Facial Rejuvenation Via the Facelift

By William H. Lindsey, MD, FACS

Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon

. http://www.beauty4eye.com/

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Facial Rejuvenation Via the Facelift

Lower facial rejuvenation can dramatically refresh a person's appearance and can often be accomplished with less invasive procedures, less risk and downtime. As people age, the youthful suspension ligaments of the face and jaw stretch, giving a tired or saggy appearance. Additionally, even without significant weight gain, normal fatty deposits that give a healthy appearance in youth begin to sag, resulting in jowls and a double chin.

Traditional techniques to address these problems primarily involve variations of face-lifting. The “traditional” lower facelift became a useful tool only in the 1970's.

It was at that time that physician-investigators were able to show that the neck muscles taper off into a fibrous tendon called the SMAS that surrounds the face muscles and extends up to the brow region, and that by lifting that sheath, rather than just skin as had previously been lifted during facelifts, would result in a more natural and longer lasting result.

In the 1990's, some doctors began moving toward an even deeper lift called the deep plane facelift. This lifts not only the SMAS, but also the covering of the facial bones and can last longer than SMAS lifts. Unfortunately, it also associated with prolonged recovery and swelling, and a significantly higher incidence of injury to the nerves that move the mouth and muscles of facial expression.

Generally, “less is often more than enough.” What that means is that a more conservative SMAS lift, possibly performed in the office, makes sense for working individuals who want a nice change, but at the same time, have limited time off of work.

Additionally, with a smaller procedure, there is less risk of complications, significantly decreased cost, and a shorter period of time that anyone can tell that something was done.

On average, in-office facelift patients are back to most activities in a week. More in-depth, yet still conservative, SMAS lift patients are back to normal activities by two weeks.