The facelift
What a facelift restores
A facelift, also known as a rhytidectomy, is a surgical method which enhances your appearance by tightening and firming the skin on your face and neck. Results can last over ten years, making facelifts a more desirable choice than injections for many individuals. As a surgical procedure which fights the undesirable effects of aging and gravity, a facelift will help you regain a youthful appearance and restore confidence. In general, a facelift will make skin more elastic and improve many areas of your face and neck by:
- Decreasing the look of mid face drooping
- Improving facial definition
- Tightening skin, muscle and tissue
- Restoring a rested appearance of the eyes
- Improving the look of muscle tone in the lower face
- Reducing the appearance of fatty deposits around the jaw and chin
- Diminishing the look of a double chin
In some cases, a facelift can take a decade or more off your face; however, results will vary with each individual. In addition to turning back the process of aging, a facelift can address effects caused by pollution, smoking, heredity and sun exposure. Facelifts are once again becoming increasingly popular in American society, and are often used in conjunction with other facial plastic surgery procedures such as medical microdermabrasion and skin rejuvenation, laser resurfacing and chemical and glycolic peels to achieve maximum benefits and to best enhance the look of beautiful skin.
Candidates
Who makes a good candidate?
If you wish to improve the look of sagging or tiredness in your face, a facelift may be ideal for you. Facelifts are most common for individuals in their 40s through 60s, but success is seen in younger and older patients as well. Generally, individuals with well defined bone structures, such as a strong jawline, and those who are healthy mentally and physically, are excellent candidates.
The procedure
How a facelift is performed
The facelift has evolved throughout the years, and there are many variations in the procedure. Your doctor will discuss exactly what will be done during your facelift and can show you where the work will be done. Full facelifts are surgical and will require anesthesia while your surgeon completes the procedure. Incisions will be made on your face, usually around the ears, and in a place that will blend easily with your natural facial creases. Finally, the facelift is performed, which includes “lifting” deeper areas of the face.
Neck lifts
The neck, lifted
A neck lift is a procedure that beautifies the look of your neck. A number of treatments are considered “neck lifts” and vary in intensity, from office appointment procedures to more invasive procedures performed with anesthesia. A neck lift can help enhance your appearance, whether you are not satisfied with the look of your neck due to weight loss or simply due to genetics and age. In fact, for many people, the neck is the first place where the skin begins to show the effects of aging. Loose skin and excess fat are usually the causes of undesirable neck appearance, which is greatly improved by a neck lift. A neck lift may be performed in addition to other facial plastic surgery procedures that you and your doctor deem safe and beneficial. Some basic neck lift procedures include:
- Removal of excess fat (liposuction)
- Removal of excess skin (cervicoplasty)
- Tightening or removal of neck muscles (platysmaplasty)
- Increasing fullness
- Reducing the look of bands
In some cases Botox® injections are used to achieve these results. Botox® injections can increase the look of fullness as well as decrease the look of bands around the neck. Typically, Botox® is injected into the neck muscle called the platysma, which is responsible for the bands starting at your chin and going down to your neck. Botox® injections can be administered in your doctor’s office as a relatively fast in-office procedure.
Neck lifts are performed on people of many ages who are healthy physically and mentally. Individuals as young as teenagers may receive neck lifts at a specialist’s discretion, but the typical age of a neck lift patient is between 30 and 70 years old. Your doctor will help you determine what types of realistic results a neck lift may have for you. In general, a neck lift will improve the look for individuals with the following concerns:
- Neck bands
- Excess fat
- Excess skin
Results
Subtle, healthier, younger
Of course, the outcome of any procedure will vary with the individual. A neck lift will usually improve your overall appearance in a subtle way, making you look healthier and younger, and allowing your jaw and chin to look more defined.
