Facelift (Rhytidectomy)

Surgical facelift (rhytidectomy) performed by double board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Mitchell Jones to address sagging skin, deep facial folds, and jowling in the mid-face, lower face, and jawline. Techniques are tailored to each patient's anatomy and degree of laxity, with options ranging from limited-incision mini lifts to comprehensive SMAS-based procedures. Hospital affiliation at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital ensures access to accredited surgical facilities. Results associated with lasting five to ten years depending on individual aging patterns.

Facelift surgery at Atlanta Plastic Surgery Specialists is performed by Dr. Mark Mitchell Jones, whose extensive training at Union Memorial Hospital, Johns Hopkins, and Stanford, combined with over four decades of surgical experience, positions the practice as one of Atlanta's established facial surgery providers. Rhytidectomy addresses the structural changes of facial aging that cannot be corrected by non-surgical means: the descent of facial fat compartments, laxity of the superficial muscular aponeurotic system (SMAS), deepening of the nasolabial folds, development of jowls along the jawline, and skin excess in the lower face and neck. Dr. Jones tailors the surgical approach to each patient's anatomic presentation and degree of laxity. Options include a limited-incision short-scar facelift suitable for patients with early jowling and moderate laxity, a full SMAS facelift that repositions the deep facial support structures rather than simply tightening skin — yielding more durable and natural-looking results — and composite or deep-plane techniques for patients with more significant mid-face descent. Most facelifts at this practice are combined with a neck lift to address platysmal banding, submental fat, and skin excess in the neck, which shares the same incision pattern and significantly improves the overall rejuvenation result. Surgery is performed at accredited hospital facilities where Dr. Jones holds privileges, under general anaesthesia or intravenous sedation. Recovery involves bruising and swelling that substantially resolves in two to three weeks, with most patients resuming social activities by three to four weeks and feeling fully recovered by six to eight weeks. The surgical scars are placed within the hairline, around the ear tragus, and behind the ear, where they typically fade to near-imperceptibility over six to twelve months. Results are associated with lasting five to ten years, and many patients choose to return for adjunctive maintenance procedures in the years following their facelift.