Look like yourself—only more refreshed—with customized facelift surgery by double board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Kevin Caceres, proudly serving St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater, Sarasota, Bradenton, and the Tampa Bay area.
Facial aging is more complex than loose skin. Over time, the deeper tissues of the face descend, the cheeks can lose their youthful position, jowls may develop along the jawline, and the transition between the face and neck can become less defined. These changes can make you look older or more tired even when you still feel very much like yourself.
A facelift addresses these structural changes by repositioning descended facial tissues and removing excess skin to restore more youthful contours. The goal is not to change your face or make you look unnaturally tight. It is to reposition what has fallen rather than simply tightening what has stretched.
At Kevin Caceres MD Facial Plastic Surgery, a practice dedicated exclusively to cosmetic and reconstruction procedures of the face and neck, Dr. Kevin Caceres performs individualized facelift surgery for patients in St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater, Sarasota, Bradenton, and throughout the Tampa Bay area.
What Is a Facelift?
A facelift, or rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure that repositions aging tissues of the lower face and improves excess skin to restore smoother, more youthful facial contours.
Depending on the patient’s anatomy, facelift surgery can improve:
- Jowls along the jawline
- Sagging tissues of the lower face
- Loss of youthful facial contours
- Deepening folds associated with tissue descent
- Reduced jawline definition
- Loose skin of the lower face
- Age-related changes extending into the neck
Modern facelift surgery goes beyond simply pulling the skin tighter. By addressing deeper facial tissues, Dr. Caceres can restore support and definition while allowing the skin to lie naturally over the repositioned structures. When significant neck aging is also present, facelift surgery may be combined with a neck lift for more comprehensive rejuvenation.
What Actually Happens to the Face as We Age?
Patients often describe facial aging in terms of what they see: loose skin, jowls, deeper folds, or a disappearing jawline. But those visible changes reflect aging occurring at multiple levels of the face.
Skin gradually loses elasticity and collagen. Facial fat changes in both volume and position. Supporting tissues loosen, allowing portions of the face to descend. These changes can flatten youthful contours through the cheeks while creating heaviness through the lower face and jawline.
That is why simply removing or tightening excess skin cannot address every component of facial aging. Dr. Caceres evaluates where facial tissues have descended, how the jawline and neck have changed, the condition of the skin, and how these changes relate to the patient’s underlying facial structure before determining which surgical approach is appropriate.
Who May Benefit From Facelift Surgery?
Facelift candidacy is determined more by anatomy than by age.
You may benefit from facelift surgery if you have:
- Jowls or loss of jawline definition
- Sagging tissues through the lower face
- Loose facial skin
- Deepening facial folds associated with tissue descent
- Loss of youthful facial contours
- Lower-face aging that no longer responds adequately to nonsurgical treatment
- Combined facial and neck laxity
- Previous facelift results that have changed with continued aging
Candidates should also be in good general health, avoid smoking, and have realistic expectations about what surgery can accomplish. Some patients begin considering surgery when relatively early changes appear, while others wait until aging is more advanced. The appropriate timing depends on the structures that have changed and the degree of correction needed—not a predetermined age.
Why Choose Dr. Kevin Caceres for Facelift Surgery?
Facelift surgery demonstrates why successful facial rejuvenation requires more than tightening loose skin. Jowls, loss of jawline definition, deepening folds, and lower-face laxity can reflect changes in the skin as well as descent of the deeper facial tissues. Correcting those changes while preserving natural facial character requires an understanding of both the visible signs of aging and the anatomy beneath them.
As a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon who specializes exclusively in surgery of the face and neck, Dr. Kevin Caceres approaches facelift surgery according to each patient’s facial anatomy, pattern of aging, previous procedures, and aesthetic goals.
His surgical planning is not based on creating the tightest possible result or applying the same facelift technique to every patient. Instead, Dr. Caceres determines which tissues have changed, where structural support should be restored, and how much correction is appropriate to create rejuvenation that remains harmonious with the patient’s individual features.
Patients choose Dr. Caceres for:
- Double board certification in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery
- Exclusive focus on surgery of the face and neck
- Advanced understanding of facial anatomy and age-related tissue descent
- Experience with deep plane, mini, primary, and revision facelift surgery
- Individualized evaluation of the face, jawline, and neck
- Surgical techniques designed to reposition deeper facial tissues rather than relying solely on skin tension
- Careful assessment of which facelift approach is appropriate for each patient
- Ability to incorporate neck rejuvenation when facial and neck aging occur together
- Attention to incision placement and natural facial contours
- Natural-looking results designed around the patient’s unique face
- Personalized care from consultation through recovery
- IV Sedation or anesthesia options for appropriately selected patients
Read our Plastic Surgery Testimonials and explore our Gallery to view patient results.
What Does Dr. Caceres Evaluate During a Facelift Consultation?
A facelift consultation is not simply about determining whether you have enough loose skin for surgery. Dr. Caceres evaluates the different structures contributing to your appearance and how they have changed in relation to one another.
His evaluation may include:
- Facial shape and proportions
- Degree and location of tissue descent
- Cheek and lower-face contours
- Jowling and jawline definition
- Skin quality and elasticity
- Amount of excess skin
- Neck laxity and banding
- Fat distribution beneath the chin and throughout the lower face
- Previous surgical or nonsurgical facial procedures
- Existing scars from previous surgery
- Areas the patient wants to improve—and features they want to preserve
This assessment helps determine not only whether facelift surgery is appropriate, but which type of facelift is most likely to address the patient’s anatomy effectively.
