Redrape, Relax, Resurface, Refill
REDRAPE: FACELIFT
When combined with a cheek lift (which is part of the deep-plane lift), the facelift really should be called a "cheek, jowl and neck lift" to properly define the areas treated.
The cheek tissue, which consists of fat that slowly sags down from the cheekbone, is hoisted back up where it started. Lifting the cheek tissue also helps de-accentuate the smile creases (nasolabial creases), particularly if the lift is combined with laser resurfacing and fat injection into these creases. The connective tissue under the jowls is pulled up, taking up the slack along the jawline. The muscle in the neck, called the platysma, is tightened on each side, helping to define the jawline and smooth the vertical bands that run in the neck. Liposuction is performed under the chin, and the platysma is also tightened in the midline, under the chin, using the same incision in the crease under the chin. This eliminates the double chin and further improves jawline definition.
You might be a candidate for a facelift if:
- You don't like looking down because your jowls sag more.
- When looking in the mirror, you pull up on your face with a finger on each temple to take up the slack in the skin.
- You don't like the appearance of loose skin or vertical bands of the neck.
- You don't like how you're starting to look in pictures, particularly profile views.
- Your aging appearance is starting to affect your mood and self-esteem.
RELAX: BOTOX® COSMETIC OR ENDOSCOPIC FOREHEAD LIFT
It is not unusual for a patient to assume a facelift also treats the forehead. Such an assumption is reasonable. After all, the forehead is the upper third of the face. However, by tradition, plastic surgeons consider forehead rejuvenation separately. A forehead lift, also called a "brow lift" or "forehead-plasty" is often recommended simultaneously to treat the forehead at the same time the middle and lower thirds of the face are treated with a facelift.
RESURFACE: LASER RESURFACING
Laser skin resurfacing smoothes out surface wrinkles and fat injection replenishes lost fat under the skin, restoring fullness. A facelift alone restores tone by taking up the slack in the facial skin. To use an analogy, a facelift is like pulling up the bedspread, laser resurfacing irons it out and fat injection is the comforter. As you might imagine, a facelift pulls up the cheeks but does not affect the upper lip. These vertical lip lines are smoothed with the laser.
REFILL: FAT INJECTION
To provide youthful facial fullness, fat transfer is the key. The successful integration of fat injection with face-lifting is an important advance in facial rejuvenation. However, this is still done by only a minority of plastic surgeons.
