Facelift in Syracuse & Rochester, NY

Since birth, the body ages with the passage of each year. At some point, the outside appearance of the body – especially the face and neck – starts to show signs of aging that are socially and psychologically unattractive. While the brain and mind can stay young and active with mental exercise and fulfilling life’s work, aging features of the face begin to diverge from one’s inner self.

Examples of these changes include (from the top of the face to the neck): saggy or tired appearance of the eyelids; baggy or hollowed appearing lower eyes; deepening creases around the mouth, or hollowed cheeks; jowls and loss of defined jawline; and heavy neck, or hanging, loose skin with vertical banding on thin neck. Genetics play a major role in how and when the body progresses through this change, but accumulation of outside factors such as sun exposure, smoking, stress, or weight loss also contribute to these aging signs of the face and neck.

AGING FACE – SKIN LAXITY

There are specific features that characterize aging face and neck. Foremost, it is the change in skin texture and appearance. Environmental factors accumulated over lifetime, such as sun exposure and smoking, and genetics result in changes in skin with loss of elasticity and formation of permanently etched expression wrinkles.

Changes seen in aging skin are more than just the skin surface. Just underneath the outer layer of the skin lies the inner layer of the skin – the layers of supportive fiber network consisting of collagen and elastin. This fiber network allows the skin to stretch and recoil with each movement of the muscle every moment in life. With biological aging and accumulation of damage from the environment, the skin begins to wear out. The inner layer of the skin begins to thin as collagen and elastin begin to disappear. Since the skin no longer stretches and recoils as effectively, some parts of the skin will begin to accumulate wrinkles over time. Other parts of skin where gravity takes hold, will begin to sag and become more lax.

AGING MID-FACE – LOSS OF VOLUME AND HOLLOW APPEARANCE

Located between the skin and bone of the face, are the soft tissues of the face which consist of muscle and a series fat compartments. These fat compartments are located in specific areas of the face – especially overlying prominent bony areas, like the outer rim of the eye/cheek junction (malar prominence). Over time, fat compartments of the face begin to lose volume and deflate, resulting in a hollowed appearance. This is especially noticeable in areas like the cheeks, inner corner of the eyes (tear trough), and temple areas. The loss of facial volume, especially at the bony prominence, leads to a hollowed aging facial appearance and conveys loss of vitality.

AGING LOWER FACE – JOWLS FORMATION AND LOSS OF JAWLINE

Underneath the skin, other structures of the face are also changing with the aging process. Skin and the soft tissue of the face (fat pad and muscles overlying the bone) are attached and anchored to the bone by a series of retaining ligaments. The retaining ligaments of the face are like the supporting cables of a suspension bridge. With the aging process, these retaining ligaments begin to weaken, resulting in sagging of the soft tissue of the face as gravity pulls them down. Because these retaining ligaments are located at specific areas of the face (over the bony prominence of the cheek “zygomatic ligament” or jawline “mandibular ligament”; and along the side of the face “masseteric cutaneous and parotid cutaneous ligaments”), weakening of these supporting cables results in characteristic signs of aging face (jowls, and loss of jawline).

IDEAL CANDIDATE FOR FACE / NECK LIFT

Patients often ask what is the correct age for facelift. Patients who undergo facelift for men and women range between the ages of 40-70, with the average age around early to mid-50. More important than the chronological age is the “biological age” determined by the patient’s hereditary features combined with lifestyle choices accumulated over time.

A customized facelift treatment done at Natural Face Clinic in East Syracuse, NY is an excellent surgical solution for people who experience fine lines and wrinkles and are wanting to enhance the appearance of their skin. Cosmetic and functional advantages of this procedure offered by Dr. Kim include:

• Minimizing the appearance of furrows and creases around your eyes and mouth
• Results are long-lasting
• Leaves a minimal amount of scarring that can be conveniently concealed
• Beneficial for women and men alike
• Reducing perceptible signs of aging
• Addressing loose, hanging skin
• Replenishing lost volume throughout the mid-face and beneath the eyes
• Enhancing comprehensive facial shape
• Lifting sagging cheeks and double chins
• Efficient at diminishing the appearance of moderate to severe furrows and creases

There is an on-call physician during off-hours, and surgical patients will also have access to the surgeon’s personal cell phone for any specific surgery-related questions/concerns.

Week 1: Patients should expect some swelling and bruising. Patients do not typically complain of pain, but they should expect some numbness which will resolve over time. One should plan for a restful, relaxing week ideally indoors. Sutures will be removed on day 7 after the surgery.

Week 2: Some patients are almost back to normal by week 2, but most will take another week to fully get back to their normal selves. During week 2, each day rapid improvement (less swelling) will be noted. Some people may be able to return to work sooner than 2 weeks after the surgery. By the end of week 2, patients should expect recovery back to normal and return to work.

1-2 Month visit: We return to the photo room and take a full set of photos. Next, we will upload these photos and compare them next to the pre-op photos. This is an exciting day for everyone, and reminds us at our practice why we love what we do.