What’s So Special About a Facelift?

For much of the history of cosmetic surgery, the facelift has been the gold standard when it comes to facial rejuvenation. However, the development of the wide variety of non-surgical treatments has been a game-changer for millions of men and women around the world. Why undergo a surgical facelift when you can get Botox to lift the brow or Kybella to melt away unwanted double-chin fat? Believe it or not, there are reasons to move more slowly when kicking the idea of a facelift to the curb. Here, we will outline 3 of the common concerns that are corrected with facelift surgery.

Droopy Jowls

The onset of sagging at the jaw line can be an eye-opening experience. Once the definition has been lost to pockets of fat, it is hard not to notice every time you look in the mirror. The accumulation of volume at the jaw line, called jowls, occurs over time as elasticity continually decreases across the entire face. Without adequate structural integrity, i.e. toned facial muscles and tissues, volume naturally falls from its original position of the mid-face to the lower face. To correct this issue, the facelift procedure releases the mandible ligament to remove and tighten tissue as needed across the jaw line.

Submental Fullness

The accumulation of volume that results from lax connective tissue and skin does not end at the jaw line. In many cases, it extends just below. Many people know this as the dreaded double chin. Submental fullness recently gained a foe in Kybella. However, the purpose of this injectable solution is only to cause fat cells to die off; there is very little, skin-tightening that occurs after the fat has melted away. Skin elasticity is a large factor in deciding whether Kybella will be a beneficial option for a patient. For a patient with very little skin elasticity or with multiple submittal fullness concerns, a facelift may be a better option.

Flat Cheeks

The volume that now resides in the jowls and that double chin came from somewhere, and that would be your cheeks. This is why so many of the signs of aging seem to develop simultaneously. They don’t really, but it sure can feel that way when your cheeks flatten out and the lower part of your face gains fullness in a short matter of time. As the superficial muscular structure beneath the skin gets redraped, the contouring of the cheeks is restored. We can maximize the effect of fat injections or dermal fillers.

Learn how your Nashville area cosmetic surgeons, Dr. Konrad Sarosiek and Dr. John Moore can help you refresh your facial aesthetic by calling (615) 771-7718.