Facelift surgery as an aesthetic procedure to regain youthful appearance of the face has been around for some time and has also gained considerable popularity, especially among women.
However, as technologies continue to develop, the traditional facelift method has also undergone a few changes. New techniques have developed to further increase the effectiveness of the procedure and to minimize the risk of complications. At the same time, separate and supplemental surgical techniques are also often clubbed together with traditional facelift procedure to get overall better results.
In this article, we will talk briefly about some of these new surgical techniques and how they differ from or combine with traditional facelift procedures.
New and Supplemental Surgical Methods
Some of these new procedures involve some modifications on the traditional facelift method. For example, the neck-lift procedure (used to cut down the fat under the chin and around the neck) has adopted the use of lasers and is now called laser neck-and-jaw resurfacing and liposculpture.
Local anesthetic is applied to perform this procedure. A small incision (1-inch in diameter) is made under the chin and the laser beam enters through the incision to melt some of the chin and upper neck fat while also tightening the skin around the area. This process also ensures that the skin worked upon heals faster and in a more lifted manner compared to traditional facelift method used for this purpose.
Then, we now have liposuction which is highly effective in removing focal deposits of fat especially from the lower part of the face—from around the jaw line and lower. One can choose liposuction to be done separately or as part of the facelift procedure.
We now also have the Mini-Facelift procedure (a less invasive technique) which is considered ideal for patients who only show a mild degree of sagging and loosening skin. The procedure is performed through smaller (S-shaped) incisions made largely around the ear of a person. However, for this reason, the mini-facelift method is not too good at addressing excess skin or neck sagging issues. On the other hand, there is less scarring with mini-facelift and the recovery time is also faster compared to traditional facelift. The costs of Mini-facelift are also considerably less than those of a traditional facelift.
Other emerging techniques include endoscopy and forehead skin raise. The latter works by making a number of small incisions along the frontal hairline of a person. Once incisions have been made, the forehead skin is lifted and is attached to the deeper tissues lying at the back of the frontal hairline. This way, the further dropping or sagging of the forehead skin is prevented.
As for Endoscopy, this technique is commonly used for brow and face lifts. The technology involves use of small cameras that are able to make really tiny incisions. And this not only results in faster recovery but also means that the worked-upon tissues suffer from less trauma.
People nowadays often prefer to combine these and other facial procedures with a traditional facelift session.
Ready to take that first step? Contact Dr. William M. Jacobsen today for a consultation.
