Facelift Options
May 20, 2013
Many women and men begin to notice signs of facial aging in their late thirties and early forties. While a full facelift to tighten sagging skin and address deeper skin folds and wrinkles may not be appropriate for the middle-aged patient, there are plastic surgery procedure alternatives that can offer a dramatic and age-appropriate result.
With a traditional, full facelift the skin of the mid and lower face, along with that of the neck is tightened to reveal a more defined jawline and lift the jowls and sagging skin of the neck. The incision is typically made around the contours and behind the ear, so that it is carefully disguised and usually undetectable by others (except maybe your hairstylist). Often, men and women that have lost fat in their faces perform fat grafting to the cheeks at the same time for a plumper, more youthful, and natural result.
Variations to a facelift include a mid-facelift to correct sagging jowls of the jawline and deeper creases of the nasal labial folds (or marionette lines) and a necklift, which pulls back the sagging skin of the neck. Sometimes liposuction of the submental, or under chin area, combined with a necklift helps to reduce the thickness of the neck and diminish a double chin. All of these facial plastic surgery procedures are usually performed under a general anesthetic supervised by an anesthesiologist, a medical doctor of anesthesia, in an accredited surgical center, like WestHealth in Plymouth.
Facial surgeries, such as a facelift or necklift, should only be performed by a board certified plastic surgeon, specifically one that is also board certified as a facial plastic surgeon, like Dr. John A. Ness of Minnesota, by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery or ABFPRS, which means that they spent extra time training out of medical school to provide optimal safety and comfort.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons advises that you do your homework when selecting your board-certified plastic surgeon, check their credentials, view their before and after photo gallery, and meet with more than one plastic surgeon to choose a partner that will help you meet your improvement goals.