What Types of Facelift Does Dr. Caceres Perform?
“Facelift” describes a category of facial rejuvenation surgery rather than one identical operation performed on every patient. Dr. Caceres offers several approaches based on the degree of aging, structures requiring correction, previous surgery, and desired outcome.
Deep Plane Facelift
A deep plane facelift addresses deeper facial tissues by releasing retaining ligaments and repositioning descended tissues as a unit. This approach allows correction to occur beneath the skin rather than relying primarily on skin tension and may be appropriate for patients with more significant facial descent, jowling, and associated neck aging.
Mini Facelift
A mini facelift uses a more limited surgical approach and shorter incisions than a more comprehensive facelift. It may be appropriate for selected patients with earlier or less extensive lower-face aging. Because the procedure is more limited, the amount of correction is also generally less extensive than with a full facelift.
The important question is not whether a mini facelift sounds more appealing because it is “mini.” It is whether a limited operation can adequately correct the anatomy responsible for the patient’s concerns.
Revision Facelift
A revision facelift is performed on a patient who has undergone previous facelift surgery and is seeking additional rejuvenation or correction. Some patients return to surgery because natural aging has continued after an initially successful facelift. Others may have concerns related to scarring, asymmetry, recurrent laxity, or an unnatural appearance following previous surgery.
Revision surgery can be more complex because prior surgery changes normal tissue planes and creates scar tissue. Dr. Caceres evaluates the previous result, existing scars, current anatomy, and remaining tissue support before determining the appropriate surgical approach.
How Does Dr. Caceres Create Natural-Looking Facelift Results?
A successful facelift should make the face look rested and structurally refreshed—not stretched, pulled, or fundamentally different. Natural-looking results begin with recognizing that each patient’s face ages differently. The amount and direction of tissue descent, skin quality, facial proportions, jawline, neck, and previous treatments all influence surgical planning.
Dr. Caceres focuses on restoring support beneath the skin and repositioning tissues toward a more youthful anatomical position. Once the deeper structures have been addressed, excess skin can be removed and the remaining skin positioned naturally over the rejuvenated facial contours without relying on excessive skin tension to create the result.
This approach also helps preserve the patient’s individual facial characteristics. The objective is not to create a standardized “facelift look.” It is to help the patient look like a more refreshed version of themselves.
How Is Facelift Surgery Performed?
The details of facelift surgery vary according to the technique Dr. Caceres selects and whether the neck or other areas are treated at the same time. Incisions are typically placed around the natural contours of the ear and hairline, with their exact location determined by the surgical approach. Through these incisions, Dr. Caceres repositions the deeper facial tissues responsible for sagging and jowling.
Excess skin is then removed, allowing the remaining skin to lie naturally over the newly supported facial contours rather than relying on skin tension alone. When neck aging is also being addressed, additional techniques or incisions may be incorporated into the surgical plan. Anesthesia is selected according to the extent of surgery and the procedures being performed.
What Is Facelift Recovery Like?
Recovery varies depending on whether you undergo a mini facelift, deep plane facelift, revision facelift, or a combined face and neck procedure. Swelling, bruising, tightness, temporary numbness, and discomfort are expected during early healing and gradually improve. Patients should plan for some time away from work and social activities while the most visible signs of surgery resolve.
Dr. Caceres provides individualized postoperative instructions and monitors healing during follow-up visits. Results continue to refine as swelling subsides and the tissues settle.
See Facelift Before and After Results
Facelift surgery creates long-lasting structural rejuvenation, but it does not stop the aging process. The repositioned tissues will continue to age naturally over time, with genetics, skin quality, sun exposure, lifestyle, and weight changes influencing how the face evolves.
Rather than trying to make every patient look a predetermined number of years younger, Dr. Caceres focuses on restoring facial structure and contours in a way that can continue to look natural as the patient ages.
Before and after photographs can help prospective patients understand the degree and type of rejuvenation possible with facelift surgery and see how results vary according to each patient’s starting anatomy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Facelift Surgery
At what age should you consider a facelift?
Who isn't a good candidate for facelift surgery?
What are the risks of facelift surgery?
Individual risk varies according to health, anatomy, surgical history, and the procedure performed. Dr. Caceres discusses potential complications and the risks relevant to your surgical plan before surgery.
Does a facelift include a neck lift?
Patients with both lower-face and neck aging may benefit from treating the two areas together, while others may require more targeted surgery. Dr. Caceres evaluates the face and neck as a unit before recommending a surgical plan.
Will a facelift improve my cheeks?
Dr. Caceres evaluates whether the concern is caused primarily by tissue descent, volume loss, or a combination of changes before recommending treatment.
Can a facelift get rid of all my wrinkles?
Can a facelift be combined with eyelid or brow surgery?
Yes. When aging affects multiple areas of the face, facelift surgery may be combined with upper eyelid surgery, brow lift surgery, or other procedures when appropriate.
Combination surgery is individualized according to anatomy, health, surgical goals, and the amount of surgery that can be performed safely.
How much does a facelift cost in St. Petersburg?
Schedule a Facelift Consultation in St. Petersburg
Choosing a facelift is not simply a decision about whether you are ready for facial surgery. It is a decision about which anatomical changes should be corrected, which surgical approach can address them, and which characteristics of your face should remain untouched.
During your consultation, Dr. Caceres will evaluate your facial anatomy, pattern of aging, jawline, neck, skin quality, previous treatments, and goals to develop an individualized approach to facial rejuvenation. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Kevin Caceres in St. Petersburg to learn which facelift approach may be right for you.