Miami Cosmetic Surgery

Facelifts can fail for several reasons. The most common reason is loss of elasticity of the skin.  No matter how well the surgery has done, if the skin type and quality is poor, the skin will likely sag again. However, if the skin quality is adequate and there is good elasticity, the facelift, when done properly, should have a good result.

A stem cell facelift refers the injection of platelet rich plasma in several areas of the face. I do not perform this procedure because it has not been proven to work.

Well, I am sorry that you are going through this. This is highly uncommon and not  associated with a facelift. The one exception is if you had a browlift.  Browlifts can sometimes be associated with  headaches. However, you make no note of having had a browlift with the facelift  in your question. I will therefore recommend that you pay a visit to your  primary care physician. It is possible that your headache be caused by  something else than the surgery.

Posted by Dr. Bustillo

The Serdev Suture midface lift is a type of midface lift that is performed by using sutures to elevate the malar fat pad. This is done in a minimally invasive technique, by passing the sutures through the skin and using them to elevate the tissues.  My opinion regarding the use of sutures alone to elevate the facial tissues is that they do not work. Too often, I have seen patients that underwent these "lunch-time" lifts, which worked only for several days. Studies have been done and published which prove that these procedures do not work.

Posted by Dr. Bustillo

I think the answer is fillers, as you are too young for a facelift and facelifts do not add volume to the face. There are several fillers on the market that can be used to add volume. I look at several factors when choosing filler. The first is the location where the volume needs to be added and the second is the skin thickness. In general, I choose hyaluronic acid fillers, such as Restylane for mild to moderate nasolabial folds and the tear troughs. For thin skin and moderate nasolabial folds, I prefer the filler Perlane, which also a hyaluronic filler. For thick skin or cheek augmentation, I prefer Radiesse. This is a calcium-based filler, which works great in patients that need cheek augmentation.

Over the past several months I have seen several patients, in their early forties that have asked me about undergoing a facelift procedure. While, I do not believe that age is the determining factor for a facelift, I do think that for most patients, this is a little early. My criteria for performing a facelift are really how the aging process has affected the particular individual. In any case, there are some, albeit very few, females in their early forties that need a facelift. In fact, most of these patients can be treated adequately with a necklift. To answer the question about the thinning of skin and facelifting, I believe that having one facelift will not thin the skin. The thinning of the skin can occur when the patient has multiple facelifts. Again, another reason to wait having a facelift until you really need it. Posted by Dr. Bustillo

This is a question that I am frequently asked by patients. The lower facelift procedure is performed when the patient wants an improvement in the neck and lower face. This procedure improved the jowls and the excessive neck laxity. Usually, this is a SMAS-type procedure, where the SMAS is used to elevate the neck and lower face. The midface lift is performed when the patient wishes to improve the midface, or cheeks. As the face ages, the area known as the midface begins to descend. This can be seen with the deepening of the nasolabial folds. The procedure is performed via an incision in the temporal area. The procedure can be combined with lower facelift to achieve a rejuvenation of the entire face. Posted by Dr. Bustillo

Well, congratulations on making the decision to have your facelift done. I recommend all patient to start using a retinol-based skin therapy and continue with it…forever. Retinol is the most important vitamin for the skin. It is the only skin treatment that has actually be proven to reduce wrinkles and prevent new wrinkles from forming. Retinol acts inside the skin cells to improve cell turnover. This in turn provides for a constant "peel" and makes the actual skin thicker. These two things will make the skin appear healthier. There are two concerns with retinol that I should talk about. One is that pregnant women should not use it. The other is that patients should not have sun exposure during retinol treatment. They should therefore use sunblock daily. Posted by Dr. Bustillo

I am sorry that you son fell, but it seems he is fine except for some scaring. He is definitely too young for a facelift procedure. However, what he may benefit from is a scar revision procedure. Scar revision is a procedure that is performed to improve the appearance of scars. The procedure involves removing the scar and then closing the incision in a way that makes the scar less visible. The specific technique that is used depends on the location and the orientation of the scar. For example, sometimes a Z-plasty or a geometric broken line closure is used. Patients that undergo scar revision are usually very happy with the results.

Posted by Dr. Bustillo

Twilight sleep is a very popular option for patients undergoing the facelift procedure. This anesthesia consists of providing medications via an IV to put the patient asleep. The patient is basically “asleep” and the surgeon begins the procedure. The patient is not intubated, meaning that he or she will breath on his or her own. The other two options are local anesthesia and general anesthesia. Local anesthesia is a very safe option and one that I enjoy. I have the patient take oral medication to relax and then proceed with applying local anesthetic. Patients are very comfortable and find this a very pleasant option to have their surgery. The third option is general anesthesia. This involves putting the patient asleep and intubating him or her. The risk of general anesthesia is the same as IV sedation, meaning that it is not "more dangerous than IV sedation." I strongly believe that patients should be given all options. The surgeon, anesthesiologist, and the patient should decide together which is the best and safest option for the patient.

Posted by Dr. Bustillo