Facial aging is an individualized process as each patient ages differently. There are many factors including genetics, environmental exposure, adequate care and maintenance of delicate facial skin, gravity, and stress.

As we age our skin begins to lose its elasticity and facial tissue loss occurs. This loss of volume and skin elasticity results in wrinkles, folds and sagging skin. These visible signs of aging develop in the face, forehead, and neck at different rates in different people.

Patients concerned about a “double chin,” a full neck, jowls, or heavy cheeks may also benefit from a facelift. Typically, patients benefit from other facial surgical procedures, such as an endoscopic browlift, eyelid lift and neck contouring.

While a facelift can’t completely turn back the hands of time, it can give patients a more rested, rejuvenated and youthful look. Dr. Clymer will advise you which procedure or combinations of procedures can best accomplish your facial rejuvenation goals.

Dr. Mark Clymer has spent his entire career with one of his primary goals for his patients being that they look natural. He firmly believes that the “unnatural, windswept, face in a wind tunnel look” is largely technique-related.
In fact, the most common request from facelift patients is, “Dr. Clymer, I don’t want to look pulled or plastic, so I don’t want you to do a lot”. Dr. Clymer’s response to his patients is, “I agree, I don’t want you to look pulled or plastic either, so you DO want me to do “a lot”, that is, to do a thorough, detailed operation.”

Dr. Clymer explains that shorter time and “less invasive” facelift techniques are what can actually lead to the look patients do not want. The surgical technique and expertise Dr. Clymer uses is, the deep plane technique (deep in anatomic layers, not measurable depth) which has served his facelift patients well for 25 years with high patient satisfaction. Look at Dr. Clymer’s facelift before and after results.

Another way to avoid an unnatural look is the expert technique that is used by Dr. Clymer to place incisions so that the tuft of hair in front of the ear is not displaced, the front of the ear (the tragus) is not deformed, and no tension exists at the earlobe from surgery leading to a “pixie ear” or “trophy handle” ear.

Specialization, education, credentials, surgical skills, technique, and experience is key. It takes time and an exquisite attention to detail, which takes more time in the operating room. Dr. Clymer advises that the length of anesthesia for facial plastic surgery does not matter. His philosophy is “take the time it takes to do the best work. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS TO QUALITY!”

Facelift surgery is a highly individualized procedure dependent on the patient’s skin, age and facial rejuvenation goals. Dr. Clymer thoroughly explains his surgical recommendations to each of his patients, as some may benefit from a mid-facelift or mini-facelift versus a full facelift.

A “traditional” or lower facelift is recommended for patients who want to address moderate to significant sagging skin and folds around the mid-face and neck. This type of facelift results in removal of excess sagging skin, reduces sagging skin under the chin and aesthetically gives the face and neck a more pleasing and youthful contour.

Dr. Clymer performs his facelift surgeries in an accredited outpatient surgical center under local anesthetic and sedation medication.
The skin and fat are re-positioned, and excess fat in the neck is removed. The desired contours are created by repositioning the tissue and tightening muscles. The excess skin is then removed, but mot stretched, leaving a long-lasting natural result.*

Incisions are hidden in natural skin creases around the ear and in the hairline behind the ear. The incisions are well-hidden and patients can wear short hair and a full range of hair styles.

When you think about the age of a facelift patient, most people think about a woman who is in her late 50s, 60s and 70s. Dr. Clymer sees many women and men in these age ranges who desire a facelift. The most common age of facelift patients at Clymer Facial Plastic Surgery is mid-to-late 40s with the trend moving towards patients seeking facial enhancements at an earlier age. Dr. Clymer advises his patients that, “the earlier the lift is performed, the thinking is that with the increased collagen and elastin in the skin the lift will hold better.”

The youngest patient Dr. Clymer has performed a facelift on is age 36. The patient inherited an extremely heavy neck with abundant skin and muscle laxity. The oldest patients were in their 80s. The most important factor is the overall health of the patient.

Male facelift age ranges are similar to females, with a slight trend toward the early fifties. Dr. Clymer performs facelifts on male patients in each decade but 48-52 years being the most common age range.

