Question:
Does the stem cell facelift address the same conditions as a traditional facelift?

Answer:
No, a stem cell facelift does not address the same conditions as a traditional facelift since a stem cell facelift involves injecting stem cells into the face along with fat for added volumetric enhancement.  The stem cell facelift will not get rid of significant amounts of excess skin but certainly can fill and volumetrically enhance the face to give it a more youthful appearance.  Interestingly, a stem cell facelift and a standard facelift could theoretically be performed at the same time giving you the added benefit of both.

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Question:
After the facelift, is the whole head really wrapped in a big bandage? If so, do you have a back door patients can leave from?

Answer:
Yes, after a facelift I do place a pressure dressing which consists of gauze around the ears and then more gauze that is wrapped around the head and under the chin.  We then give patients a scarf so that they can wrap themselves thus camouflaging the dressing and we also do indeed have a back door that patients can enter and leave from.

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Question:
I’ve heard of lots of different types of surgery that are performed endoscopically. Can this be done with the facelift to minimize the scarring?

Answer:
There certainly are types of facelifts that can be performed endoscopically, but in the far majority of patients an incision is necessary so that we can remove excess skin.

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Question:
I am planning on having a facelift soon, but I also want to dye my hair. How long before or after the procedure can I do this?

Answer:
I would recommend that you color or dye your hair a week before the procedure and then avoid coloring it for about two to four weeks afterwards depending on how the incisions heal.   

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Question:
I saw something on TV about a minimally invasive procedure called a “stem cell facelift”. Could you tell me more about this procedure and whether or not it has lasting results?

Answer:
A stem cell facelift is similar to structural fat grafting, but the fat is processed in a special way to increase the percentage of stem cells in this fat.  These stem cells are then injected into the face again in a very similar way to structural fat grafting and this is thought to rejuvenate the tissue and, therefore, improve the appearance.  I have not seen any good long-term studies on stem cell facelifts at the time of this blog to be able to give you any definitive answers as to whether or not these stem cell facelifts are more or less effective than standard structural fat grafting; however, the biology behind this is quite intriguing and we should get better answers as time goes on. 

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