It’s Me Again®
The face is the first betrayer of aging, with time, gravity, sun exposure and the stresses of daily life writing their history in deep forehead, eye and mouth creases, a slackened jaw line and fat deposits on the neck. A rhytidectomy, commonly known as a Face Lift, counteracts these problems by removing fat and tightening skin and muscles to restore the youthful glow of your facial features.
There are many different variations of the facelift procedure with outcomes that are reliable and long-lasting in smoothing the skin of the face and neck; tightening the underlying tissues and muscle; and removing excess skin.
The Face Lift procedure usually involves incisions in front of and behind the ear, which may extend into the scalp. Once the incisions are made, the deeper layers of the face are “lifted,” muscles are tightened and liposuction of the neck and jowls may be performed. Excess skin is either removed or repositioned.
A full facelift may be more than what you need to reflect the true beauty of your youth. A Mini Facelift, or a S-Lift, uses a narrow “S” shaped incision in the section of skin from the area forward of your ear. The skin is lifted, tightened and the underlying muscles and tissues are repositioned and excess fat and tissue is removed.
If the areas beneath the chin do not require lifting, but you need smoothening of the areas around your nose, eyes and mouth, a Mid-face Lift surgery might be right for you. The procedure uses two small incisions within the hairline to lift and adjust the fat and muscle tissue, pulling up the middle of the face to smooth and tighten the skin, and has no visible scars and a reduced recovery time.
Is a Face Lift Right for You?
A full Face Lift can give the appearance of turning back the hands of time if you are an older patient experiencing general sagging and wrinkles of the face, jaw and neck. The Mid-face Lift is particularly effective if you are seeking cheek elevation when the neck and areas beneath the chin do not require lifting. The S-Lift is particularly well-suited if you are middle-aged or younger and can make a dramatic change in the way you look by tightening sagging muscles and skin of the cheeks, chin and neck.
A Face Lift may be an option for you if:
- you desire a more youthful facial appearance
- you are experiencing sagging facial skin
- you have excess facial fat and facial fat displacements
- you have creases under the lower eyelids and along the nose and mouth (often referred to as “laughlines”)
- you have loose skin under the chin and jaw
Dr. Ruthie will help you make the final decision on whether a Face Lift is right for you; however, the best candidates are physically and psychologically healthy men and women, usually over age 40, who have realistic expectations about the benefits and limitations of the procedure. It is not advised for younger adults to seek Face Lifts unless they have loose or excess skin that makes them appear older.
Your Visit with Dr. Ruthie
During your consultation, Dr. Ruthie will examine your facial bone structure and your underlying skin structure, thickness, texture and elasticity, as well as the extent of your facial wrinkles and folds that would be corrected. She will determine which type of Face Lift would be most suitable to meet your expressed goals.
You should come to the consultation prepared to discuss your medical history, including information about any medical conditions, drug allergies, medical treatments you have received, previous surgeries and any medications you currently take. Men and women who lead unhealthy lifestyles are not good candidates for a Face Lift. The risks and side effects of Face Lift surgery are heightened in patients who smoke, have hypertension and/or have diabetes. If you have these health issues or smoke, you should discuss this with Dr. Ruthie.