The Facelift Isn’t What It Used to Be

The idea of managing the signs of aging is wonderful. That is until those expensive creams and serums aren’t getting the results we believed they would. At some point, it may be necessary to consider a facelift, and many people don’t like the idea of it. The primary reason why is that, historically, facelifts have left telltale signs. They didn’t exactly leave patients looking natural. They left them looking lifted, with tight, pulled-back skin that appeared anything but youthful. We understand you don’t want to look “done.” You want to look like you. This is why you should get to know the modern facelift.

The Facelift of Today

The reason why our mothers’ facelifts looked unnatural was that surgery focused primarily on tightening the skin. This concept was the best there was at the time, and it made sense. When the skin is pulled back, wrinkles smooth out. However, pulling on the skin also creates tension and tightness.

Today, facelifts focus more on the superficial musculoaponeurotic system, also known as the SMAS. This layer of tissue lies between the skin and the muscle. It provides structure to the overlying dermis and epidermis. During a facelift, the SMAS is adjusted to eliminate jowls and restore better contouring to the cheeks. The skin may be tightened, but not much. The youthful appearance that results from this facelift comes from the inside out.

Personalized Care for Custom Results

Your face is not like anyone else’s. A facelift, then, must be performed to address your unique signs of aging. Some patients achieve their best results with a full facelift, while others can eliminate cosmetic concerns with a mini facelift, a technique that incurs shorter incision scars and a slightly shorter recovery period. Finally, facelift surgery can be combined with other procedures to fully refresh the face. Common options include dermal fillers to add contouring to the cheeks and blepharoplasty or brow lift surgery to also rejuvenate the area around the eyes.

Nonsurgical treatments for facial rejuvenation are ideal in many situations. However, anti-aging techniques such as injectable wrinkle-reducers are intended for temporary results. For patients interested in long-term improvement, facelift surgery may be the ideal approach.

Learn more about facelift surgery and how we cater to patients of our Santa Barbara office. Call 805.969.9004 to schedule your consultation.