Facelift
Trying to maintain a youthful facial appearance or even trying to turn back the hands of time a bit seems like such an appealing thought to most of us. Facelift surgery, however, often sounds like such a daunting procedure. Most patients are wary of looking “operated on” and would rather just appear more rested and natural. The good news is that this is precisely the philosophy at Wake Plastic Surgery and such results can be obtained.
Why choose Wake Plastic Surgery?
Our surgeons use several facelift techniques based on the specific needs of each patient. But with all facelifts, we utilize tumescent solution at the beginning of the surgery. We have found that the tumescent solution (instead of just dilute local anesthesia) has been the single biggest advancement in facelift surgery in our practice. The large volume of tumescent fluid serves to dramatically reduce the amount of bleeding seen during the surgery as well as increasing the thickness of the SMAS layer which used to be difficult to separate from the underlying facial structures. Because of the tumescent solution technique, the surgery takes much less time to complete and the recovery is dramatically less with most patients seeing little if any bruising after 1 week.
Our Facelift ResultsWhat areas of the face are improved with the procedure?
Notice how the midface and cheek tissue have been elevated into a more youthful position.
Midface and Malar Fat Pad
An effective facelift surgery addresses the midface and returns the cheek volume back to its youthful origin just under the eyes. This tissue is called the malar fatpad and it can be identified and elevated with permanent sutures to recreate the “apple” of the cheek.
The jawline is better defined now that the SMAS tissue has been effectively elevated, changing the overall shape of the face from more boxy to more angulated.
Jowls
As the cheek tissue descends over time, the tissue begins to drape over the mandible or jawbone. Dr. Stoeckel eliminates the “jowls” and improves the jawline. This is not accomplished by pulling the skin overly tight (which is often the cause of the wind-swept appearance that should be avoided) but rather by tightening the tissue below the skin called the SMAS.
The neck is more attractive because the cervicomental angle has been deepened.
Neck and platysma
Almost all good facelifts require something done to the neck to achieve complete facial rejuvenation. The neck typically requires adjustments to the platysma muscle. Tightening of this muscle with or without liposuction can dramatically improve the shape of the neck and the transition of the chin and neck tissue called the cervicomental angle.
This patient has undergone complete facial rejuvenation with a face and neck lift along with eyelid lift surgery.
Eyelids
Facelift surgery is often combined with eyelid surgery in order to address the entire face as a whole. Doing so can result in a dramatic, but natural, enhancement of an already beautiful face.
How difficult is the recovery?
There is surprisingly minimal pain associated with facelift surgery. There used to be notable bruising and swelling for almost all patients, but with the newly utilized tumescent solution technique, most patients actually see little if any bruising after the first week. Most patients are very presentable in public after just the first week, but the end results are not seen for up to 3 months.
How long do the results last?
Face and neck lift results are variable from patient to patient. We tell our patients that the procedure will reverse the clock, but it does not stop the clock. If someone appears to be 10 years younger after their facelift, it will probably take about 10 years to return to the starting appearance.
Can I get good results with a “quick lift”, “thread lift”, “lifestyle lift”, or “lunchtime lift” ?
Not all facelifts are the same. This is such an important fact that everyone needs to understand. If the procedure that catches your interest is advertised on an infomercial that suggests that it can be completed on your lunchtime break, you probably need to keep looking for a better answer. There are very predictable and constant changes that happen to each of us as we age. And there is a natural and predictable way to treat those aging patterns, but it does involve a significant surgical procedure with real risks and real down time… but with very effective results.
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