As we age, time and gravity can take a toll on our faces, weighing down skin and the supportive structures below it.
Though this process is completely natural, you can embrace it on your own terms—whether that means wearing fine lines as a badge of honor or subtly tightening skin and muscle to enhance your contours.
With a thoughtfully personalized facelift, the dual-board certified plastic surgeons at Turkle & Associates can restore your youthful features and bring your innate beauty to the forefront.
Continue reading to learn more about the team and processes behind your surgery, or schedule a consultation to plan your facelift in Indiana.
Why Turkle & Associates?
Though you might have a vision in mind for your surgical outcome, the execution of your plan is ultimately in the hands of your surgeon. That means you need surgical providers you trust to collaborate with you and guide your expectations, care, and recovery.
This is especially true when addressing aging concerns on the upper, mid, or lower face. Your features give your face character and affect how you present yourself to the world. As such, you require a team well-versed in facial anatomy that can honor both your natural beauty and your cosmetic goals.
That’s where Turkle & Associates comes in.
About Our Surgical Team
Our surgeons have decades of experience helping patients achieve their aesthetic and functional aspirations. Their extensive credentials, ongoing training, and years of patient care empower thoughtful, customizable procedures.
Importantly, our physicians specialize in plastic surgery—a distinction not shared across every practice.
What’s the Difference Between Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery?
As plastic surgeons, our doctors can perform cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. This nuance enables functional improvements without compromising on your physical appearance.
The talented plastic surgeons at Turkle & Associates work with precise hands and artful eyes, yielding optimal surgical results for thousands of patients.
Where plastic surgery preserves both form and function, cosmetic surgery focuses on elective procedures that alter the look of the treated area, not its functionality. Cosmetic surgery is a specialty within plastic surgery; not every cosmetic surgeon can perform plastic surgery.
By encompassing the wide spectrum of aesthetic and reconstructive procedures, plastic surgeons like Dr. Turkle and Dr. Specht receive rigorous training in medical and cosmetic best practices, supporting deep anatomical knowledge and optimal treatment outcomes.
Meet Dr. Turkle
Dr. Janet Turkle, founder and head surgeon of our practice, graduated from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, after which she completed residencies in general and plastic surgery.
Upon completing this specialty training, Dr. Turkle pursued board certification from the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery. The board certification process is rigorous, demanding routine examinations and recertification. Holding credentials from each board testifies to Dr. Turkle’s commitment to ongoing education and exceptional surgical technique.
Since founding Turkle & Associates in 1993, Dr. Turkle has upheld this dedication to her patients, helping them feel seen and heard through every step of their care—a fact that has earned her “Top Doc” nominations from her community. Over the last 32 years, Dr. Turkle has blended her medical expertise and artistry to perform an average of 2,672 facial procedures.
Meet Dr. Specht
Dr. Brandon C. Specht, another leading surgeon at Turkle & Associates, graduated from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine and completed a general surgical residency at Grandview Medical Center. After completing this training, he finished a fellowship in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Cleveland Clinic.
Like Dr. Turkle, Dr. Specht then achieved prestigious dual-board certification in General Surgery and Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery.
His credentials and specialization enable a precise, measured approach to plastic surgery, qualities that only empower your personalized facelift in Indiana.
Why a Facelift (vs. Nonsurgical Rejuvenation)?
When navigating your aesthetic goals, you may feel unsure of what procedures could best serve your needs. Our expert providers can work with you to plan the treatments that align with your vision, your unique facial anatomy, and your lifestyle.
While rejuvenating skin treatments like laser resurfacing and microneedling can ease mild-to-moderate signs of aging, they cannot address more extensive concerns. For instance, you might consider a facelift if you are experiencing:
- Sagging upper or lower eyelids
- Drooping brow
- Mid-face laxity
- Deep creases, especially around the mouth
- Jowls along your jawline
- Excess skin around your neck
Importantly, we can tailor your procedure to address a combination of concerns—often integrating a brow and neck lift—in a single facelift surgery. That means our doctors can condense your recovery time and deliver lasting results.
Many patients prefer this approach if their schedule better accommodates a single stint of social downtime compared to routine downtime throughout a less invasive treatment series.
→ Learn what to expect from recovery after your facelift in Indiana
What Will My Surgical Plan Look Like at Turkle & Associates?
Once you decide you want to move forward with a facelift, or rhytidectomy, the first step is a surgical consultation.