Dr. Clymer advises his patients to expect swelling and minor discomfort for a few days. Your sutures will be removed within the first week.* Medication may be given to ease pain. A further caution given is not to “rush” your recovery. In general, the more long-lasting a benefit offered by a procedure, the more a patient will have to invest in recovery time. In other words, like all things in life, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it.

Dr. Clymer uses a variety of techniques to reduce bruising and recovery time. Most facelift surgery patients are typically back to work within two weeks.* Dr. Clymer’s personalized after-care plan provides explicit recommendations.

How long a facelift lasts varies according to the patient, but for each patient their result will be better done in the 40’s versus the 50’s, better in the 50’s versus the 60’s, etc. Dr. Clymer advises his patients that, “the earlier the lift is performed the thinking is that with the increased collagen and elastin in the skin the lift will hold better.”

Patient survey data documents that patients who have undergone a facelift rate their appearance as looking on an average of 12 years younger after the procedure.*

Dr. Clymer first tells his patients that there are really no standard definitions for the variety of terms used to describe a facelift, including “mini-facelift’, “mid-facelift,” “full facelift”, “lower facelift” etc. Dr. Clymer tells his patients not to get hung up on what the facelift procedure is called, but what is actually done to address their aesthetic concerns. A patient’s concerns and anatomy dictate what needs to be done. Remember, facial plastic surgery is still medicine, and an accurate diagnosis is needed to arrive at an appropriate treatment plan.

That being said, Dr. Clymer helps patients understand the difference of the terms by explaining the following:

• A “mini-facelift“ by Dr. Clymer typically includes his deep plane facelift technique without the full work necessary to improve the neck. This procedure is recommended when patients don’t need much neck work, as they have good necklines and jawlines and need only minimal improvement for the neck. A mini-facelift is good for patients in their early 40s, with early jowls, cheek sagging, but with good necklines.
• A “mid-facelift” is for those patients with deep cheek-lip folds, and sagging cheeks, or those losing the high cheekbone look of their youth. This procedure is generally performed by itself in patients in their late 20s to early 40s . Dr. Clymer performs the mid-facelift with a scope, through an incision hidden in the scalp above the top of the ear. With the help of the scope he can lift the entire cheek region through this incision.
• A “facelift, or lower facelift” is his deep plane technique. This is essentially a cheek lift, a jowl/jawline lift, and a neck lift all in one operation. This technique is one of his most commonly performed and most popular procedures. Dr. Clymer estimates that the majority of his patients who undergo a “facelift”, express as their main concern the appearance of their neck and jawline. If they have other concerns in the upper face, this procedure can be performed alone or in conjunction with a brow lift and eyelid lifts.
• A “full facelift” is a facelift with a combination of several aesthetic facial surgeries, including endoscopic brow lift, upper eyelid lift, and lower eyelid lift. Essentially rejuvenating the entire face or “full face”, from the hairline to the collar bones. To help patients envision the procedures, he tells patients to think of the face as a home. The cheek/jowl/jawline is the kitchen and great room in an open floorplan. Adding a master bedroom renovation (e.g. adding the brow lift), and renovating the hall bathroom or guest room (upper and lower eyelids), leads to a full renovation.

You only have one face. Trust your face to a board certified Facial Plastic Surgeon who has the necessary education, training and experience to produce natural-looking results the first time. For more than 22 years, Dr. Mark A. Clymer has specialized in surgical and non-surgical procedures in the face, head and neck area.

A facelift is among one of the most difficult procedures that a cosmetic/plastic surgeon performs. To produce natural-looking results it requires a surgeon with extensive knowledge, experience, artistic perception and exceptional surgical skill.

As the solo practitioner and president of Clymer Facial Plastic Surgery, he can keep the direction of his practice focused on quality results and excellence in patient care in a comfortable, supportive and completely confidential environment. His surgical skill, artistic vision combined with scientific methods, and his commitment to quality care are the hallmarks of Clymer Facial Plastic Surgery’s success.

Dr. Mark A. Clymer is Nashville’s premier Facial Plastic Surgeon, attracting Tennesseans and women and men throughout the United States who desire the natural look that results from his surgical skills and his commitment to excellence. Learn more about Dr. Clymer.