Facelift Surgery - Is it Worth it?
What’s wrong with most facelifts?
The vast majority of facelifts are skin lifts. That is – using the same incisions that are common to all techniques. The skin is timidly elevated in front of the ear, and the cheek mass is pulled upward using the skin as a handle. This technique is popular because it’s simple and recovery is very fast. There is only one problem. Skin is like taffy. It stretches when pulled and only too often can give your face an over-stretched look.
There is a better way.
Under the skin of the face there are deep supporting structures called fascia. Their job is to hold things in place so your face retains it general shape. By definition, these layers do not stretch. If the deep supporting structure is used as the handle to lift the cheek, two good things happen. First, the lift is much more solid and long lasting. The skin is not pulled under unnatural tension so you don’t look “stretched.” That’s the good news. The bad news is that this is a more extensive procedure and results in a longer recovery.
With a standard deep plane facelift instead of looking better at two weeks, it will take four to six weeks. Unfortunately, a facelift is like everything else in life. If you want more, you have to put more into it – meaning, you have to be patient. Dr. Lowe’s advice for looking your best longer is to do a facelift LESS OFTEN and MORE THOROUGHLY.
How do I keep from looking “weird?”
To get through a Facelift safely is medical science; the way you look is pure art. It’s not like shopping for a fancy car because a car is the same product at each dealership. The difference with a car is merely price and service. Not so with art. In any museum with fine paintings, the only elements the paintings have in common are canvass and paint. After all, they are different based on the style and skill of the artist. The same is true of facelifts regardless of the technique. Every surgeon’s artistic approach is different and each patient is a new canvass. The artistic goal is not to remove every line from a face. While a perfectly smooth face might look good in still photography, it looks like a mask in real life without passion or personality. Dr. Lowe’s goal is to make each patient look good without looking like a different person.
What should I expect from a facelift or mini-facelift?
Each patient’s clinical situation and concerns are different. The patient should talk to a board certified Plastic Surgeon about the length of the operation and the recovery. In many cases, patients who undergo these procedures feel comfortable returning to work within a week. Patients may combine this procedure with other operations that may lengthen recovery. It is important for patients to address all their concerns during the course of the clinical consultation with the Dr. James Lowe.