A One-on-One Consultation
Prior to scheduling your facelift in Indiana, one of our surgeons sits down with you to listen to your concerns, expectations, lifestyle habits, and medical history. Then, they assess your facial structure, analyzing the skin, muscles, and fat pads in the desired treatment area.
After evaluating your anatomy, habits, and health history, your doctor may advise alternative treatments or recommend waiting to schedule your facelift if you are:
- In poor overall health
- Experiencing an infection (like a cold sore) or skin condition (such as rosacea) in the treatment area
- Expecting unrealistic results from surgery
- Unable to quit smoking prior to your procedure
- Prone to adverse reactions to anesthesia
Once your provider confirms you are a candidate for a facelift procedure, they walk through the recommended pre-care steps and your personalized surgical plan.
Your Pre-Care Steps
Before surgery, we recommend following your pre-care instructions as directed by your physician. Typically, these guidelines include:
- Stop smoking cigarettes and using products containing nicotine at least 4 to 6 weeks before your surgical procedure.
- Limit your use of blood-thinning medications (like NSAIDs) 1 to 2 weeks leading up to surgery.
- Drink plenty of fluids and maintain healthy dietary and sleep habits prior to treatment.
- Avoid strenuous exercise or high-stress environments as you prepare for surgery.
- Do not eat solid foods within 10 hours of your facelift.
- Arrange for someone to drive you home after surgery and stay with you for the first night of your recovery.
Observing these steps supports optimal healing and treatment outcomes.
→ Explore additional pre-op instructions and patient resources before your facelift in Indiana
The Facelift Procedure
To begin your facelift, your provider administers general anesthesia. This enables you to relax in a sleeplike state throughout the procedure.
Then, your surgeon marks the incision sites, strategically placed in the hairline, along the ears, or beneath the chin, depending on the extent of your treatment goals. Your surgeon then makes the incisions, and using refined, personalized techniques:
- Gently suctions out unwanted pockets of excess fat around the chin or neck
- Precisely tightens and repositions muscles for a more lifted look
- Subtly elevates and redrapes the skin to smooth out creases and better hug your contours
From start to finish, most facelifts take between 3 and 6 hours. After concluding your procedure, your plastic surgeon closes the incisions with sutures.
→ Compare your facelift options
Your Post-Surgical Care
Once you wake up from surgery, your provider reviews your post-care steps and sends you home with a copy of the instructions. Typically, these guidelines include:
- Prop your head up with a few pillows to sleep with your head elevated above your chest.
- Use an ice pack or cold compress to ease swelling and bruising.
- Sleep on your back to prevent unnecessary contact with your incision sites.
- When possible, wear clothes that fasten at the front, like button-ups or zip-up jackets.
- Keep your incisions clean and dry, taking medications as prescribed to prevent infection.
- Refrain from applying makeup or skincare products until cleared by your surgeon.
- Wear protective clothing and SPF 30+ sunscreen for the first 3 weeks to shield your healing skin from direct UV exposure.
- Avoid intense exercise or other vigorous activities for 4 to 6 weeks after your facelift.
- Continue to avoid smoking or vaping for 4 to 6 weeks, as tobacco and nicotine products can restrict blood flow and increase your risk of infection.
Most patients can expect 1 week of downtime and 3 to 4 weeks of social downtime as any bruising and swelling subsides. Giving your body rest and hydration at this time helps optimize healing. Observing your surgeon’s post-op instructions fosters a smoother recovery and more satisfying results.
Though you may enjoy a beautifully refreshed finish 6 weeks after your facelift, your results will finalize within 6 to 12 months of your procedure.
Embrace Your Age
You should feel more and more like yourself with each passing year—not less. If aging has changed your relationship with your reflection, our surgeons are here to help.
Dr. Turkle and Dr. Specht listen to your goals, working with you to craft a procedure that brings your vision to life. With a tastefully personalized facelift in Indiana, our surgeons can reveal a subtle, timeless look that enhances your natural beauty rather than overpowering it.
Rediscover a Look That Feels True to You
Everyone deserves to feel at home in their bodies and confident in themselves, regardless of age. If you believe a subtle procedure can empower you with that comfort and ease, look no further.
Schedule a consultation at Turkle & Associates to begin personalizing your facelift in Indiana.
For concerns limited to skin laxity, consider adding a minimally invasive skin-tightening treatment to your aesthetic care plan.
