Why are you here?  The basic question I ask when someone sits in front of me asking about a facelift.  You might think the response is obvious.  It is not!  The reason someone wants to surgically correct the clinical signs of aging on their face are as varied as the causes of personal insecurities.  After being familiar with that person in the mirror for more than 30 years something happens to trigger the emotional reaction, “I’m getting OLD”!  It could be a friend who says something as innocent as “wow, where did that wrinkle come from?”, or the neighbor’s kid saying, “You are too old to understand”.  Something as simple as seeing a new shadow in the mirror can trigger the search for a surgeon to turn back the clock to a more secure time in your life.  So as I said before, “Why are you here?” is an extremely important question in the journey to achieving happiness from your cosmetic surgery.  When that question comes up I suggest you answer from a very personal place.  That’s the only way your surgeon can approach the daunting task of making you happy.  Treating the aging face can be as varied as choosing furniture and paint to accentuate your favorite room.  The only way for your surgeon to know is for you the patient to be open and personal with your surgeon.  The facelift is not a one size fits all procedure.  If that is your surgeon’s perspective, THEN RUN.  The facelift must match the personal desires of each and every patient, their anatomical framework, age and ethnicity.  We all know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder as well as based on ethnic and social differences.

What does the facelift do?  The goal is to return the structure of the face to a much earlier state with as few telltale signs of surgery as possible.  The procedure manipulates the skin, the muscle (or fascia), the fat and can sometime change the appearance of the bones.  Incisions are made in front of the ear and will extend either to the bottom of the earlobe or may extend into the fold behind the ear and in more extreme cases even along or into the hairline.  The scarring that remains is usually very good but is also based on the healing tendencies of the patient.  There are some agents and devices that may enhance the healing process when administered after the incisions are closed and have begun to heal.  Managing the surface of the skin after the underlying structures have been manipulated is critical in completing the facial rejuvenation process.  There are many ways to treat the skin which include chemicals, lasers, light therapies and sun barriers.  After the initial treatment to rejuvenate the skin surface the results must be maintained long-term.  Over the counter therapies are minimally effective and costly.  The most effective management plan involves physician supervised therapies because they contain the actual active ingredients rather than a sampling as in over the counter therapies.  Aging is a continuum and managing the process takes consistency and knowledge.  Stay tuned for more ways to manage this dynamic natural process.