Surgery day: go home & rest
You may feel “loopy” and sleepy, so plan for someone to be with you through the day. Eat, and take your prescribed medication with food even if you are not having significant pain. Stay ahead of the discomfort.
The CURRENT
Face Lift &
Neck Lift.
A facelift, also known as a rhytidectomy, rejuvenates the face by addressing sagging skin, deep wrinkles and loss of facial volume. The CURRENT lift is Dr. Novis' highly specialized version: an extended deep plane facelift performed under local anesthesia, for maximal results with minimal downtime.
LocalAnesthesia
2 wksBack to work
10+ yrsResults last
Extra skin is only
a small part of aging.
A variety of factors cause facial aging. The face has ligaments that hold structures in place, and aging causes skin and soft tissue to droop around these ligaments, leading to deep wrinkles such as “smile lines.”
Dr. Novis believes natural face-lifting must involve tightening and repositioning these ligaments to create a smoother, more youthful appearance. Pulling the skin alone cannot do that.
Simplified illustration, not to scale. Deep tissue on the left, skin surface on the right.
Am I a candidate?
The best candidates notice excess neck skin, less definition along the jawline, jowls or sagging skin around the mouth, and deeper “smile lines.” There is no set age; Dr. Novis has performed face lifts on patients from 30 years old to their late 80s, and each lift is customized to the individual.
“It's appropriate to address an issue when it begins to affect you.”
Face lift, neck lift, or both?
For Dr. Novis, a face lift addresses facial wrinkles, volume descent and jowls, and gives some neck tightening. With more neck skin or laxity, a neck lift adds an incision underneath the chin and extends the incisions behind the ears. The CURRENT lift generally involves both, tailored to your needs.
How the CURRENT lift is done
Through discreet incisions under the chin and in front of and behind both ears, Dr. Novis lifts and releases the underlying muscle layers, releases any tight ligaments causing wrinkles, then secures the muscle in place. Excess skin is tailored and the incisions meticulously closed, never under tension.
Local anesthesia,
not general.
You lie comfortably on your back, with pillows behind your knees and under your neck. As the oral sedation takes effect you drift off to sleep, and you are numbed with local anesthesia. Dr. Novis uses a personally developed blend of injectable anesthetic agents for comfort and to reduce bruising and swelling.
| Compared | Traditional surgery under general anesthesia | The CURRENT lift |
|---|---|---|
| How you're kept comfortable | General anesthesia, given by IV and/or inhaled gas; you are fully unconscious4 | An oral sedative and local anesthetic, with optional nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”) during numbing1 |
| Breathing support | An airway device, such as a breathing tube, is usually needed4 | None needed; you breathe on your own1 |
| Safety record | Very safe overall, but most blood clots after facelift occur under general anesthesia2 | In Dr. Novis' published study of 142 patients: no blood clots and no hospital stays1 |
| Nausea after surgery | General anesthesia makes nausea and vomiting about 11 times more likely3 | Uncommon; measures before, during and after surgery help prevent it |
Procedures are performed in our in-office surgical suite in North Myrtle Beach. Your anesthesia plan is reviewed with you before surgery.
- Novis S. The Safety and Complication Rate of Deep Plane Facelift Under Local Anesthesia. Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum, 2026.
- Reinisch JF, et al. Deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolus after face lift. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2001.
- Sinclair DR, Chung F, Mezei G. Can postoperative nausea and vomiting be predicted? Anesthesiology, 1999.
- American Society of Anesthesiologists. General Anesthesia.
How to arrive
prepared.
Enter your surgery date and this checklist fills in the dates for you. Tick items off as you go, then print it for the fridge.
Add a date to see your countdown.
6 weeks before
2 weeks before
Before surgery day
Morning of surgery
Based on Dr. Novis' pre-surgery instructions. You will also receive personal instructions before your procedure; always follow those.
Day by day,
week by week.
Drag through your recovery. Most patients look relatively normal by two weeks.
Day 1: first post-op visit
Please don't drive yourself. Dr. Novis evaluates your incisions and swelling and answers your questions, then wraps your head in a protective dressing that keeps swelling and fluid to a minimum. Remove it to eat and shower; otherwise, wear it as much as possible.
Days 2–6: shower & rest
Shower and shampoo from 48 hours after surgery; let the water run over the stitches without scrubbing. Bruising and swelling usually peak around 48 hours. Rest is essential. Most patients begin weaning off pain medication around day 3–4.
Day 7: turning the corner
Nearly all sutures are dissolvable; any that need removing come out at one week. Swelling improves significantly over the first two weeks. Keep sleeping with your head raised.
Week 2: back to work
Most patients feel ready to return to work by two weeks and look relatively normal. Avoid strenuous activity, heavy lifting or straining for at least two weeks to avoid surgical complications.
Weeks 3–6: swelling fades
Residual swelling gradually resolves over the next 3–6 weeks. It may be more noticeable in the morning and improve through the day. Numbness at the incisions and neck is normal and improves gradually.
