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Today's Face Lift More Than Skin Deep
Patients name different reasons why they tell a plastic surgeon they're considering a facelift.
Some say that aging has caused them to have a harsh, mournful and tired look that doesn't match the way they feel inside. Others have specific complaints about being "too jowly," having a loosely hanging "turkey neck," or sagging cheeks.
Although once sought mainly by older women, facelifts now are sought by an increasing number of men. Today, men constitute about 9 percent of all facelift patients. Many seek the procedure with the hope that their new, refreshed look will give them a competitive edge in the workplace.
Many younger patients seek the procedure in order to maintain their young appearance. They know it is easier to stay looking young than to try to reverse the signs of aging later. Many older patients, including those in their late 70's and 80's, also seek facelifts and have achieved excellent results.
Patients should keep in mind that facelifts are highly individualized and the experience others had may differ dramatically from what you experience.
Whether they seek a "mini facelift" or a full-fledged facelift combined with a forhead browlift, rhinoplasty or eyelid surgery, today's patients can benefit from the vast improvements that have been made in the facelift procedure over the past decade.
Plastic surgeons have learned that the key to a successful, long-lasting facelift lies deep beneath the skin in the layers of muscular tisue. Your plastic surgeon will pay particular attention to the SMAS (superficial musculoaponeurotic system), the muscular membrane that supports the facial skin, and to the plarysma, which is the thin sheet of muscle that extends from your collarbone up the neck to your lower lip. During the facelift, these membrous layers of muscle will be lifted and tightened. The overlying facial skin is then re-draped over this new smoother "base," the skin is tightened, trimmed and the incision closed.
One of the plastic surgeon's goals is to ensure that the resulting scars are as inconspicous as possible. Most will be hidden by your hair or concealed by natural facial contours. The plastic surgeon may choose to hide part of the incision just inside the tragus, the fleshly protrusion of cartilage that guards the ear opening, rather than making the cut in front of the ear.
Recovery time may vary, but most patients are able to return to work within three weeks. Though every patient is different, facelift results are generally expected to last at least 10 years - sometimes 15. To get a better idea of what facelift surgery can do for you, it is recommended you talk to a board certified plastic surgeon. |
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