Our face can say a lot. About experienced sorrows, joys, about our way of life, about our habits. The face is a reflection of the life lived, former emotions. Unfortunately, over the years, our appearance does not always change for the better – the blush turns pale, the nasolabial folds become sharper, the skin fades, loses its elasticity and smoothness. It would seem that everything is of course, and aging is the most natural process in the world, invented by nature … But why not meet the heyday of your life, your wisdom and maturity with a beautiful, young face that does not betray our life experience? Moreover, now more and more often you can meet both women and men who use the achievements of plastic surgeons in facial contouring.
A facelift eliminates the most visible signs of aging. During life, the soft tissues of the face and cervical zone undergo quite natural changes, but the skin relief worsens, the facial contour becomes less clear, the sagging of tissues (eyebrows, eyelids, cheeks) increases, the nasolabial and infraorbital furrows become pronounced, the clarity of the cervical- chin angle. Why contemplate all these outstanding phenomena of our life experience?
There are two large groups of facelift methods – surgical and non-surgical. If we compare them, we can say that the surgical one is more traumatic and requires a longer postoperative period, but at the same time, if a person sets out to carry out a radical face correction with a long and lasting effect, then this method will be most effective.
Non-surgical facelift
Non-surgical facelift allows you to increase the elasticity of the skin, tighten and smooth it, but the key to the positive effect of this method is its periodic repetition, which is not very convenient for patients.
Therapeutic (non-surgical) lifting methods include non-traumatic peeling methods (using peeling serums with drugs that stimulate collagen production), radiofrequency lifting, in which the skin contracts independently under the influence of radio wave frequencies to the extent required by the patient. Combining them with cosmeceuticals helps to make these procedures more effective.
Surgical facelift
Surgical lifting is carried out both over the entire face (circular facial plastic surgery) and on certain areas of the face (isolated forehead and neck plastic surgery). Elimination of bags under the eyes (blepharoplasty) is also considered a fairly popular procedure. At the same time, excess skin is removed from the upper and lower eyelids, the operation is performed under anesthesia, and a special type of cosmetic sutures is used to close tissue incisions.
Surgical lifting is divided into several types. Firstly, rhytidectomy (removal of excess skin), which implies the least trauma and quick recovery. The disadvantage of this method is the short-term effect and the need for periodic repetition of the procedure, which is fraught with skin tightening. Secondly, endoscopic lifting, in which the subcutaneous tissues of the face (muscles, ligaments) are tightened, and the skin is not removed (or removed slightly), but shrinks over time.
Facelift is mainly indicated for women and men after 40 years, when the most pronounced age-related changes occur with the skin, but its properties still allow surgical manipulations without fear for the postoperative period.
As with any other operation, there are a number of contraindications, which include the presence of oncological and cardiovascular diseases, blood clotting disorders, and infectious diseases.
Preoperative preparation of the patient includes refusal (about two weeks before surgical procedures) from drugs that affect blood clotting (the list of them will need to be discussed with the attending physician), holding a fasting day the day before surgery, refusing to eat on the preoperative morning.
A surgical facelift is a lengthy procedure, sometimes taking about five hours, so doctors perform general anesthesia (inhalation anesthesia), but shorter operations can be performed under local anesthesia. This question is additionally discussed directly with the attending physician.
During endoscopic lifting, the surgeon performs all manipulations using a fiber-optic endoscope. To do this, about 5 micro-incisions are made on the scalp, through which an endoscopic video system is passed under the skin. The advantages of this type of facial plastic surgery are obvious – the operation is carried out on an outpatient basis, a shortened recovery time, minimal skin incisions and sutures, a minimal risk of nerve damage, and a reduction in edema and bruising.
After any surgical intervention, some complications are likely. The most likely of them are swelling and bruising, temporary hair loss in the area of incisions (subsequently restored on their own), some pigmentation on sensitive skin, which disappears within six months.
Puffiness after the operation subsides within two months, and objective results can be observed after 5-10 months. During the rehabilitation period, surgeons and cometologists suggest using a number of procedures that accelerate lymph and blood circulation, improve the quality of scars. These include magnetotherapy, ultrasound therapy, laser therapy, mesotherapy, microcurrent therapy, lymphatic drainage massage, photorejuvenation. These cosmetic measures are also recommended as a prevention of recurrent tissue ptosis and deep wrinkles.
A facelift gives an effect for about ten years (depending on the characteristics of the skin and the way it is cared for), after it wrinkles are straightened, the oval of the face improves. The patient looks younger and more well-groomed.
