Achieving a Natural-Looking Facelift

A facelift, or rhytidectomy, is one of the most common forms of plastic surgery. This cosmetic procedure can rejuvenate your facial features by tightening saggy skin around your eyes, mouth, nose, and neck. Aging is inevitable, but this doesn’t mean there aren’t steps you can take to reduce visible signs of aging if this is what you desire.

Facelifts sometimes carry a negative stigma because of the concern of the results looking unnatural and unflattering. While there are certainly examples of these types of results, it is important to note that an in-depth understanding of the procedure can make a significant difference when you go out and seek a natural facelift for yourself.

Find a Skilled Plastic Surgeon

The most important step in achieving a natural-looking facelift is finding a skilled, reputable plastic surgeon. Completing research and consultations prior to the procedure as well as spending the extra dollar on quality will be priceless in the long run, especially for a procedure like a facelift for which results are difficult to hide or cover up.

Choose a surgeon who knows how to customize the procedure for you and who can set realistic expectations about results.

For example, the following factors can affect your procedure:

Age
Your skin’s volume
Any damage your skin has suffered
Asymmetries or irregularities
Your desired outcome

At Hess, Sandeen, & Lee we consider all of these and more.

Decide Which Procedure is Best for You

To achieve a natural facelift, you should focus on procedures that reposition areas of the face rather than simply pulling them up. This small detail is generally what makes the difference between a natural facelift and an unnatural facelift.

SMAS

The superficial muscular aponeurotic system (SMAS) is the facial support structure within the deeper layers of your skin. It is a layer of tissue that supports the lower two-thirds of the face including the cheek, jaw, and upper neck areas. An SMAS procedure repositions this soft tissue layer to the desired new location without fully releasing its structure. This avoids chances of looking pulled or tightened artificially.

Upper Face

This type of facelift targets the areas above your eyes and is also referred to as a brow lift. Loose skin in the area can hide the beautiful features of your eyes and make you appear less energized.

Mid-Face

In this procedure, a surgeon will target the lower part of your eyes, the upper parts of your cheeks, your nose, and lips. As you age, the mid-region of your face may lose volume, giving way for wrinkles that make you appear older than you truly are.

Lower Face

This region is below the corners of your mouth, mainly your jaw and neck. Improving this area of your face will revamp your side profile and give you a youthful appearance from all angles.