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Many patients and physicians are quite surprised to hear that a cutting / surgical facelift can be performed completely under local anesthesia. I have been practicing Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery since 1999. During this time I have performed hundreds of face, neck, eyelid, and body surgeries under local anesthesia. Mild sedation with oral valium and an injection of a pain killer (such as Demerol ) is all that is ever needed.

I have developed a procedure that involves the removal of excess skin AND tightening of the muscle (fascia and SMAS plication) that can be performed under local anesthesia. Some patients decide against having a facelift because of the risks associated with general anesthesia. Our trademarked Tuliplift procedure is performed without general anesthesia.

Here are the steps involved:

The skin is prepped in a sterile fashion in our operating room.

A dilute solutioon of numbing called "Klein Solution" is injected into the neck and face are

Excess fat is gently suctioned by hand (not a machine)

excess skin is marked off and removed from in front of the ears and behind the ears

SMAS / facial Muscle is tightened using permanent and dissolvable sutures

Skin is gently re-draped and sutured with dissolvable and semi-permanent sutures

sutures are removed 7-10 days later

2 weeks later the scars are reduced using Mixto fraction resurfacing

cost $15000-$25000

Tuliplift™

Don't you wish there was a surgical facelift that could be performed entirely under local anesthesia??

In fact there is such a procedure and it was developed by Dr. David Rahimi about 17 years ago. It is called the Tuliplift™

http://www.foreveryoung.net/tulip-face-lift.html (click on our before and after videos)

www tuliplift.com

Since 1999 Dr. Rahimi has performed dozens of these Tuliplift™ procedures completely under local anesthesia and with quite impressive results. (Occasionally Dr. Rahimi also uses a little injectable pain medication, such as Demerol, or muscle relaxer to make the procedure more comfortable.)

Tuliplift™ addresses both the sagging of the tissue, volume loss, and sun damaged and discolored skin.

Here is how Dr. Rahimi himself explains the procedure: I start by removing about an inch of skin from the front of each ear. If you just remove the skin the results are temporarily and the skin stretches back within about 2 to 3 years. In order to ensure a long-lasting results the muscle and deeper tissues are also tightened with permanent sutures Fatty deposit from the neck and Jowl area is removed using laser liposuction. This is followed by tightening the neck muscles surgically. The harvested autologous fat is spun down and injected back into the nasolabial fold and cheek area. (As we age the bones of the cheek and chin resorb and the face falls. Fat is used to lift the cheekbones to their natural state) No drains are needed and a light dressing is removed the next day. Sutures are usually removed 7 to 10 days after the procedure and at that point in time Dr. David Rahimi performs a fractional Mixto CO2 laser to reduce the appearance of the surgical scars and also to remove brown spots on fine lines.

I am often asked why I don't use General Anesthesia to perform my Facelifts. The answer is quite simple: general anesthesia has far greater risks than local anesthesia and my patients understand and prefer this way of doing surgery.

Watch our videos on Youtube: ABC News spot from almost 15 years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ2V2jFCKOQ

Another video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCT5CDPsCjU

Here is what is included in the Tuliplift:

-Consultation by Dr. David Rahimi -Removal of the fatty deposits under the chin using Laser Liposuction

-Tightening of the neck muscles (Platysmoplasty)

-Liposuction of the Jowls

-Fat transfer into the nasolabial folds -Tightening of the muscle and underlying structures (not just skin)

-Removal of the excess skin from the side of the face and neck

-3 layers of sutures: permanent sutures are left in for long lasting results

-Sutures are removed 7-10 days after the procedure

Above fees are all inclusive and include OR Fee, Surgical Fee, Doctors Fee, Blood work, and all follow ups. Please call us for a complimentary evaluation. Zonya Villatoro – office manager

Dr. A. David Rahimi, MD,FAAD,FAACS.

Over the past ten years there has been a drastic increase in the number of my male patients who are either having or are considering having a facelift. Many men consider facelifts to remain competitive in their work environment. Others want to look healthier or feel more confident in their personal relationships.

