Over time ,the skin of the face and neck loses firmness and elasticity. Although the facelift cannot stop the face from aging naturally, it can help to improve the tired, sad appearance, tightening the deeper structures of the skin and the muscles that support the face.
The facelift is a very common procedure that does not have any particular aga limit, as it depends on when the sagging of the skin and muscles began. This can respond to multiple causes, such as:
- Aging.
- Excessive weight loss after bariatric surgery.
- Excess sun exposure.
- Smoking
- Chronic stress that tremendously accelerates cellular aging.
There are various methods to rejuvenate the face and within them, a surgical laser is a modern tool that we use at Girestetic in practically all cases associated with closed or open lifting, as it gives us a great advantage that is to restructure, retract and stretch the face and neck skin, producing a lifting tightening effect.
Therefore, there is no ideal age but rather an ideal time (generally, 40 years an on) and with a careful and responsible evaluation, the patient will be able to choose the best surgical technique. At Girestetic we use different procedures for the gaze closed endoscopic surgery without obvious scars (garters) but when sagging skin or ptosis of the muscles warrant it, we have the following procedures to rejuvenate the face:
- Endolaser lifting only, for very young patients (under 40 years old) who want only a skin- tightening effect.
- Endolaser associated with dermo sustentation reabsorbibles threads insertion, for young patients with minimal skin flaccidity and no muscle flaccidity.
- Endolaser associated with skin resection, when excess skin warrants resection but the laser allows us to improve its quality.
- Lifting of reduced incisions (modified MACS lift) An approach that allows us with a small incision on the edge of the temple to easily reach the central cheek and suspend it avoiding the scar in front of the ear, it is indicated in cases of lowering of the cheekbone with little flaccidity made of skin and is ideal for men as it is very subtle and hidden within the hair.
- Vertical lift with a marginal approach to the ear, the incision is located on the anterior (front) edge of the ear and not in front of it and is called the marginal approach. This access allows us to work the entire area of the anterior and lateral cheek, repositioning the muscles, also removing excess skin. This line fades and in many cases clears up within a few months.
Vertical lift of the cheek, neck, and jowls. This approach is indicated when the flaccidity is extreme and there is a large amount of tissue to be removed, therefore we use the access in front and behind the ear and it allows us to reposition all the facial muscles and remove excess skin.
Facial Endolaser:
The diode laser is a controlled photothermal stimulation tool for those who do not want or still don’t need a classic surgical facial rejuvenation, we use this alternative to rejuvenate the skin from the depth in all the treated areas; and through its photomechanical and photochemical effect improve the face, cheek and neck, giving a lifting effect and thus correcting the facial flaccidity and small fat deposits, preserving the naturalness of the expression, through imperceptible scars.
Benefits:
- Laser Endolift increases the collagen and elastin production in the dermis, which makes the skin look smoother and more luminous.
- It can be done in men and women when they already begin to feel the first signs of aging.
- It is ambulatory without generating disability and the recovery period is very short, varying from 2 to 3 days and can be repeated a year or two after.
- 2-3mm scars, hidden within the hair and behind the earlobe
- Improvement that increases up to 6 months after the procedure due to the stimulation of collagen and elastin production.
- Can be intervened: the middle third of the face (cheek); the lower third of the face and neck, upper lip.
- It can be associated with other procedures such as placement of Dermosustation threads, fat grafting, eyebrow suspension procedures, blepharoplasty, and others.
Procedure:
Under intravenous sedation or local anesthesia, the face is approached through smalls 2mm incisions located behind the ears and in the chin, these are the entry doors of the laser fiber, then we proceed to the subcutaneous scan (UNDER THE SKIN) of the designated areas.
This procedure can be combined with others to treat adipose deposits and remodel excess fat in areas where there is an unsightly volume, such as the area under the chin or on the cheeks. Skin retraction can also be reinforced by associating it with the placement of reabsorbibles threads.
Duration of the procedure: 1 hour.
Anesthesia: local, or intravenous sedation
Hospitalization: Outpatient
Recovery time: 2 days
Lifting Quirúrgico:
Este procedimiento se realiza bajo sedación endovenosa y anestesia local. Siguiendo el plan operatorio establecido se coloca la anestesia en las áreas a ser trabajadas.
- Se realizan las incisiones de abordaje, solo en patilla / solo delante y/o detrás de la oreja, exactamente en los pliegues naturales a fin de que queden ocultas.
- Se levanta la piel para que queden expuestas las capas subcutáneas de grasa y plano muscular.
- Se da tratamiento a las bolsas grasas Malar, Bichat, liposucción de jowls de modo que logremos suavizar el contorno del rostro.
- Se reposicionan las estructuras musculares de soporte tensándolas con las suturas apropiadas
- Se recoloca la piel sin traccionar y se recorta el excedente.
- Las incisiones son cerradas con puntos y puede colocarse un drenaje (solo en los liftings amplios ) para eliminar los líquidos acumulados.
- La cirugía tiene una extensión, aproximada, de entre 1 a 3 horas dependiendo de cada caso.
- La cicatriz es prácticamente invisible, ya que está escondida en los pliegues naturales.
- El manejo es ambulatorio por lo tanto se puede regresar a casa el mismo día o si la cirugía lo amerita en algunos casos permanecer hospitalizado un día esto generalmente en los liftings extensos o asociados a otros procedimientos.
- En el postoperatorio se solicita reposo con la cabeza en alto, no retirar el vendaje, tomar la medicación indicada, administración de frío local con hielo.
- Evitar esfuerzos físicos y actividades que requieran de mucho gasto de energía.
- La inflamación será evidente en la primeras 48 a 72 horas y va desapareciendo progresivamente.
- Se retiran las suturas entre el 5 y 7 día.
- El postoperatorio puede extenderse por unos 7 a 14 días.
Surgical Lifting:
- This procedure is performed under intravenous sedation and local anesthesia. Following the established operative plan, anesthesia is placed in the areas to be worked.
- The approach incisions are made; temple only / only in front and/or behind the ear, exactly in the natural folds so that they are hidden.
- The skin is lifted to expose the subcutaneous layers of fat and muscle plane.
- Malar pad, Bichat, jowls liposuction are treated so that we can smooth the contour of the face.
- The supporting muscular structures are repositioned by tightening them with the appropriate sutures.
- The skin is repositioned without pulling and the excess is trimmed.
- The incisions are closed with stitches and a drain can be placed (only in wide facelifts) to remove accumulated fluids.
- The surgery has an approximate extension of 1 to 3 hours depending on each case.
- The scar is practically invisible since it is hidden in the natural folds.
- It is an ambulatory surgery, therefore you can return home the same day ,or if the surgery warrants it in some cases there is a need to remain hospitalized for a day, this is generally in the extensive facelifts or associated with other procedures.
- In the postoperative period, rest is requested with the head up, do not remove the bandage, take the indicated medication, administration of local cold with ice.
- Avoid physical efforts and activities that require a lot of energy .
- The inflammation will be evident in the first 48 to 72 hours and will gradually disappear.
- The sutures are removed between the 5th and 7th day.
- The postoperative period can be extended for 7 to 14 days.
Benefits:
- Improves sagging in the cheeks and neck.
- Reduces expression lines and facial wrinkles.
- It helps to improve the double chin.
- It can be associated with the use of the endolaser (Endolifting), thus achieving a better skin tightening due to the retraction it produces and a rejuvenating effect on the skin surface.
- It can be associated with “gaze” surgery and endoscopic forehead surgery, lipo transplantation, and others that complement the result.