A surgical facelift might be a good option to look like a younger version of yourself without appearing overly “operated.” The surgeon will use surgical skill and experience to place your incisions where they can be hidden in the hairline.
Unlike older techniques, modern facelifts reposition the underlying facial structures into their younger configuration before tightening the superficial layer of skin. This can yield more natural results and better long-term stability.
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Mini-Facelift
A mini facelift is often recommended for younger patients who have noticed signs of aging around the chin or jaw area. This type of facelift is less invasive and can recover faster than a traditional one. However, it is important to remember that this procedure will not address significant sagging in the lower part of the face and can’t correct forehead wrinkles or eye bags.
With a mini facelift, surgeons make small incisions around the ears and hairline where they can access muscle and tissue. They tighten the muscles and remove excess skin, creating a youthful appearance. In addition, they can also elevate cheek fat pads (malar pads) to create the illusion of higher cheekbones and a more prominent facial structure. After these changes, the incisions are closed, and the procedure is complete.
Mini facelifts can be performed with local anesthesia or without general anesthesia. It reduces the chance of complications or downtime, such as swelling or bruising. This is a good option for men and women past the point of no return with facial rejuvenation procedures such as Botox or fillers.
Traditional Facelift
A traditional surgical facelift is ideal for people with extensive facial sagging and deep wrinkles. This procedure focuses on improving both the upper and lower face, addressing heavy or soft brows, deep lines between your nose and mouth and the excess skin around your neck and jaw (known as jowls). The surgeon makes incisions in the hairline above the ears, down in front of and hugging the earlobe and then back to the lower scalp behind your ears. Excess skin is removed, and muscle tissue is tightened to create a youthful appearance.
Depending on the type of facelift performed, there may be additional incisions in the neck area. The surgeon can also redistribute fat or remove it. If there is minimal skin sagging, a less invasive surgery called a NU facelift can be used with shorter incisions.
The endoscopic facelift involves making small incisions near your temples where a camera is inserted to give the surgeon an unobstructed view of the skin, fatty tissue and underlying muscle tissue. The surgeon can lift and reposition the sagging tissues, remove excess fat and tighten the muscles.
A noninvasive facelift doesn’t involve surgery but can produce similar results by heating the skin to tighten it. S-Lift
This surgical procedure improves the appearance of sagging facial skin, jowls and loose neck skin. Unlike less advanced facelift techniques that only tighten the superficial layer of the skin, surgeons use the S-Lift to reposition facial structures like cheek fat into a more youthful configuration before lifting the skin. This results in a more natural-looking, longer-lasting facelift.
The S-Lift gets its name from the shape of the incision made during this facelift procedure. The incision is shaped like an S, starting from the temple and extending to the back of the ear. This allows the surgeon to access a larger tissue and muscle area, allowing for more comprehensive results.
Like the mini-facelift, the S-Lift is done under local anesthesia with sedation. This reduces discomfort, shortens the procedure time and minimizes the chance of complications during surgery.
Patients who choose the S-Lift may have used fillers, BOTOX(r), Cosmetic injections or other nonsurgical treatments to address aging issues in their lower face and neck but have discovered they need surgical intervention to achieve their goals. This is especially true for men with jowls and loose neck skin that develop due to genetics, lifestyle choices or a combination of factors.
Patients who undergo an S-Lift should expect bruising, swelling and a recovery period of up to 2 weeks. During this time, patients need to arrange for someone to help them with household tasks such as cleaning and cooking so that they can focus on healing.
Rhytidectomy
Rhytidectomy, a facelift, is one of the most popular surgical treatments for sagging facial skin. It is performed while you are under general anesthesia or IV sedation and can take 3 to 6 hours, depending on the extent of the procedure. The surgeon tightens facial and neck tissues to eliminate jowling, redefine the jawline, soften nasolabial folds, and rejuvenate the cheeks. It can also improve the appearance of the chin, forehead, and eyelids. Rhytidectomy can be combined to enhance the results with other cosmetic procedures such as a blepharoplasty, brow lift or fat transfer.
During the procedure, your surgeon will use a series of small incisions to reach the deeper facial tissues. These incisions lift and tighten a strong fibrous tissue known as the SMAS. This helps eliminate howling and refine the cheek contour and jawline. Doctors may add fat to the area to restore volume and sculpt the cheeks.
Facelifts can have side effects and risks similar to other surgical procedures. This includes the possibility of a nerve injury, numbness or changes in the skin’s sensation, an infection, and a response to the anesthesia. You can reduce the risk of complications by carefully evaluating a patient’s medical background and performing a thorough physical examination before the facelift.