Months 1–2: permanent results
Incision lines along your hairline and ears may look pink at first; this generally resolves over 1–2 months. The results are permanent: you will always look better than if you had not had the procedure. You will continue to age naturally, and results commonly last well over 10 years before any touch-ups.
- Shower
- Sleep head raised 35°
- Work
- Exercise & lifting
Swelling curve is illustrative. Every recovery is different; follow Dr. Novis' instructions for your own timeline.
Caring for yourself at home
Pain
Most patients choose a narcotic-free pathway: scheduled medication twice daily, plus Tylenol as needed. Do not use other over-the-counter pain medicines. Always take medication with food.
Ice
Use ice-packs as needed for pain and swelling, with a thin washcloth or paper towel between the pack and your face, for fifteen minutes every hour.
First two weeks
Avoid wide mouth opening, vigorous exercise, heavy lifting and long periods of looking down. Sleep with your head raised at least 35° on extra pillows.
What's normal
Nausea is rare. Soreness or a mild ache in the neck and around the ears is normal. Walk right away, but do not drive or operate machinery until you are cleared.
Medications
Keep avoiding aspirin, aspirin-like and anti-inflammatory medications for two weeks after surgery, and nicotine in any form for six weeks.
Before surgery
You meet with Dr. Novis to discuss the procedure in depth and receive all medications plus day-by-day instructions for caring for your incisions.
Call our office at 843-371-1610 if you have extreme pain or swelling, a sudden change in pain or swelling, nausea or vomiting, or are unsure about anything.
Call 911 if you have shortness of breath, fever, chills or signs of shock.
Face lift & neck lift
questions.
The CURRENT lift is a highly specialized type of facelift that is a permanent solution for aging of the face and neck. Dr. Novis created this procedure specially to get the full results of a deep plane face lift with less bruising and downtime. It is performed comfortably under local anesthesia with oral sedation. There is no need for general anesthesia or intubation, which significantly increase surgical risks, and the CURRENT lift has similar medical risk to a dental procedure. Patients avoid postoperative nausea and the body can recover more quickly than after a traditional surgery.
The terms vary from surgeon to surgeon, since they all deal with the same area. For Dr. Novis, a face lift addresses facial wrinkles, volume descent and jowls, and gives some neck tightening. In individuals with more neck skin or laxity, a neck lift is added: an additional incision underneath the chin and an extension of the incisions behind the ears to fully address laxity and neck skin excess. The CURRENT lift generally involves both, tailored to individual needs.
No. The CURRENT lift is performed without general anesthesia. You take oral sedative medications before the procedure, and carefully administered local anesthetic keeps you comfortable. Avoiding general anesthesia significantly speeds recovery and avoids the major risks associated with general anesthesia.
No. A “pulled” look comes from placing tension on the skin without addressing the underlying issues. Dr. Novis utilizes a deep plane technique and repositioning of volume to give natural results. Excess skin is removed, but there is never tension on the skin flaps, which optimizes healing. Patients often report being complimented on “looking more refreshed” or “looking like I lost weight,” but not like they have had work done.
Dr. Novis meticulously plans incisions to create virtually undetectable scars. Incisions in front of and behind the ear are placed in the hairline, where hair will grow around them. She never shaves hair and preserves the natural hair follicles so hair grows through the incision sites. Incisions are also placed in natural creases and inside the ear cartilage for a natural appearance.
Yes. Jowls are the areas of skin and fat at the corners of the mouth that hang below the jawline. They are caused by a combination of skin excess, soft tissue descent and sometimes underlying fat pad herniation. Dr. Novis often performs a facelift to address this common complaint.
Dr. Novis has adapted face and neck lift surgery so it is well tolerated. She uses a personally developed blend of injectable anesthetic agents to provide comfort and reduce bruising and swelling, and every patient is given resources to minimize discomfort and speed healing. Patients often report more “soreness” or “tightness” than pain, and rarely require medication for more than 1–2 days.
Yes. Dr. Novis uses meticulous incision planning and closure to optimize healing and camouflage scars within the hairline, so you can wear your hair up without noticeable scars.
Most patients feel ready to return to work by two weeks, and residual swelling resolves over the following 3–6 weeks. Before surgery, you meet with Dr. Novis to discuss the procedure in depth and answer all your questions, and you are given all medications plus day-by-day instructions for caring for your incisions. See the recovery timeline above for the details.
Start with
a pre-screen.
Due to high demand, Dr. Novis prescreens every consultation request, and not everyone is determined to be a good candidate. Here is how it works.
- Send your request & photos
Complete the consultation request form with front, profile and looking-down photos taken in natural light.
- Dr. Novis reviews
She goes through requests every week. We ask for your patience.
- Consult your way
In person in North Myrtle Beach, by phone, or virtually. Your quote is valid for 60 days.