dr. Audrey Farahmand of Farahmand Plastic Surgery. If you are researching options, want to understand candidacy, or are simply curious about what recovery really feels like, you will find the answers you need here.

Fort Myers, the elements, and how faces age

Age does not act alone. Genetics, gravity, and environmental stress all contribute to how your face changes over time. In Fort Myers, the sun plays an outsized role. Even diligent sunscreen users notice that UV exposure thins the skin and bleaches out elastic fibers. Over years, that accelerates collagen breakdown, which deepens nasolabial folds, softens cheek projection, and creates banding in the neck.

Weight fluctuations and fitness routines also influence the face. Runners with low body fat sometimes see early hollowing in the temples and midface, while people who carry weight in the face see more jowling as ligaments stretch. Add in natural bony remodeling that widens the orbital area and shortens the dental height, and you get a picture of why a thoughtful facelift addresses more than skin. Surgery must respect the deeper support system and energy of the person wearing the face.

What a modern facelift does and does not do

A facelift, or rhytidectomy, repositions and firms the deep tissue layer known as the SMAS, short for superficial musculoaponeurotic system. This layer behaves like a supportive sling for the cheeks and jawline. Tightening or resuspending it resets facial vectors upward and back, which softens jowls, refines the jawline, and restores cheek contour. Excess skin is then tailored and redraped without tension for a natural finish.

A facelift does not treat the entire face equally. It is designed for the lower two thirds, sometimes paired with a neck lift for the cervicomental angle under the chin. It will not erase fine lines around the mouth, fill deflated lips, or lift a heavy brow. Those needs are better served by adjuncts such as laser resurfacing, fat grafting, lip lift, brow lift, or neuromodulators. Expecting a facelift to solve every concern leads to disappointment. Matching the right tool to the right problem leads to satisfaction.

Why patients seek Dr. Audrey Farahmand in Fort Myers

Dr. Audrey Farahmand is a board-certified plastic surgeon with a practice focused on aesthetic procedures of the face and body. At Farahmand Plastic Surgery in Fort Myers, she is known for detailed facial analysis and plans that consider bone structure, skin characteristics, and lifestyle. Patients often mention two things after consultation. First, that she spends time educating them on trade-offs rather than pushing a specific technique. Second, that she tailors surgery to the individual’s anatomy, not to a fad.

When people search for a facelift surgeon near me, proximity matters, but in aesthetic surgery, outcomes hinge on experience with facial anatomy, operative judgment, and a natural aesthetic. In Fort Myers, the best facelift surgeon for you will be the one whose results align with your goals and whose process makes you feel informed and cared for. Dr. Farahmand’s practice emphasizes those principles, from preoperative planning to follow-up after swelling subsides.

Who is a good candidate for facelift surgery in Fort Myers

Age is not the deciding factor. Most facelift candidates fall between their 40s and 70s, but candidacy depends more on tissue quality, health status, and goals.

The ideal candidate has visible laxity along the jawline or neck, reasonable skin elasticity, and realistic expectations. They understand that surgery refines contours but does not change identity. Smokers and people with uncontrolled medical conditions are poor candidates until risk factors are addressed. Nicotine impairs blood flow and skin healing. Diabetes, untreated hypertension, or clotting disorders increase complications. A stable weight helps. If you are planning major weight loss, discuss timing. Losing significant weight after a facelift can reduce volume and create new laxity. Skin type and history matter. Prior facial surgery, radiation, or scarring can change what is safe and achievable.

A surgeon’s job in consultation is to listen for the real goal. One patient might say, “My neck ages me in photos,” which points to a neck component. Another might say, “I look tired even when I am rested,” which could be midface descent and volume loss. Precision in diagnosis leads to a better plan.

Technique matters, but judgment matters more

You will read a dozen labels for facelift techniques. SMAS plication, SMASectomy, high SMAS, deep plane, short scar, mini facelift, neck lift, and hybrid variations. All can be effective in the right hands. What matters is how the chosen approach fits your anatomy and goals.

