Facelifts; Non-surgical and Surgical Skin Smoothing Options

Specific areas of the face can also be targeted such as the eyebrows. A temporal facelift can lift drooping or lowered eyebrows, without going to the extent of a full-brow lift. Another procedure is the deep-plane facelift. This is the traditional version but modified. The surgeon for this will dissect lower, deeper layers of the face, before repositioning the underlying muscle and repositioning it. Although there is a slightly increased risk of damaging facial nerves, this can lead to a much more natural look on completion. The advantage of this increasingly popular procedure is that it works well on older skins, with results often lasting 10-15 years.

If a patient would like to improve their neck, a neck lift or platysmaplasty (or sometimes called a submentoplasty) is an option. This is where an incision at the earlobe and behind the ear area, before removing any neck cords with a pronounced appearance. Liposuction may also be used at the same time to remove any excess fat from the area. If a patient is thinking of only having a neck lift, it is better if the skin has good elasticity still. If the skin is not so supple, a facelift may also be recommended at the same time.

Liposuction is commonly used in conjunction with facelifts to remove areas containing too much fat. The chin and neck often hold this, and liposuction can sometimes be performed in these areas alone without the invasion of a face or neck lift. This is a much quicker procedure than both facelifts and main-body liposuction. Finer, more delicate cannulas are used in the face and neck areas as it is much more sensitive, and requires greater attention to detail than the same procedure on the thighs, waist or stomach. Minimal scarring is also an advantage.

The S-lift (named after the S-shaped incision) made under the jaw, only if the skin is slightly loose though) is an example of one mini-facelift technique. There is also the MACS lift, good for preventing the look of mild ageing, and the Feather Lift. This simply uses sutures under the skin to pull it into position, with much more subtle results. This is also marketed under several different brand names including Contour and APTOS.

A further popular technique is a fat transfer, and it’s not as bad as it sounds! Fat is harvested and re-placed from the thighs or belly by injections into the face, restoring plumpness in hollowed areas which are common through weight loss or ageing.  Injectable fillers are sometimes used as alternatives too, with speedier healing times.

Non-surgical alternatives

Non-surgical alternatives are also a great option if you don’t want to go all the way with cosmetic surgery. Thermage, a branded non-surgical facelift, tightens the skin with lasers. Radio-frequency waves are targeted to the deeper layers of skin, causing collagen to contract in the skin and tighten it. This can be used effectively as a complimentary procedure to combat typical signs of ageing - redness, wrinkling, unwanted hair, acne scars, age spots and broken blood vessels – however, it will not lift or tighten the drooping muscle. Wrinkles around the eyes and mouth can be treated this way, so if it is minor skin-smoothing you desire this could be the perfect treatment for you.

Other options include Computerised Micro-Current systems, Microdermabrasion, peels, Facial injections and fillers, IPL and mesotherapy. These techniques will be used either alone or in combination to tackle different signs and indicators of ageing. It works by maximising the skin's moisture, tone and elasticity, helping to rejuvenate and soften the skin, eliminating lines and wrinkles.

A common cause of skin appearing older or more damaged than it should is often overexposure to UV rays and also poor skin maintenance. Some techniques used such as microdermabrasion, which gently removes the skin's outer layer to reveal a smoother softer layer of skin, will require you to protect your skin from UV more so than normal. Peels work in a similar way and are quick and effective. IPL is age-spot removal, and mesotherapy adds important nutrients and minerals back into the skin to restore it.

A new technique that is being developed is the mesh lift, which is likely to be one of the next big things in the plastic surgery world. Mesh is inserted under the skin from the hairline, lifting the face via the supporting structure, also dissolving in time.

The range of non-surgical options is constantly increasing as this fast-paced industry develops. Interests in lasers, topical applications and nutrition are ever-popular as patients prefer quicker recovery time and less invasive surgery.

Cosmetic surgery is booming, and there is little doubt that the range of not only face-lift and related options will appear, but also other general procedures expand as more advanced and effective options appear.

Watch this space!