With so many different options – and so many of them called “facelift”, it’s hard to know what a true lift is – when is it needed – and how invasive does it have to be.  I’ve discussed the Tuliplift before, and why it is an ideal solution for certain types of aging, yet I find many of my patients still have either unrealistic expectations of some procedures or frightening misconceptions about facelifts.

The most obvious answer is that for patients considering a Tulip Lift, we offer a free Oxygen Facial or Microdermabrassion with consultation.  A less obvious pleasure quotient is that very often you will learn that there are treatments you never considered – and they may prove to be more in line with your own desires for “quick and easy” solutions.  We all wish there really was an “Easy” button – but what we are all asking for when we say quick and easy – is really a more elegant and well thought out plan – something that has been so finely honed it seems to be magic. 

The answer is: It depends on the facial anatomy and sex of the patient.

(Sorry--nothing in life is easy!) Here are my thoughts on the proper placement of facelift scars:

I always discuss the exact location of the scars with my facelift patients. In most patients, a few months after the surgery, these scars are barely visible. But especially in men, or women with short hair, they can be visible.

I believe that a facelift should achieve several specific goals. It should remove excess skin, remove excess fat from the neck and jowl area, replace lost volume in the cheek and jawline, tighten the muscles of the neck and face, and refresh the skin.

Lets discuss each of these seperately...

The Lifestyle Lift has become very popular over the past few years and I have had several patients ask me about it. I love that more and more surgeons are performing facelifts under local anesthesia. Remember, local anesthesia is all that is needed. I have been doing my Tuliplifts under local anesthesia since 2000.

One of the things that sets the Tuliplift apart is that the area under the neck is also addressed. Excess skin and fat is removed and the neck muscle (Platysma) tightened...

Everything here was done under local anaesthesia and mild sedations: CO2 laser; Peel; Eyelift and Tuliplift. View the Before and After photos.

As we age the fatty deposits in the healthy cheeks and upper face area succumb to the forces of gravity and "fall" into the jowl and neck area. Additionally, the bones of the face and chin area slowly shrink. The cummulative effect of the above is a sagging face.

The trademarked Tuliplift procedure includes micro liposuction of the jowl and neck area. The harvested fat is concentrated and injected right after the Tuliplift procedure into the laugh lines and cheek bone area.

The hollowness is fixed and the youthful appearence of the face is restored. Leftover fat is stored in our state licensed Tissue Bank for future use.

Read this if you ar not ready for a conventional cutting facelift.

Thermage, or Thermacool, is one modality often used to tighten the skin and underlying structures. Five years later and having performed hundreds of procedures I have learned to perfect the technique. I sometimes hear from patients that their friends had a Thermage procedure with no visible results. Upon further examination it becomes evident that the procedure was done not by a board certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon, but by a nurse at a mall. Performing Thermage is an art. There is a delicate balance between visible and long lasting results and diappointment or possible side effects.

My practice is in Southern California and a large percentage of my patients have a darker skin complexion. Asian and African American patients with a history of keloids or unsightly scars are often hesitant to have a facelift.

Often I'm asked--in regards to the sagging of the jowels and neck area--if there is a more conservative approach one can take: a solution not requiring "any cutting". Here is the answer...

YES! There is a facelift which is well suited for men. Men are generally more hesitant than women to have a facelift. They often worry about visible scarring extending into scalp or forehead, a pulled look, and a long recovery period. It does not have to be like that. My trademarked Tuliplift, which is performed under mild sedation, addresses all the above concerns. It doesn't give men a pulled or artificial look, recovery is usually 10-4 days, and scars are both limited in length and do not extend into hair bearing scalp.

Cosmetic surgery inherently involves some level of risk. On occasion, one can encounter rare symptoms such as bleeding, infection, or scars that just won't heal right--all symptoms that can complicate the recovery for months to come. When considering cosmetic surgery, it is important to factor in these unpleasant risks, so that you are equipped to handle them should they arise.

Last year I was asked to consult on a patient who had undergone a facelift procedure in Mexico. The immediate post-operative period had been uneventful, and she had returned to Los Angeles to recover. Four weeks after the surgery the scars in front of her right ear started to thicken. Over the next few months, these scars developed into unsightly and painful Keloids, which required several corrective treatments. . .