Facelift in Baltimore, Maryland
Dr. Shermak is a leading board-certified plastic surgeon renowned for her expertise in facelift procedures. She has performed countless successful facelifts in Baltimore, helping patients turn back the clock to achieve natural-looking results and renewed self-confidence.
A facelift—also known as rhytidectomy—is a transformative surgical procedure designed to reduce visible signs of aging in the face and neck. By lifting and repositioning sagging tissues, smoothing deep creases, restoring fat, and tightening loose skin, a facelift helps regain a firmer, more youthful facial contour while preserving your natural expressions and appearance. You will look in the mirror and see the person you expect to see.
This delicate procedure requires an artistic eye, technical precision, and a deep understanding of facial anatomy. With extensive experience and a reputation for achieving elegant, natural-looking outcomes, Dr. Shermak customizes each facelift to enhance your unique features without creating an overdone or “pulled” appearance, or worse yet, an unrecognizable appearance.
If you're ready to explore how a facelift can rejuvenate your appearance and boost your confidence, contact Dr. Shermak’s office. A friendly team member will guide you through the consultation process and help you take the first step toward your refreshed reflection.
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A facelift is a facial cosmetic surgery designed to reduce the visible signs of aging by lifting the underlying tissues, smoothing deep creases, restoring lost fat, and removing loose skin of the lower face and neck. Also known as rhytidectomy, this surgical facelift is often the most effective way to address jowling, nasolabial folds, and excess fat under the chin.
Dr. Shermak performs various types of facelifts, including full facelift, mini facelift, and deep plane facelift, depending on the patient’s facial structure and degree of skin laxity. Each facelift procedure is customized to the individual and may be combined with other facial plastic surgery techniques such as eyelid lift, brow lift, or fat transfer for complete rejuvenation. Her goal is to enhance your natural contours while preserving your identity—so you still look like you, only more vibrant and well-rested.
Facelift surgery with Dr. Shermak is typically performed under general anesthesia at her fully accredited facial plastic surgery clinic in Baltimore. Once anesthesia takes effect, she creates discreet incision sites along the hairline, around the ears, and sometimes under the chin for neck lift access. Through these openings, she repositions facial muscles, elevates the superficial musculo aponeurotic system (SMAS), and trims excess skin and fat to sculpt a naturally refreshed look. Some patients also undergo fat transfer to restore lost fat with aging and weight loss.
Depending on your goals, she may employ advanced facelift techniques like the SMAS facelift or deep plane method to lift the deeper tissues of the face. These more comprehensive methods offer longer-lasting results and restore a youthful lift to the midface and jawline. The surgical technique takes about 3 to 4 hours. After closure, your face is wrapped in supportive dressings to minimize swelling, and you'll recover briefly before heading home the same day. A drainage tube may be temporarily placed, depending on the extent of the surgery.
A facelift targets multiple visible signs of the aging process in the face and neck, including:
Through expert manipulation of facial tissues, Dr. Shermak can restore harmony to your features and reduce these signs with precision and artistry.
Good candidates for a facelift in Baltimore are men and women who:
This procedure may be combined with a brow lift, blepharoplasty, facial fat grafting, neck liposuction, or injectables to rejuvenate the entire face and neck.
During your initial facelift consultation, you will discuss with Dr. Shermak what you would like to improve so she can understand your expectations and determine how to best achieve your desired results.
Facelift surgery tends to be performed on an outpatient basis. You may experience temporary swelling, numbness, and bruising that respond well to head elevation, ice packs, and Arnica Montana herbal supplementation. You will be seen in the office within one to three days after your procedure to have your post-operative dressings removed.
Your stitches will be removed seven to 10 days after surgery, and makeup may be applied two weeks after surgery. Most clients find that they can resume their regular activities and return to work within about two weeks, with swelling taking up to a month to fully resolve.
Most facelift surgery patients notice early improvement within two weeks, once initial bruising and swelling resolve. Final facelift results emerge gradually over 6 weeks to 6 months as facial skin heals and scars mature. You'll enjoy smoother, lifted contours, a more youthful neckline, and subtle definition that looks refreshed but never artificial.
Because the procedure addresses both loose skin and deeper tissues, the improvements tend to be long-lasting—often a decade or more. To protect your results, Dr. Shermak recommends sun protection, skin care, healthy lifestyle habits, and occasional non-surgical treatments. For many patients, the outcome is more than just aesthetic—it's a reintroduction to the version of themselves that feels aligned with who they are inside.
With over 27 years of experience and more than 400 successful facelift surgeries, Dr. Michele Shermak is a trusted expert in facial rejuvenation. Since establishing her practice in January 1999, she has helped countless patients restore their youthful appearance with natural-looking, beautifully balanced results.
As an award-winning, board-certified plastic surgeon and a member of the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) Board of Directors since 2022, Dr. Shermak brings advanced surgical techniques, meticulous precision, and a patient-centered approach to every facelift and neck lift procedure. Her dedication to enhancing facial aesthetics is reflected in her outstanding patient reviews and reputation for compassionate, personalized care.
Choosing Dr. Shermak for your facelift or neck lift means trusting a leading authority in plastic surgery who is committed to achieving your aesthetic goals with precision and artistry. Contact us today to schedule your consultation and explore how she can help you achieve a refreshed, youthful appearance.
We invite you to call Dr. Shermak’s Baltimore plastic surgery office at (410) 616-3000 to schedule your personal facelift consultation today.
