Q. How can I help ensure good results from a facelift after 6 months a year or more? I have read some reviews that people who had facelifts felt that after 6 months or a year they were back looking very close to how they did before. How can this be? They said after the swelling went away they had a gaunt sunken look to them. Is this possibly because they need filler or some kind of fat grafting? I was told to make sure I see photos of patients 6 months to a year after the fact.
A. The beginnings of facial skin laxity start when skin repair diminishes and passive skin aging relaxes downward. The web of fibrous compartments under the skin loses fat, stretches and elongates developing 5 growing “waves” of skin at points of attachment such as the:
- hooding along the eyes,
- lower eyelid / cheek junction or tear trough / nasojugal fold
- nasolabial fold,
- lateral mouth commissure and marionette folds,
- jowls and neck.
The skin itself is not dissimilar to crepe paper held together by collagen, elastin and other structural molecules which also passively diminish with aging.
Facial Aging are created from the 5 different layers of the skin, fat, muscle and bone. During the first 20 years or so of life, the body genetically determines how to develop and repair a constantly changing “face” including all these layers (as it does elsewhere in the body). Thereafter it remains robust in repairing itself from injury but the accumulation of environmental, health and nutritional exposure will add to the passive inability for the body to care for itself after 30. This is when physical changes such as skin laxity, irregular pigmentation, lines and wrinkles and skin diseases occur. We now have many options to rejuvenate the layer or layers of the face which need care or stimulation to reverse the aging trend.
So, it is important to understand there are 2 dependent layers of the face and neck to rejuvenate; the laxed visible skin AND the sagging soft tissues under the skin.
Since I do not have the advantage to examine you, I hope you will be helped by the information below. My immediate recommendations are to obtain consultation with a talented, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with extensive skills in:
- non-surgical skin tightening using Obagi ZO Skin Health Rx regimen and chemical peels,
- minimally invasive injectables including fillers and / or fat; ThermiTIGHT skin tightening,
- Minimally invasive Silhouette Suture Suspension of soft tissues and skin,
- Surgical face and neck lift options, as desired.
Don’t forget to protect your skin from the elements! UV blockers, anti-oxidants, pigmentation control and acne / oil reduction will maintain your skin rejuvenation efforts.
Everyone needs one or more layered improvement and in personalized combinations to achieve AND MAINTAIN their optimal result. I trust this is helpful but there is more. Read further from the links below. All the best!
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This information is not meant as medical advice. It is provided solely for education. Our practice would be pleased to discuss your unique circumstances and needs as they relate to these topics.
Give us a call at 410.602.3322 or email Lauri@DrDeanKane.com and make an appointment soon. We’re located on Reservoir Circle just a block off the Baltimore beltway, convenient to greater Baltimore, Annapolis, the Eastern Shore, Southern Pennsylvania, Delaware and Carroll County.
This information is not meant as medical advice. It is provided solely for education. Our practice would be pleased to discuss your unique circumstances and needs as they relate to these topics.
Give us a call at 410.602.3322 or email Lauri@DrDeanKane.com and make an appointment soon. We’re located on Reservoir Circle just a block off the Baltimore beltway, convenient to greater Baltimore, Annapolis, the Eastern Shore, Southern Pennsylvania, Delaware and Carroll County.
