An increasing number of people today undergo a facelift in Houston not only to look younger but because of the longevity of the results. However this increased popularity brings with it many questions connected with this elective surgical procedure.
So here are some answers to the 5 most frequent questions, as presented by Houston plastic surgeon Dr. Mark A. Schusterman.
1. What exactly is a facelift?
A facelift is also called a rhytidectomy, a superficial facial surgery that helps fix sagging and loose skin. The surgeon lifts off skin from the face and tightens and repositions muscles and tissues below the surface so that you look refreshed and natural but not different.
2. Who are the best candidates?
The patients who benefit most from this surgery have good general health and physical fitness, normal body weight, do not abuse alcohol and drugs and have wrinkled and sagging skin with some remained elasticity. These people are generally non-smokers, aged between 40 and 60 years and it is the women who give better results than men.
3. What does it treat and does not treat?
Facelift is performed to treat various cosmetic conditions like excess fat at neck, loose facial skin, lower eyelid creases, sagging cheeks, excess skin at the jaw line, creases around the lower lip and chin and visible neck vertical bands.
It however does not help treat superficial wrinkles, creases around the nose, sun damage, skin colour irregularities and creases on the upper lip. Moreover, it does not help change the quality of your facial skin. You need to undergo additional skin-resurfacing procedures to treat wrinkled and sun damaged skin.
The effects of a facelift are however not permanent. Its continued aging affects facial skin and leads to eventual sagging. Even sun damage ages the skin.
4. Any recent changes made to facelift procedures?
The recent changes to this surgery include treating a younger group of women and men and limited use of endoscopic and less invasive techniques, especially while treating the upper face like forehead and eyebrows, to minimize the incisions around the ears.
5. What are the differences between a facelift, brow lift, eye lift and mini facelift?
A standard or traditional facelift involves major surgery for tightening the skin on entire face and takes 3-6 hours, if done with a brow or eye lift. An incision is made at the hairline from temples downwards to end behind the ear at lower hairline. In some cases, an additional incision is also required under the chin for accessing neck region.
The mini facelift is a minor surgical procedure performed on the cheeks, neck and jaw line to tackle the neck and lower third of the face. It can be completed in 2 hours time using 3 or more incisions. It is also sometimes done to refresh a previous facelift.
A brow lift is done to correct drooping eyebrows, sagging forehead skin and upper eyelids. It helps reduce the horizontal forehead lines or furrows within 1 to 3 hours’ time.
An eye lift is also called a blepharoplasty and is used for treating the upper, lower or both eyelids and for removing sagging and excess skin on the upper lids. Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) also helps reduce bags under eyes and is the most common additional procedure doe with a traditional face lift.