Deep plane and high SMAS methods address cheek descent by releasing and re-suspending deeper ligaments, especially helpful when the midface has fallen and nasolabial folds are pronounced. SMAS plication or SMASectomy techniques tighten and reposition the SMAS over the parotid fascia, ideal when jowling and mild to moderate midface descent are present without heavy tethering. Short scar or “mini” techniques can help in younger patients with early laxity who want a shorter recovery, though results are more limited.

For necks with banding, subplatysmal work and corset platysmaplasty bring better definition under the chin. Fat distribution drives decisions too. Heavier fat pads along the jaw may require conservative liposuction to sharpen the line, while hollow cheeks might benefit from fat grafting to soften bony edges and support the lift.

Dr. Farahmand evaluates these variables in person. Expect her to explain which layer she intends to manipulate, where incisions will sit, and why. The answer should be specific to you, not generic marketing language.

The consultation at Farahmand Plastic Surgery

Good consultations in Fort Myers follow a rhythm. First, a clear conversation about what you notice. Second, standardized photography to analyze vectors and symmetry. Third, a plan with options and sequencing. At Farahmand Plastic Surgery, patients typically review before and after photos of people with similar anatomy. This helps set expectations around what a facelift can reasonably accomplish.

Bring your health history and medication list. Supplements count, especially those that can increase bleeding, like fish oil, ginkgo, or high-dose vitamin E. Share any history of keloids, facial nerve issues, or prior procedures. If you use CPAP, bring your settings. These details matter in planning anesthesia and recovery.

Preparing for surgery

Preparation starts two to four weeks out. Nicotine cessation is nonnegotiable. Coordinate time off work, childcare, and help at home. Arrange a ride for the day of surgery and the first postoperative visit. Stop blood-thinning medications as directed by your surgeon and prescribing physician. Set up your recovery area with extra pillows, a phone charger, soft foods, and simple entertainment. Patients who prepare well tend to recover with less stress.

The night before surgery, a light dinner and hydration help. Avoid alcohol. Sleep matters, even if nerves nudge you awake at 3 a.m. The morning of surgery is straightforward. Arrive early, confirm consent, review the plan once more, and go through preoperative marking where your surgeon draws incision lines tailored to your hairline, ear shape, and natural creases.

Anesthesia, incisions, and the day of the procedure

Most facelifts are performed under general anesthesia or deep IV sedation with local anesthesia. Each has advantages. General anesthesia provides a motionless field, while deep sedation can reduce nausea for some patients. The anesthesiologist will review your health history and preferences.

Incisions are typically hidden in the temporal hairline, in front of or just inside the ear, around the earlobe, and into the hairline behind the ear. If the neck is addressed, a small incision under the chin allows access to the platysma. Done properly, these incisions blend with natural creases and hairlines. Months later they should be hard to find in casual conversation.

The operation usually lasts two to five hours, depending on extent and whether adjunct procedures such as fat grafting or eyelid surgery are included. Many patients go home the same day with a head dressing and sometimes small drains to prevent fluid accumulation. Instructions and emergency numbers are provided before you leave.

What recovery really looks like

Expect swelling, tightness, and a sense of https://rentry.co/8v6qd579 fullness in the cheeks and neck for the first week. Bruising varies. Some patients with lower blood pressure bruise less, but everyone experiences some yellow and purple shading that drifts down by gravity. Sleeping with your head elevated reduces swelling. Cold compresses in the first 48 hours can help, as long as you avoid direct pressure on the skin and incisions.

Sutures around the ear are typically removed between days 5 and 10. By the end of the second week, most people feel presentable with strategic hairstyling and light makeup. If your job is social or public-facing, allow two to three weeks. If your work is remote, you may return sooner. Exercise returns in stages. Walking is encouraged right away, but heavy lifting, hot yoga, and vigorous cardio wait three to four weeks. The goal is to protect healing blood vessels and reduce swelling.

Numbness in the cheeks and around incisions is normal and can persist for weeks. As sensation returns, you may feel tingling or itch. Tiny, firm lumps sometimes appear along the jawline or behind the ear where sutures secure the SMAS. These soften over a few months. Final results take time. By six weeks, you look good. By three months, you look great. By six to twelve months, the last bit of swelling resolves and scars settle.

