Surprising Things About Facelift Surgery

Do you find yourself wondering whether non-surgical treatments that promise the result of a facelift actually work? Did you have a surgical facelift procedure but aren’t happy with the results? It may seem like reliable information is hard to come by for facelifts so let’s clear up the confusion.

Fact No. 1: A true facelift will provide a natural looking, dramatic improvement to overall facial appearance. The days of the “wind tunnel” look, achieved decades ago when surgeons pulled the skin of the face back, trimming any excess, are long gone. Today, surgeons reposition the deep structures of the face to provide truly amazing and long- lasting results. Patients tend to look five to 15 years young for up to a period of ten years.

A successful surgical facelift will target the deep-down structures of the face to:

• lift and tighten loose skin in the neck.
• lift structures of the face, like cheeks, which have fallen by repositioning them to where they were before.
• tighten and lift the jowls and jaw line.
• improve/sharpen the neck angle

Fact No. 2: A facelift won’t fix everything so don’t expect it to improve wrinkles, folds, or fine age spots. These are surface-layer imperfections that need to be addressed with different treatments. Patients can choose to follow up their surgical facelift with gradual skin-resurfacing, Botox, or filler treatments. Speak with your surgeon about a simultaneous CO2 laser or chemical peel. You may also want to consider scheduling subsequent appointments for Botox to help improve the look of deep wrinkles and sun damage and a filler to add volume to the cheeks/lips.

Fact No. 3: It is important to note surgical facelifts treat the lower face rather than mid- level features or the eyes/forehead. If you opt for a facelift but want some extra work done on your eyes for instance, this would be and additional procedure. An eyelid lift or a brow lift can be performed at the same time as a facelift. Doing two procedures simultaneous may sound intimidating, but it combines two uncomfortable recovery periods in to one.

Fact No. 4: During a facelift, a surgeon makes small incision to access the deep structural layer of the face, pulling it to a higher, tighter position. The length of these incisions is determined by two things: the “size” of the facelift and the length of recovery. Obviously, smaller/shorter incisions mean “smaller” or less noticeable results and less downtime thanks to reduced swelling and bruising. Bigger/longer incisions will increase the recovery period but they lead to a higher degree of lifting resulting in a far more dramatic improvement.

The key to a successful facelift is to be assessed by a qualified plastic surgeon who can determine the degree of sagging in your lower face and neck and recommend the incision type that’s most appropriate for the lift you need.