Restore a more youthful, natural appearance by addressing sagging skin, jowls, deep folds, and loss of definition in the face and neck. With over 30 years of experience, David T. Morwood, MD, FACS, uses a custom-designed approach to help you look like the best version of yourself.
Before & After Facelift
*Actual Patient Disclaimer: there is no guarantee of specific results and the results can vary.
In Dr. Morwood's Words:
Facial analysis and examining a patient for signs of aging requires mainly scientific thinking; However, designing an approach to minimize those signs of aging and improve one’s appearance a more artistic mindset is required.
David T. Morwood, MD, FACS
The Truth About Plastic Surgery: An Educational Guide for the Consumer
This Procedure Treats:
- Sagging or loose skin in the face and neck
- Jowls and loss of jawline definition
- Deep nasolabial folds and marionette lines
- Neck laxity, banding, and excess fat
- Loss of facial volume and contour
- Overall facial aging and skin laxity
Lift and Redefine Facial Contours
A facelift is a powerful operation performed to reduce the visible signs of aging in your face and neck. It involves making carefully planned incisions, then elevating, repositioning, and redraping the soft tissues while addressing excess skin. In Dr. Morwood’s practice, it is not simply about pulling the skin tight, but restoring balance through a custom-designed approach. By evaluating skin texture, volume loss, and tissue descent, the procedure is tailored to help you look natural, refreshed, and like yourself, never overdone or artificial.
A Facelift Treats:
- Sagging skin in the face and neck
- Jowls along the jawline
- Loss of definition in the chin and jaw
- Deep folds around the nose and mouth
- Descent of soft tissues in the cheeks
- Loose skin and banding in the neck
- Flattened or hollowed facial contours
- Imbalance between facial thirds
Types of Facelifts Offered by Dr. Morwood
Deep Plane Facelift
A deep plane facelift involves elevating the soft tissues beneath the SMAS layer, allowing for repositioning of deeper facial structures rather than tightening the skin. This approach can be effective for addressing the midface, nasolabial folds, and jowls by releasing and lifting tissue more comprehensively. The decision to go deeper is made after careful analysis, ensuring the technique is appropriate for your anatomy, goals, and desire for a natural, balanced result.
SMAS Facelift
An SMAS facelift focuses on repositioning the superficial musculoaponeurotic system, a key structural layer beneath the skin. By lifting and securing this layer, the procedure restores facial contours while avoiding excessive tension on the skin itself. This technique allows for a more natural appearance and longer-lasting results than skin-only techniques. Dr. Morwood carefully tailors the degree of lift to address your specific pattern of aging.
Lower Facelift
A lower facelift improves the lower third of the face, particularly the jawline, jowls, and upper neck. The procedure involves elevating and redraping soft tissues to restore a cleaner contour. Excess skin may be repositioned or conservatively removed, depending on your needs. This approach is often combined with other techniques when appropriate, ensuring harmony between the face and neck without creating an overly tight or artificial look.
Mini Facelift
A mini facelift is a more conservative procedure that uses shorter incisions and focuses on early signs of aging, particularly mild skin laxity and jowling. It involves subtle elevation and repositioning of soft tissues, with less extensive dissection than more comprehensive lifts. This is well-suited for patients who are not ready for a full facelift. Dr. Morwood incorporates this technique into a custom-designed plan to achieve natural, refreshed results.
Videos
The Truth about Plastic Surgery: Facial Rejuvenation
Facial Rejuvenation Seminar | Dr. David Morwood
What to Expect From a Facelift With Dr. Morwood
Your consultation with Dr. Morwood begins with a careful review of your medical history, followed by an in-depth discussion of your wants and needs as you look in the mirror together. He studies your face in an anatomic fashion, evaluating skin texture, volume loss, descent of the soft tissues, skeletal support, hairline pattern, sideburn, and the relationship between the facial thirds. Prior photographs may be reviewed, and Vectra 3D imaging may be used to help develop a custom-designed approach grounded in natural results.
During surgery, Dr. Morwood selects the incision pattern according to the areas to be lifted, the amount of elevation, the degree of skin excess, and your hair-bearing anatomy. Through those incisions, the soft tissues are elevated and repositioned, frequently with attention to the SMAS layer and, when indicated, deeper structures. The tissues are re-draped in the proper vector, excess skin is conservatively removed, and volume may be restored or transposed where needed to create definition and balanced, long-lasting facial rejuvenation.
What Areas of the Face Are Addressed During Facial Rejuvenation?
Facial rejuvenation is often planned by analyzing the face in thirds:
- The upper third includes the forehead, brows, and eyelids
- The midface includes the cheeks and lower eyelids
- The lower third includes the jawline, jowls, and neck
Not every patient needs treatment in all areas. A custom-designed approach allows Dr. Morwood to focus on the specific regions that will create the most balanced results.
Will I Look Pulled or Unnatural After a Facelift?
This is one of the most common concerns patients express. You want to look like yourself, only refreshed. In Dr. Morwood’s practice, the goal is to avoid an overly pulled or tight appearance. Rather than simply tightening the skin, attention is given to repositioning soft tissues, restoring volume, and improving skin quality. When these elements are balanced, the result is natural, with improved definition and contour rather than a stretched or artificial look.
Facelift FAQs
Is a Facelift Just About Tightening Loose Skin?
No. While removing or repositioning excess skin is part of the procedure, a facelift is more comprehensive. Aging involves volume loss, changes in skin texture, and descent of deeper structures. A thoughtful approach addresses all three, often referred to as a “lift and fill” or three-dimensional facial rejuvenation, so you can achieve a more balanced appearance rather than a flattened or over-tightened face.
Am I Ready for a Facelift, or Should I Consider Something Less Invasive?
Not every patient is ready for a full facelift. Some individuals benefit from less extensive procedures such as a mini lift, volume restoration, or skin treatments. The decision depends on your anatomy, degree of aging, and goals. Dr. Morwood carefully analyzes your face and helps determine whether a partial approach or a more comprehensive procedure is appropriate.
Can I Achieve Facelift Results Without Surgery?
Non-invasive and minimally invasive treatments, such as fillers, Botox, laser treatments, and skincare, can improve certain aspects of aging, particularly skin texture and volume. However, they do not reposition descended soft tissues in the same way as a surgical procedure can. If sagging and tissue descent are significant, a facelift remains the most effective option.
How Do I Know if I Am a Good Candidate for a Facelift?
The ideal candidate is someone with visible signs of aging, particularly in the lower face and neck, who is in good health, has realistic expectations, and desires a natural result. Just as important is how you look before surgery. Every face is unique, and a custom-designed approach ensures the most appropriate and effective plan for you.
Have More Questions?
Learn More About a Facelift in The Truth About Plastic Surgery: An Educational Guide for the Consumer
If you want a deeper understanding of facelift surgery, Dr. Morwood’s book offers clear, honest guidance in his own words. You will learn how aging affects your face, how a custom-designed approach is developed, and what truly leads to natural results. This guide helps you become an educated patient, so you can make thoughtful, informed decisions about facial rejuvenation.
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Achieve Natural Facial Rejuvenation With a Facelift in Monterey
Dr. David Morwood invites you to take the next step with a private, personalized consultation. You will review your medical history and discuss what you would like to change. Using a careful, layer-by-layer analysis and Vectra 3D imaging, a custom-designed approach is developed with a focus on safety and natural results. You will receive clear guidance, realistic expectations, and time to ask questions. Schedule your private consultation for a facelift in Monterey today.
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