Facelift in Los Angeles

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Rejuvenate and Redefine Your Face with Minimal Incisions

Unhappy with the appearance of your face and neck? Achieve long-lasting youthful beauty with the help of a Ponytail Facelift™ developed by double board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Chia Chi Kao.  This cutting-edge facelift technique offers comprehensive benefits that other facelifts are unable to provide.

Call Kao Plastic Surgery at (310) 315-9211 or fill out our contact form to arrange a facelift consultation and find out more. Our Los Angeles office is located near a number of popular restaurants, including Pacific Catch, Rustic Canyon, Kappo Miyabi, Citrin, Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery, 1212 Santa Monica, and Élephante.

What Is A Facelift?

A facelift (rhytidectomy) is a facial plastic surgery procedure performed to reduce the appearance of signs of aging like wrinkles and sagging skin. Also known as a rhytidectomy, this procedure lifts the tissues of the face, restoring smooth skin and bringing back a youthful and revitalized appearance.

Plastic surgeons perform a wide variety of facelift techniques, including the traditional facelift, the mini facelift, the mid-facelift, and the deep-plane facelift. These all offer their own benefits and drawbacks.

Dr. Kao, a facelift expert, has developed advanced facial-rejuvenation techniques known as the Ponytail Lift™ and the Ponytail Facelift™. These state-of-the-art procedures are able to achieve incredible results compared to traditional techniques. They focus on preserving the blood supply to the skin and underlying tissues, creating only minimal incisions, and providing long-lasting results that look subtle and natural.

The Ponytail Lift™ addresses the upper two-thirds of the face, including the eyes and the brows. The Ponytail Facelift™ addresses the entire face and neck and features a limited-incision “Massai” neck lift. During both techniques, Dr. Kao applies regenerative fat cells for increased rejuvenation and fullness.

The Benefits of a Facelift

Dr. Kao’s Ponytail Facelift™ offers numerous benefits over a traditional facelift:

  • Due to its smaller incisions, the Ponytail Facelift™ is a less-invasive option than the traditional facelift. The smaller incisions help to prevent distortion of the ear or the hairline and shortening of the sideburns.
  • Results are long-lasting, since Dr. Kao avoids separating the skin layers from the fat layer. This ensures that the blood vessels between them stay connected, keeping the skin healthy and oxygenated. The regenerative effects of “super fat” and “powdered sugar fat” further extend the life of these results.
  • Traditional facelifts pull the skin horizontally, which often has the unintended effect of creating a windswept, frozen, or “worked-on” appearance. The Ponytail Facelift™ instead involves redraping upward vertically, creating natural-looking enhancement of the face’s shape.
  • The “super fat” and “powdered sugar fat” used in the Ponytail Facelift™ help to avoid the gaunt appearance that can sometimes come along with a traditional rhytidectomy procedure.
  • Post-surgical marks resulting from the Ponytail Facelift™ are much more hidden compared to those of the traditional facelift. Traditional facelift incisions are placed in front of the ears or behind the tragus and along the hairline. Ponytail Facelift™ incisions are instead placed behind the ears and in the hair.

Am I a Good Facelift Candidate?

If you’re interested in full face and neck rejuvenation, you’re most likely a good candidate for Dr. Kao’s Ponytail Facelift™. This procedure addresses aging issues in the upper, middle, and lower thirds of the face, along with the entire neck. Patients with sagging skin, wrinkles and folds, harsh neck bands, and jowls are excellent candidates.

Non-smokers (or patients who are willing to quit) are the best candidates for facelifts. Smoking negatively affects the health of the skin and impairs blood circulation, both of which are vital for a complication-free surgery and a smooth recovery.

Patients with certain pre-existing medical conditions may not be ideal candidates for a rhytidectomy. To find out whether you’re a good candidate, it’s best to arrange a consultation with Dr. Kao.

kaoplasticsurgery
Ponytail Lift™ for facial beautification 3.5 years post-op. This is our international patient—look at her Ponytail Lift™ transformation in her brows, eyes, and cheeks that make her features more harmonious.

Non-excisional Eyelid Lift

As part of the Ponytail Lift™ and Ponytail Facelift™, Dr. Kao performs a non-excisional eyelid lift that gently rotates, lifts, and sculpts the brows and upper eyelid skin without removing tissue. Using precise suture techniques, he reshapes the brows while adding regenerative “super fat” and delicate “powdered sugar fat” around the eyes to restore youthful volume and support. The frowning muscles are softened for a lasting BOTOX®-like rejuvenation, and laser refinement smooths and tightens the surrounding skin.
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Facial Detailing / Bio-grooming Regenerative Cells

As part of the Ponytail Lift™ and Ponytail Facelift™, Dr. Kao performs advanced facial rejuvenation using regenerative cells. During this process, he repositions the deeper layers of facial tissue for improved structural support, enhances the midface with regenerative “super fat,” and refines the skin’s texture, tone, and luminosity using fine “powdered sugar fat.” Dr. Kao’s facial detailing / bio-grooming with regenerative cells delivers comprehensive rejuvenation from top to bottom—creating results that continue to improve naturally over time.

