3 issues that facelift can address – and 3 that it can’t
Facelift Kogarah Miranda Sydney
As people age, people commonly develop a number of different visible signs of aging. At first, many people may choose to address this with dermal fillers, laser skin resurfacing, and other nonsurgical methods. However, when the signs of aging get more severe, then some people start to consider a surgical facelift, which tends to offer more dramatic results.
There are certain issues that surgical facelifts are great at addressing, and other issues that they’re not really meant for. In order to have realistic expectations, it’s important to be realistic about what a facelift can and can’t do. Here are three common cosmetic concerns that facelifts are effective for.
Concerns that facelift may be effective for
1. Loose or sagging skin along the jawline
The structure of the skin is mainly provided by the proteins collagen and elastin. Although the cells of the body can certainly synthesize these proteins, over time, the levels begin to decline. The body doesn’t make enough collagen and elastin to replace what’s being lost. As a result, the skin loses its taut appearance and begins to sag. Many people find themselves with “jowls,” or loose and sagging skin along the jawline.
During a facelift, the surgeon makes incisions at the sides of the face (around the ear). The surgeon then carefully tightens the tissues of the face, including the skin. Deposits of fatty tissue along the jawline can be removed, and the skin of this area will be tightened, resulting in a more defined contour of the jawline.
2. Sagging appearance of the cheeks
Similarly, many people find that the skin of the cheeks begins to sag and droop as they age. A facelift addresses this issue. The surgeon will reshape and lift the tissues beneath the skin, which may also have experienced sagging during the aging process. Then the skin will be tightened, addressing the issue of drooping cheeks.
Additionally, there is often a lost volume of the cheeks as people age. While the facelift itself doesn’t add back lost volume, some people benefit from having fat injected deep into the cheeks to restore volume. This fat is usually taken from the lower tummy or inner thighs.
3. Deepening of the nasolabial folds
The nasolabial folds run from the sides of the nose to the corners of the mouth. As people age, these folds of skin may become deeper. This is a result of the loss of collagen and elastin, along with repeated muscle movements, which tend to deepen these grooves little by little. By tightening the tissues of the lower face, facelifts are able to smooth out this area.
3 issues that facelift can’t address
While there’s a lot that a facelift can accomplish, it’s important to be realistic about what it can and can’t accomplish. Here are three issues that a facelift is not the best solution for.
1. Superficial skin concerns
It’s important to realize what a facelift can and can’t do. If you have concerns about sun damage, superficial wrinkles, fine lines, or textural changes to the skin, then a facelift may not be the right procedure for you. A facelift targets deeper grooves and sagging skin on the face. For more superficial concerns, a treatment like a laser skin resurfacing or a chemical peel may be more appropriate. There’s no reason that you can’t have both a facelift and a skin resurfacing procedure, in order to provide complete rejuvenation of the face.
2. Sagging or excess tissue in the neck
If you have sagging skin or excess fat in the neck area, then the facelift procedure itself will not address this issue. However, it’s very common to add a neck lift to a facelift in order to provide complete rejuvenation of the appearance. This allows your surgeon to target loose skin both at the jawline and on the neck. A neck lift usually involves an incision underneath the chin. It is a slightly longer procedure and a slightly longer recovery.
3. Grooves and wrinkles on the forehead
Facelifts are also not focused on the skin of the forehead. Instead, the facelift targets the midface and the lower face. If you have concerns about the forehead, then you may want to consider anti-wrinkle injections or maybe a brow lift, which is a separate procedure. This can be added to a facelift during a single operating session, to address all of the parts of the face at once.
Facelift Kogarah Miranda Sydney
If you’d like to discuss your options for facial rejuvenation, we invite you to schedule a consultation with A/Prof Marucci. As an associate professor of plastic surgery at the University of Sydney, Dr. Marucci stays up-to-date on the latest research and techniques for performing facelifts and other surgical procedures, which allows him to get the best possible results for his patients. To book your appointment, please contact our office.
