The cheeks descend, deepening the Nasolabial Folds, forming jowls and distorting the jaw line. The neck skin wrinkles and neck muscles becomes lax.
Rhytidectomy, or a Facelift, can help "set the clock back" a number of years by tightening underlying facial and neck muscles, elevating the sagging structures, re-draping the facial skin, and removing its excess skin. In the hands of a skilled plastic surgeon, you can once again look as good as you feel. Rhytidectomy or Facelift actually refers to a group of procedures designed to treat the aging face and neck. These procedures won't make you look "different" as much as they'll reverse the aging process to make you look more refreshed and rejuvenated.
Contrary to the popular belief, a Facelift does not just revive the face, but it also restores the contour and tightness of the neck.
Rhytidectomy/Facelift Candidates
Men and women who are considering Rhytidectomy or Facelift surgery are troubled by a variety of their aging facial features such as:
Nasolabial Folds — the deep lines or folds that run from the corner of the nose to the corner of the mouth.
Loss of a well-defined jaw line or the development of "jowls".
Sagging of the "highlight" areas of the cheekbones and deep wrinkles in the cheeks.
Loose hanging skin folds, wrinkles, vertical "cords" or excess fatty tissue in the neck, also known as "turkey neck".
The factors that contribute to a successful Facelift outcome vary between individuals. Your skin type and elasticity, the degree of sun damage, whether you are a smoker will all have an impact on the outcome of your surgery.
Many plastic surgeons consider the ideal candidate to be a non-smoking middle-aged woman, with a strong underlying bone structure and a minimal amount of fatty tissue. Likewise, those who are very overweight, who suffer from chronic sun damage and who have very thick or very thin skin are less likely to have an optimal result.
In addition to those who have strong bone structure, the best Facelift candidates are men and women whose face and neck show signs of sagging, but whose skin is still elastic. Because of this, it is not wise to wait until your early sixties to have your Facelift. By that time you would have lost more skin elasticity as well as facial volume, which makes it more difficult to achieve an optimal and lasting result. Therefore, most men and women elect to have Facelift surgery in their late forties and up to late fifties. However Rhytidectomies are still successfully performed on people in their seventies and eighties as well.
There is a trend to pursue a more proactive approach to Facial Rejuvenation by having less dramatic procedures performed at an earlier age, from the late thirties to early forties, to maintain a youthful appearance. These procedures include Mid-Facelift, Mini-Facelift, Thread-Lift, Temporal Lift, and endoscopic Forehead Lift. Meanwhile, people are also taking better care of their skin by using sun blocks, avoiding facial tanning, and using laser as well as other modes of skin resurfacing and tightening.
Men and women who are active smokers, are on major blood thinners, and have serious medical conditions that are not under control should not have Facelift. Since Facelift is a major surgery that would have lasting results on the way others perceive you, you should be at a stable stage in your life when you feel very secure and psychologically balanced before pursuing such endeavor. And finally, you should have spent ample time considering your options and have a realistic sense of what can be possibly achieved with a Facelift, in your particular case. |