Risks, complications, and how a good team manages them

Every operation carries risk. With facelift surgery, the most significant concerns include hematoma, infection, poor wound healing, and temporary or rarely permanent nerve injury. Hematoma typically occurs within the first 24 hours and presents as sudden swelling or pain on one side. Prompt attention in the clinic resolves most cases quickly. Infection is uncommon given clean technique and prophylactic antibiotics, but any fever, increasing redness, or drainage should prompt a call.

Nerve injury often sounds alarming. In practice, temporary weakness of a branch that lifts the corner of the mouth or the forehead can occur because of swelling or traction during surgery. These almost always return over several weeks. Permanent injury is rare in experienced hands. Hairline changes and widened scars are more likely in smokers or those prone to thick scars. This is why nicotine avoidance and scar care matter.

At Farahmand Plastic Surgery, the protocol includes close contact in the first week, same day access for questions, and a structured follow-up schedule to catch small issues before they become big ones. A cautious approach to blood pressure control, head elevation, and drain management further reduces early risks.

How long results last and what maintenance really means

A facelift does not stop aging, but it resets the clock. Most patients enjoy a refreshed contour for 8 to 12 years, sometimes longer depending on skin genetics, sun behavior, and weight stability. Think of the procedure as restoring structural support. Maintenance focuses on preserving skin quality and volume.

Good skincare counts. Daily sunscreen, topical antioxidants, and periodic resurfacing treatments maintain the texture and glow that surgery alone cannot create. Small amounts of filler or touch-up fat grafting can fine-tune areas that thin with time. Neuromodulators keep animation lines soft. If you treat the face as a living system rather than a one-time project, you protect your investment.

Facelift surgery versus noninvasive alternatives

In the early stages of laxity, energy-based devices that heat the dermis can improve firmness a bit, and injectables can camouflage jowling by filling in front of it. These strategies help for a while. Once the ligaments and SMAS have stretched, only surgical repositioning can sharpen the jawline and neck reliably. Knowing when to step up from noninvasive treatments to surgery saves time and money.

Patients often ask for a mini facelift to minimize downtime. Minis work best for select candidates with mild laxity and strong skin. They cost less and heal faster, but they do not address neck bands or significant midface descent. If your anatomy requires deeper release and neck work, a mini will underdeliver. A larger operation is not overkill when it matches the problem.

The Fort Myers factor: climate, lifestyle, and planning

Southwest Florida’s humidity helps some patients because hydrated skin looks healthier, but the sun is unforgiving. Plan your surgery outside of peak outdoor seasons if you are a tennis player, golfer, or boater who spends hours in direct sunlight. Wear a broad-brimmed hat and UPF clothing during recovery. Sweat and saltwater can irritate early incisions, so wait until your surgeon clears you for beach time and chlorinated pools.

Seasonal residents should think about logistics. If you fly back north, stay in Fort Myers until your early healing milestones are complete, typically two to three weeks. If something minor needs attention, it is easier to handle with your operating surgeon. Telemedicine helps, but hands-on care is still best in the first month.

Costs and value, without the sales pitch

Expect a range rather than a single number. Total cost includes the surgeon’s fee, facility fee, anesthesia, supplies, and any adjunct procedures like fat grafting or eyelid surgery. In Fort Myers, full facelift and neck lift packages often land in the low to mid five figures, varying with complexity and surgeon experience. Mini lifts and limited procedures cost less but may not meet your goals. Insurance does not cover elective facelift surgery.

Price shopping can be misleading. The lowest quote may involve short cuts on facility quality or follow-up care. The highest quote does not guarantee the best result. Look at before and after photos, verify board certification, and listen to how the surgeon explains risk and benefit. A facelift is an investment measured in years of confidence, not weeks of recovery alone.

