Facelift & Neck Lift (NatraLift)

Dr. Philip Miller offers multiple facelift approaches under the NatraLift methodology from his Joint Commission–accredited Midtown Manhattan practice, including traditional facelift, limited-incision mini-facelift, SMAS deep-plane facelift, and an awake facelift variant. Neck lift surgery is available standalone or combined with facelift. Incisions are concealed within natural skin creases in front of and behind the ears and along the hairline. Most patients return to work within approximately two weeks, with full healing over six to nine months. A liquid facelift using injectable fillers and neuromodulators is also offered as a non-surgical alternative.

Facelift surgery at Gotham Plastic Surgery is delivered under the NatraLift philosophy — Dr. Philip Miller's framework for facial rejuvenation that prioritises restoring a youthful, rested appearance while avoiding the tell-tale signs of over-correction: pulled skin, distorted hairlines, and unnatural facial contours. With more than two decades of exclusive focus on the face and neck and double board certification in facial plastic surgery and otolaryngology, Dr. Miller offers the full technical range of rhytidectomy approaches, with technique selection guided by the patient's degree of facial ageing, skin quality, anatomical characteristics, and recovery tolerance. The traditional facelift addresses descent and laxity across the lower face, jowl, and neck through incisions that follow the natural hairline above the ear, transition into the anterior helical crease, continue around the earlobe, and extend into the postauricular hairline. Through this access, the SMAS (superficial musculoaponeurotic system) — the fibromuscular layer deep to subcutaneous fat — is elevated, repositioned, and secured, restoring the youthful upward vector of the midface and jowl. Skin is redraped conservatively with no tension at closure. The deep-plane facelift elevates the SMAS together with the overlying facial soft tissue as a composite flap, releasing the retaining ligaments of the face to allow a more comprehensive repositioning of the cheek and jowl — associated with longer-lasting results and reduced risk of an operated appearance. The limited-incision mini-facelift uses a shorter periauricular incision for patients with early to moderate lower face laxity who do not require the full extent of traditional surgery. An awake facelift option, performed under local anaesthesia with oral sedation rather than general anaesthesia, is available for appropriate candidates who prefer to avoid the risks of general anaesthesia or who have medical contraindications. Neck lift surgery addresses platysmal banding, submental fat, and skin laxity of the neck, and may be performed in isolation or combined with facelift in the same operative setting. A liquid facelift — a non-surgical alternative using strategic placement of neuromodulators and dermal fillers to address volume loss, soften folds, and provide mild lifting — is offered by Dr. Miller's aesthetic injector RN Selena, who is trained directly under Dr. Miller. All patients receive a thorough facial analysis and photographic documentation at consultation, with a clear explanation of the range of approaches available and their respective trade-offs in result quality, incision length, and recovery.