Getting older can be tough on your appearance. You may start noticing your skin isn’t as tight and smooth as you remember, or that you have wrinkles around your mouth, or that you are developing jowls around your chin and neck. Seeing how your face changes with age is often disheartening and discouraging. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Facelift surgery is a fantastic way to turn back the clock and bring youthful energy back into your appearance.
What Does a Facelift Do?
A lot of people think that a facelift involves pulling your skin up from around your forehead to tighten your face. In fact, a facelift deals more with the lower half of your face, pretty much everything from under your nose to your neck. It is best suited to people who have an excess of loose skin around these areas. Facelifts can also be used to remove fat deposits that have migrated away from the face towards the chin and neck, reduce lines and wrinkles around the mouth, tighten muscles around the cheeks and neck, and improve the definition of the jaw line.
How Does a Facelift Work?
In a typical facelift procedure, the surgeon uses incisions made in discreet places near the ear and hairline to move fat deposits back into your cheeks or remove them completely, repair or tighten muscles that have descended or loosened, and remove extra skin tissue. The skin around the face and neck is then lifted to the incisions and secured in place.
Not every facelift patient has all of this done or even needs all of this done. People age in different ways and have their own individual faces, so this procedure can’t be performed the same way on everybody. A well-qualified and experienced plastic surgeon will customize a patient’s facelift to match their specific needs so they can get the best results.
Types of Facelifts
There are different variations on the facelift procedure that are available at Dr. Bustillo’s office in southern Florida, which also helps him provide individual treatment plans to his patients. These include the deep plane facelift, the nonsurgical facelift, and the neck lift, in addition to the traditional procedure.
- Deep plane facelift – This version of the facelift involves repairing not only the soft tissue in the face, but also its underlying muscle structure. Muscles feel the effects of aging just like your skin; they become looser and begin to separate from each other, which contributes to a sagging appearance in your face and neck. The deep plane facelift lifts the muscles and the fibrous tissue surrounding them back into place on the cheeks so your skin will be smoother and tighter. This lift also brings the fat pad located in your cheeks back into position if it has descended into your jaw line. It gives you better contouring and definition across your entire face by making your cheeks fuller and younger looking.
- Nonsurgical facelift – For patients who don’t need a full surgery but could still use a boost in their face, a nonsurgical facelift can help. This technique uses dermal fillers and injectables to smooth out wrinkles, hydrate your skin, and add some volume to your cheeks and chin to improve contouring. There are different options available, but this usually involves using Botox or Dysport as well as Juvederm, Restlyane, or Radiesse.
- Neck lift – This procedure is often done at the same time as a facelift, though it can be performed as its own separate procedure as well. The neck lift treats signs of aging in the neck that are similar to those seen in the face – sagging skin, jowls, loose muscles, and excess fat deposits. It can even use the same incisions made for the facelift, or use incisions made under the chin.
Your Facelift Results
Every facelift patient may have different needs, but all facelift patients can experience outstanding results. This procedure has the potential to remove anywhere from ten to fifteen years of aging from your appearance. It won’t stop your face from aging completely and it won’t keep your face in the same condition forever; however, it can make a pretty significant difference in how you look and how you feel about yourself. After you recover from your procedure, you can be confident in knowing that you’re putting your best self out there for people to see.
Facial Plastic Surgery From Dr. Bustillo
When you’re considering a facelift or any other kind of facial plastic surgery, it’s extremely important to choose a surgeon with the necessary skills, qualifications, and techniques. Dr. Andres Bustillo is board certified in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery and in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery. He is a facial plastic surgery specialist and dedicates his practice to procedures designed for the face, head, and neck. About half of Dr. Bustillo’s patients come to him for facial rejuvenation surgery.
To schedule a patient consultation with Dr. Bustillo, contact his office at (305) 663-3380.