What sets Dr. Farahmand’s approach apart

Patients describe Dr. Audrey Farahmand’s facelift philosophy as measured, anatomically driven, and personal. Rather than chase hyper-tight results, she prioritizes deep layer support and careful skin redraping so the ear and hairline look natural. She often incorporates conservative fat grafting to restore youthful convexities instead of over-tightening. Scar placement is planned with hairstyles in mind, a detail many people only appreciate months later when they tuck hair behind the ear without a second thought.

At Farahmand Plastic Surgery, the process does not end at suture removal. Skincare plans, sun strategies, and maintenance treatments are mapped out. The team is frank about what a facelift solves and what it does not. That honesty builds trust. When people search for the best facelift surgeon in Fort Myers or top facelift surgery in Fort Myers, they are really asking who will deliver a result that looks like them on a better day, not like someone else on Instagram. That is the target here.

A realistic week-by-week sense of recovery

Week 1: Swelling is peak early, then begins to settle. Most patients describe a tight helmet feeling, especially at night. Short, frequent walks at home are fine. Read, stream, rest, hydrate. Drains, if placed, typically come out within a day or two. Light head dressing is adjusted as needed. You will come in for your first check and probably your first suture removal toward the end of the week.

Week 2: Bruising fades from purple to yellow. Sutures complete removal by midweek in most cases. Makeup covers residual discoloration. You can drive once you are off narcotics and feel safe turning your head. Many people begin Zoom work with thoughtful lighting and a higher camera angle.

Week 3 to 4: You look good to friends who do not know you had surgery, just well rested. Tightness remains when you smile big or turn quickly, but it is minor. Gentle cardio returns. Avoid heavy lifting and inversions. Scar care with silicone gel or sheets begins once incisions are fully closed and smooth.

Weeks 6 to 12: You forget day to day that you had surgery except when someone compliments your haircut or asks about your skincare. Numbness continues to improve. You are back to full workouts. Photos look like you, just more defined along the jaw and under the chin.

Scar quality and how to help it along

Good incisions start with good planning. They continue with tension-free closure, gentle handling of tissues, and excellent blood supply. After that, you play a role. Keep incisions clean and out of the sun. Do not rush to apply creams until cleared. Once healed, use silicone and massage as directed. Some patients with thicker skin or a family history of hypertrophic scars benefit from early laser or a few steroid microinjections to keep scars flat. Hairline incisions often grow hair through the scar, helping camouflage.

Questions to ask any facelift surgeon in Fort Myers

Use your consultation to gather specifics. A short list helps keep conversations focused, and it also gives you a clear sense of the surgeon’s style.

Which facelift technique do you recommend for my anatomy and why? Will you address my neck bands and how? How do you handle volume loss in the midface? Where will my incisions be, and what is your scar care protocol? What does your follow-up schedule look like for the first month?

Clear, confident answers reflect experience. Vague generalities are a reason to keep looking. Whether you choose Dr. Audrey Farahmand or another facelift surgeon in Fort Myers, prioritize communication and photographic proof of consistent, natural results.

Finding the right rhythm between surgery and non-surgical care

The best facial rejuvenation plans are rarely all or nothing. A facelift handles structure. Skincare and energy-based treatments manage texture and pigment. Injectables refine expression. In Dr. Farahmand’s practice, that balance is tailored. Some patients benefit from peri-oral laser resurfacing during the same anesthetic to soften lip lines. Others stage laser work a few months later to avoid extending recovery. If you have melasma or pigment concerns, your plan may include pretreatment with gentle topicals so laser or peel results are safer and more even.

The bottom line for Fort Myers patients

If your lower face and neck tell a different story than your energy level, a facelift can bring the two back in line. The operation is not magic, and it is not a quick fix, but with the right surgeon and the right plan, it delivers the kind of change that blends into your life. People will say you look rested, not altered. They will ask if you changed your hair. You will appreciate your reflection again without trying to tilt your chin or lift your cheeks in photos.

Working with Dr. Audrey Farahmand at Farahmand Plastic Surgery, you can expect a candid conversation about options, a design that suits your features, and follow-through that extends beyond the operating room. For many in Fort Myers seeking facelift surgery, that combination of technical skill and personalized care makes all the difference.