If opting for a surgical facelift, it is essential to understand some of the more traditional techniques used by surgeons and possible results in appearance.
Choosing the Right Facelift
Facelift surgery is individualized to a person’s needs. Therefore, when starting, it’s always a good idea to schedule consultations with multiple surgeons and ask as many questions as needed to determine if the recommendations suit you.
It is equally important to have a clear idea of the costs you are willing to bear and the amount of time recovery takes. If the healthcare provider understands these constraints, they can usually work with you to find a solution that fits your budget without skimping on the results. In some cases, newer, non-surgical techniques can be used in tandem with surgical ones.
Facelift surgery of this sort requires an in-depth understanding of the face’s sub-muscular aponeurotic system (SMAS). These facial expression muscles are covered in their envelope of connective tissue and lie beneath the immediate sub-dermis.
Surgically elevating the SMAS helps to reposition the tissues to achieve a more youthful point, lifting and tightening the jowls, neck, and cheeks. This produces a more natural and long-lasting result than a “skin-only” facelift, a procedure considered archaic by most plastic surgeons.
When searching for a surgeon qualified to perform these procedures, never hesitate to ask about their training, experience, and credentials (including how many times they may have performed a particular technique).
You can confirm board certification by contacting the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
To achieve the best results and minimize scarring after surgery, follow your surgeon’s care instructions and limit physical activity as much as possible for the first several weeks. Moreover, avoid sun exposure during the healing process and apply extra sunscreen if you must be outdoors.
Note the dramatic improvement in the drooping jowls and hooding of the eyelids. This is something you cannot achieve with a facelift alone. For this, you would need a brow lift and an upper and lower blepharoplasty, sometimes enhanced with Botox injections.
A traditional facelift mainly addresses the neck and jawline areas. However, the deep plane technique also lifts the mid-face area to retain the face’s natural balance.
If you’re not ready to undergo elective surgery, explore non-surgical options such as injectable fillers, laser resurfacing, and non-surgical skin tightening using laser, infrared, or ultrasound technologies.
Dermabrasion changes the appearance of the skin by injuring it in a controlled manner, often to treat scarring or older, sun-damaged skin. Only dermatologists or plastic surgeons can perform dermabrasion.
Lip augmentation is a relatively simple procedure to define and volumize the lips. While extracted body fat can be used for this, healthcare providers commonly use fillers today, including Restylane, a hyaluronic acid-based filler.
The procedure can be performed in the healthcare provider’s office when fillers are used. It is most commonly injected into the upper and lower lips to ensure a more balanced look.
Moreover, the person’s fat is used to re-contour the cheeks and areas around the eyes. The vertical lift method is said to give longer-lasting, more natural results and with less extensive incisions.
In addition, the woman underwent upper and lower blepharoplasty to tighten the lower lid and create a more “awakened” appearance in the eyes.
Platysmaplasty is a procedure that involves the surgical reconstruction of neck muscles (the platysma). Two separate sides of the platysma connect in the center of the neck.
The tissues that connect the sides weaken and lose their elasticity as we age, creating the characteristic “turkey wattle.” Platysmaplasty re-attaches the sides and reconstructs the internal muscles to tighten the chin and neck areas.
A Word From Verywell
A facelift or neck lift can dramatically improve the appearance of the face, giving a more youthful look. However, it’s important to thoroughly research the surgeon or dermatologist before pursuing any procedures. Be sure to ask questions ahead of time to appropriately manage your expectations of the results following the procedure or injections.
Traditional facelift: Facial muscles and any supporting structures are tightened, and excess fat and skin are removed from the jowls, neck, and face. SMAS facelift: Superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) facelifts lift the lower two-thirds of the face and the neck. The platysma muscles are part of the SMAS, and a platysmaplasty is often done as part of the operation. Cutaneous (skin) facelift: This procedure exclusively focuses on removing excess skin, usually in the neck and face. Mid-facelift: In this version, fat in the cheek is repositioned, and the skin is tightened.
