A facelift is a facial plastic surgery procedure designed to rejuvenate the look of the face. It helps to eliminate sagging and loose skin and removes excess fat deposits for a more youthful contour.
A cosmetic surgeon’s surgical technique during a facelift depends on the patient’s anatomy and personal goals. It is typically performed under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation.
Origins
In the early days of facelifts, surgeons were mainly interested in skin removal procedures. The original facelifts entailed incisions around the ear and removing skin from the area.
However, as they became more familiar with facial anatomy and the mechanics of the human body, surgeons realized that they needed something more substantial to lift and reposition the soft tissues of the face.
This led to the development of subfacial dissection and the use of a SMAS (superficial muscular aponeurotic system) flap to lift, reposition, and reshape the facial structures of the cheeks and jaw. This is because the SMAS layer comprises a complex network of blood vessels and muscles, giving it more strength against gravity than just the skin.
Techniques
Facelift operations have grown commonplace in recent years because they provide dramatic rejuvenation with fewer risks, shorter recovery periods, and a more comfortable surgical experience. Today’s techniques offer a better understanding of the changes that occur with aging and a more precise approach that allows us to target aging changes without overcorrecting.
A facelift is an incision-based surgical procedure that lifts and repositions the underlying tissues of the face, removing excess skin and tightening the skin itself. It can reduce jowls and fatty deposits and improve the appearance of the eyes, lips, and neck.
The first step in a facelift operation is removing excess skin from the lower half of the face, typically beginning in the hairline at the temples and continuing around the ears. Other incisions may be made in the lower eyelids or under the upper lip to address the sagging of the brow and cheeks. Finally, the underlying tissue and muscle are lifted to create a more youthful and refreshed appearance.
Procedures
As we age, our skin loses elasticity, and our tissues start sagging. A facelift operation can tighten these tissues and remove excess skin for a younger appearance.
There are many different kinds of facelift operations that a surgeon can perform. Each one is designed to address a specific aesthetic goal for the patient.
SMAS facelift: This procedure is used to lift the lower two-thirds of the face and neck, repositioning fat and smoothing the facial muscles. It also addresses the platysma muscle, which can be a source of deep creases and wrinkles.
Mid-facelift: This version of the procedure is often performed with other facelift techniques that remove jowls or marionette lines. It repositions fat in the cheeks and tightens the skin.
A small thin drainage tube is sometimes placed under the skin behind the ear to help drain any blood or fluid that may accumulate. The face is wrapped in bandages to minimize bruising and swelling.
Results
A facelift has become an increasingly common procedure over the last several decades. This has been due to a significant increase in knowledge of facial anatomy and the aging process and an increasing number of effective treatment strategies for improving aging signs of the face and neck.
The facelift operation removes sagging skin and muscle from the lower half of the face (jowls) and neck. It is a minimally invasive procedure that reduces excess skin, tightens underlying tissue, and produces an overall smoother, younger appearance.
The results of a facelift vary, depending on your unique facial anatomy and aesthetic goals. Modern techniques address the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) to reposition sagging underlying facial tissues and produce a smoother, youthful mid-face contour.
A facelift can be performed alongside other surgical procedures to completely rejuvenate the face and neck. For example, otoplasty can be performed simultaneously to correct asymmetrical facial aging, and eyelid surgery can be combined with a facelift to enhance the eyes.