Dr. Shermak has extensive experience with facelift surgery in Baltimore and will be excited to unite you with your ideal cosmetic outcome. Reach out to Dr. Shermak’s welcoming Baltimore office and speak with a helpful member of her team to get started with your initial consultation today.
A facelift may be performed over a broad range of ages. While the most common group undergoing surgery tends to start with “Gen X” 50-somethings up to individuals in their 60s, Dr. Shermak treats all age ranges as long as the patient is healthy. Older patients in their 70s and 80s may be satisfactory candidates. And younger individuals who are looking to address early laxity or who want to improve their degree of facial lifting and angularity may be excellent candidates as well.
A neck lift is most often performed with a facelift. Many individuals undergo eyelid surgery on their upper and/or lower eyelids at the time of facelift, and possibly a brow lift as well. A lip lift and buccal fat pad removal are also popular adjunctive procedures performed during facelift. A facelift may also be performed with surgery on other body regions, like the breasts or abdomen. Dr. Shermak will be interested to hear all areas of concern so you don’t complete one surgery thinking you missed doing something you really wanted to do.
The starting cost for a facelift with neck lift is $12,000. Cost depends on what needs to be done and time required in the operating room.
The scars fall into the hairline and crease around the ear or shadow under the chin, and will fade over time. They are really well camouflaged. If the temple is included, you may actually experience an improved hairline. Dr. Shermak will work with you to get the most optimal scar outcome.
Dr. Shermak offers several trusted financing options to make your procedure more affordable. Here are the top choices:
During your consultation, our team will help you select the best option tailored to your goals and budget. Learn more about financing.
On average, facelift results last for about eight years. Some individuals with sun-damaged skin or particularly lax skin may see a shorter duration of results, while others may be happy with their outcome for 15 years. A secondary facelift may be considered later to enhance the results that will occur naturally over time.
Some individuals have minimal laxity and jowling along the jawline and upper neck or desire less surgery with more conservative results, so pulling the skin up will effectively simulate the treatment goal. This procedure only requires a small incision around the ear and can be performed under local anesthesia in about 60-90 minutes.
You should state your end goal to Dr. Shermak. Her aesthetic aim is generally to achieve a rested, refreshed look. The client should recognize themselves easily in the mirror after surgery, seeing the clock turned back, not the face of a stranger. (That is something Dr. Shermak would not want for herself either)
The goal of facelift surgery is to turn back the hands of time, allowing you to look in the mirror and see the face you expect to see, not the one you currently see. The components of facelift surgery include tightening relaxed support tissues in the face and neck, and creating a more refreshed skin appearance with fewer wrinkles and better skin quality. You may also undergo some fat restoration if discussed with your surgeon. All of these maneuvers are designed to reverse the aging process and restore your youthful appearance.
The typical facial procedure takes between three and four hours. This depends on what is needed to lift the face and neck, as well as additional procedures that may take place. Additional procedures might include upper or lower eyelid surgery, brow lift, fat transfer, dermabrasion, buccal fat pad removal, and/or lip lifting.
Dr. Shermak typically sees her patients within a day or two after surgery to ensure that everything looks fine, remove a drain if it was placed, and reduce the dressings. She will then see her patients approximately one week after their surgical procedure, at which time sutures will be removed. She then typically sees patients within the next two weeks to check on their progress and will then space out visits from there, aiming for up to a year of follow-up. Later visits focus primarily on optimizing scar outcomes.
Following a healthy lifestyle with a nutritious diet, hydration, and exercise always helps to optimize the overall surgical experience. Optimal skin care will also create more optimal facelift results, and Dr. Shermak can provide individualized guidance and specific products that may be helpful in refreshing your skin. Taking homeopathic Arnica Montana supplementation starting several days prior to surgery can help reduce swelling and bruising. Patients also need to adhere to their prescription medications to reduce the risk of complications.
For at least a month prior to surgery, patients must not smoke or vape nicotine, THC, or any other products to ensure the best healing and breathing recovery. Further, following the recommendations we provide before and after surgery will help ensure the best outcome. There will be no need to go online to search for remedies. Dr. Shermak provides ample information around the time of surgery and she and her team are available for questions.
There are risks for any elective surgical procedure, and optimizing your health will always help reduce these risks.
The most common risk is decreased sensation in the skin after surgery. Rest assured that full sensation will return over time. Some experience numbness in the ear, which is quite normal. Other risks include wound healing problems, infection, and scarring. Regular post-operative visits will allow for the best possible healing and scar outcome. Facial weakness, when it occurs, is typically temporary. Bleeding is also uncommon as long as blood pressure is well-controlled.
A full description of the potential risks will be provided with the informed consent process, and consent forms will be provided before surgery to allow for adequate time to review. Dr. Shermak is keenly aware of potential complications and she therefore does everything she can to avoid their occurrence.
Facial surgery is performed across a wide spectrum of ages, depending on facial characteristics, genetics, and aging processes. Some present as early as their 40s, while others decide to consult at later ages, possibly in their 70s. At a younger age, procedures can be staged, allowing for less dramatic changes to accumulate over longer periods of time. Many younger people want to change features and improve angles and lift, which has become increasingly popular.
You will most likely be able to travel after facial procedures within three to four weeks. Allowing for up to six weeks will ensure the best possible travel experience. Some patients travel one week after surgery after sutures are out and this is fine, but please let Dr. Shermak know your plan so she can best help.
Patients may return to non-exertional work 1-2 weeks after surgery. Particularly for those who work virtually, surgical sites will barely be recognized when using the computer soon after surgery.
