Facelift (Rhytidectomy)

Facelift (rhytidectomy) and mini facelift to address jowling, sagging mid-face tissue, deep nasolabial folds, and neck laxity through SMAS-layer repositioning and skin re-draping. Dr. Brooke R. Seckel MD FACS also performed cheek lifts, neck lifts, and combination facelift-plus-blepharoplasty procedures. All surgeries at Emerson Hospital's Clough Surgical Center. Practice closed September 2023.

Facelift surgery at Boston Plastic Surgery Specialists was among the defining procedures of Dr. Brooke R. Seckel's practice, reflecting his decades of subspecialty focus on facial rejuvenation. A comprehensive facelift (rhytidectomy) addresses the anatomical changes of facial ageing at multiple tissue levels: the descent of the mid-face fat compartments, the development of jowling from ligamentous laxity along the jawline, deep nasolabial folds from mid-face ptosis, and neck skin and platysmal muscle laxity resulting in banding and loss of a sharp cervicomental angle. Dr. Seckel's approach centred on the SMAS (Superficial Musculo-Aponeurotic System) — the fascial layer beneath the skin that connects the facial mimetic muscles — which is repositioned superiorly and posteriorly during the procedure to re-establish the youthful structural foundation before skin re-draping. This SMAS-based technique produces a more natural and durable result than skin-only tightening because it addresses the underlying tissue displacement rather than simply stretching the skin. Incisions are placed within or adjacent to the hairline and in the natural crease anterior to the ear, extending posteriorly behind the ear, making scars largely imperceptible after healing. For patients with less extensive ageing, a mini facelift was offered — a shorter-scar technique with more limited dissection targeting the lower face and early jowls with less recovery time than a full rhytidectomy. Dr. Seckel also performed isolated cheek lifts (mid-face lift), neck lifts (platysmaplasty), and combination facelift-blepharoplasty procedures for patients whose facial ageing involved the periocular zone. Recovery from a full facelift typically involves two weeks of social downtime for bruising and swelling to resolve. The practice closed permanently in September 2023.