KaOgee (Endoscopic Jowl Lift)

As part of the Ponytail Lift™ and Ponytail Facelift™, Dr. Kao enhances jawline definition by delicately suturing the descended facial fascia to the temple area, effectively minimizing the appearance of jowls. In 2015, Dr. Kao pioneered the endoscopic jowl lift to address age-related loss of facial contour and restore a naturally defined jawline.
KaOgee (Endoscopic Jowl Lift)

Limited-Incision “Massai” Neck Lift

As part of the Ponytail Facelift™, Dr. Kao performs an endoscopically assisted, limited-incision neck lift that tightens the skin from the jawline down through the neck and even elevates the décolletage for a seamless, natural flow of youthful definition. Unlike traditional neck lifts, which often focus only on the jawline and leave residual laxity in the lower neck, Dr. Kao meticulously tightens the entire neck by plicating the anterior muscles and executing a posterior corset technique he developed in 2015—creating a longer, leaner neckline. He also planes the neck fat for balanced contour and even thickness throughout.
Limited-Incision “Massai” Neck Lift

Why Choose Kao Plastic Surgery for a Facelift in Los Angeles?

For high-quality facelift results in Los Angeles, there’s no better choice than Dr. Chia Chi Kao, originator of the Ponytail Facelift™.

In the words of Vogue Magazine, Dr. Kao “is single-handedly revolutionizing the future of facelifts.” He has over 25 years of experience in facial rejuvenation and is double board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery.

He has been featured as a medical expert in publications such as W Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, NewBeauty, Elle, and Fashion Magazine.

He has also appeared on the Discovery Learning Channel for his pioneering work in endoscopic facial plastic surgery and regularly speaks at national and international medical conferences.

Outside of his practice, Dr. Kao helps patients achieve transformative aesthetic results as a Staff Plastic Surgeon at Saint John’s Health Center. He is also affiliated with 20th Street Surgery Center, Providence Saint John’s Hospital, and SoCal Surgical Specialties.

Dr. Kao is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), and the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS).

 

The Facelift Consultation

During your consultation, Dr. Kao will discuss your goals, perform a facial examination, review your medical history, and create a surgical plan tailored to your needs. Learn more or schedule your consultation here.

Facelift Preparation

For pre-operative guidelines, patients can also review the

American Society of Plastic Surgeons facelift preparation guide
.

The Facelift Procedure

As part of his Ponytail Facelift™, Dr. Kao performs several specialized techniques, including a non-excisional eyelid lift, a KaOgee endoscopic jowl lift, a limited-incision “Massai” neck lift, and facial detailing with regenerative cells .

Refresh and transform

Naturally

Some individuals have always been naturally beautiful and wish to refresh their appearance, restoring the youthful vitality they once enjoyed. Others have never felt fully satisfied with their features and desire to transform their look to achieve the beauty they’ve always envisioned. For those seeking to refresh their natural elegance, the Ponytail Lift™ Technique offers a subtle, rejuvenating enhancement. For those wishing to transform their overall appearance, the Ponytail Facelift™ Technique provides a comprehensive approach to achieve truly remarkable results.

Refresh

Your Inner Beauty

Dr. Kao's Facelift Technique
  • Addresses the upper two-thirds of the face for a naturally lifted look
  • Refreshes the eyes and subtly elevates the brows for a brighter expression
  • Utilizes tiny incisions hidden within the scalp, behind the hairline
  • Rejuvenates the face with regenerative cells that restore youthful fullness
  • Refreshes your natural beauty, revealing a more youthful and harmonious appearance
Schedule a Ponytail Lift™

Look as beautiful as you feel -

Naturally and Confidently

  • Targets the upper two-thirds of the face for a naturally elevated, youthful look
  • Brightens and refreshes the eyes while subtly lifting the brows
  • Uses tiny, hidden incisions within the scalp for discreet rejuvenation
  • Restores youthful fullness with regenerative cells that enhance facial harmony
  • Reveals your refreshed, natural beauty with refined and balanced contours
Schedule a Ponytail Facelift™

EXperience the Ponytail

Difference

Kps Youtube Library

YouTube

Dr. Kao Featured on Oprah Prime
Dr. Kao was featured on Oprah Prime, Episode 103, with Cameron Diaz and Sharon Stone to discuss the topic of Aging Gracefully.
Ponytail Lift™ Technique with Upper Lip Lift
Ponytail Lift™ Technique is my signature operation. It can be done very subtly, refresh, or a transform to create beauty and harmony to the face.
The Ponytail Lift™ Technique with new EndoPSCS
I added my new EndoPSCS to the Ponytail Lift™ Technique to create an incredible lift to the jowls.

Ponytail Facelift™ Technique Patient Photos

Ponytail Facelift™ Technique Patient Photos

Schedule a consultation

Fill out the contact form to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kao or contact Kao Plastic Surgery at (310) 315-9211.

To schedule your consultation with Dr. Kao and learn more about our facelift techniques, call (310) 315-9211 or request an appointment online.

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