But this, we mean it facelift in which there was full undermining of the soft tissues of the cheek in the neck. The secondary tuck is most effective when the initial facelift was either a deep plane or a biplane facelift. If the first facelift was a mini-lift for an overly conservative facelift, then there may not have been sufficient development of underlying scar tissue to make the secondary tuck a practical option. The secondary tuck, as carried out at our Center, is performed by using part of the same incisions around the ear and removing any additional excess skin that is allowing laxity in the mid to lower face and neck. This procedure is quite simple compared to the traditional facelift.
Most patients require only local anesthesia for the procedure, which takes a little over an hour.
Recovery is quite simple. No dressings are required and all of the sutures are virtually invisible and absorbable, so that no special follow up care is required. Patients are able to return to normal activity within a day or so, and there is very little discomfort associated with the procedure. Secondary tucks are done at a reduced cost if carried out within two years of your initial surgery at our Center. Many of our patients periodically carry out these maintenance tucks and are able to avoid requiring another major facelift.