Cosmetic Surgery

Facelifts: What are They Like These Days?

Facelifts acquired something of a bad reputation in their early days, when Hollywood people were thought to look “windswept†after their procedure. The face looked too tight rather than youthful and natural.

Facelifts have come a long way since then and have multiplied into an extended family: mini facelift, temporal facelift, thread lift, deep plane facelift, SMAS facelift, Weekend Recovery LAZER-LIFT®, midface lift, subperiosteal facelift, and even the non-surgical facelift. That is not an exhaustive list. Facelifts can be categorized by:

· Type of incision

· Facial area treated

· Number of facial layers treated

· How invasive or non-invasive they are

Procedures combined

Plastic surgeons now offer combinations of many other procedures along with whatever type of facelift you choose. You can have your facelift done with a neck lift, neck liposuction, platysmaplasty, a browlift, eyelid surgery, nose surgery, ear surgery, cheek and chin implants, and a myriad of other specific procedures. These combinations can be done in separate procedures, or all at once, depending on what exactly you are combining. Careful planning goes into these facial reconstructions, so as to minimize recovery time, cost, and size of incisions.

New technology

Surgical techniques have become more sophisticated since the addition of computers and lasers to the technological mix.

· Your new look can now be created ahead of time on the computer monitor, morphing your face into a new, more youthful You.

· Your cosmetic surgeon may use an endoscope, which is a long narrow tube with a light at its tip. It’s connected to the computer and a digital camera. The surgeon can see his work on the computer monitor, in a large detailed image, which allows him to be very precise. Use of an endoscope allows for much smaller incisions.

· Lasers are often used in a facelift combination of procedures. A variety of different types of lasers are near-miraculous in cosmetic surgery, performing tasks far more safely and quickly than a scalpel could ever do them. Lasers can be used to refresh and rejuvenate the skin after your facelift, and in many of the accompanying procedures you may choose to have with your facelift. In surgical work, they vaporize tiny pieces of tissue, rather than by cutting like a scalpel, and as they work, they seal the small wound, making bleeding virtually non-existent and subsequent infection enormously unlikely. They cause less pain and require less anesthetic.

· Because of the greater speed and safety of laser use, many procedures can be done on an out-patient basis, with local anesthetic, rather than in a hospital with total anesthesia, as in years gone by. Your plastic surgeon will give you detailed and clear instructions on how to care for yourself afterwards, and you will have several follow-up appointments, the number depending on how extensive your surgical work was. There is less downtime, less work time lost, and more control over your own recovery.

More communications and education

The best plastic surgeons regard patient education as highly important, and will spend time in answering your questions and suggesting options. They will explain how procedures are done, in what sequence it would be best to do them, how long they will take, and how long the recovery time is likely to be.

Not until you fully understand your treatment plan, and what results it is likely to give you, will a modern, fully-trained plastic surgeon proceed with your surgery. There will be careful preparation, such as taking or avoiding certain foods, supplements or medications, and if you feel nervous about it all, you will be invited to discuss that, and offered extra sedation, a pre-surgery massage, and other pampering to help you relax.

The first step to having any facial rejuvenation is the initial consultation, where you would meet your surgeon and his staff, look around their inviting facilities, and ask your initial questions. The plastic surgeon would explain your best options after some discussion with you and a visual examination of the area you want treatment for. Most cosmetic surgeons have websites showing Before and After photos for specific procedures.

Why wait? Wherever you live in the U.S. there is probably a qualified plastic surgeon nearby. In this modern era, there is no reason to live with a personal appearance which gives you daily embarrassment or concern.

About the Author

If you are considering a facelift or any other cosmetic medical procedure, contact the experienced surgeons at Aesthetic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons, P.C. today to schedule an appointment.

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