FAT INJECTION FOR FACIAL REJUVENATION - NEW FACE LIFTS

Before you have a Face-Lift first read this and ask "What is going to be done and how is it going to be done?"

Rhytidectomy was one of the original terms to describe Facelift Surgery. Rhytidectomy means excision or removal of lines or wrinkles (Rhytids). As the operation was initially performed excess and loose skin was removed and the skin lifted to tighten the appearance of the skin laxity.

Over the past several years Face Lift Surgery has dramatically changed. Today the word Face Lift should be more accurately replaced with the term Facial Rejuvenation. This is because a great deal of research has been done to learn what happens as we age and the methods to best restore the aging process.

One of the most noticeable things that occur in our face as we age is that the shape of our face changes. In youth, the mid and upper cheeks are full. As we age the fullness of the mid and upper cheeks has decreased and or dropped "south". There is now fullness in the lower cheeks recognized as "jowling", "marrionette lines" and folds. In youth the face has a "heart shape". The aging face becomes elongated, rectangular or square in shape.

The aging appearance of the skin is a reflection of the underlying changes that have occured in the deeper tissue of the face and neck. It is not only the skin that ages, but the underlying muscles and deep tissues of the face age as well. The skin of the face and neck is attached to these muscles and soft tissue structures and as these descend, the skin is pulled down with it.

We have learned that if only the skin is lifted, it gives an abnormal tight and pulled "Joker-like" appearance. The skin alone cannot support and lift the deeper aging tissues of the face and as a result of that, the skin only Face-Lift does not last. We have learned to lift, elevate, and reposition the underlying muscles and soft tissues to the position that they had in youth. The skin is elevated with, and not holding up the underlying deep tissue of the face and neck. The result is a natural, non pulled appearance that is long lasting.

To maintain even longer lasting results, the elevated muscle and soft tissue structures of the face are sutured to the bone. This is done in the newer MACS (Minimal Access Cranial Suspension) Face Lift.

It is now recognized that as we age there is not only a descent of the skin, muscle and soft tissue of the face and neck, but there is also loss of fullness to certain areas of the face. It is the loss of fat in there areas that cause the face to have an aging appearance. It is important not only to lift and elevate the face, but to fill the face in those areas that have soft tissue loss. This is the new concept for true Facial Rejuvenation.

There are many soft tissue fillers that are now available. The most well known is Juvaderm. Juvaderm is however very expensive and typically only lasts for about a year. A newer method is using fat obtained from one's own body, providing an excellent soft tissue filler, since it is fat that has been lost from those areas in the aging process. Most people also have enough fat to obtain all that is needed to restore the lost facial volume. It is also very interesting that recent research suggests that fat has stem cells that may provide something more than just filling.

In conclusion, a Face Lift performed at the Aesthetic Surgery Center is no longer just a lift. It is a combination of elevating and repositioning the muscle, soft tissue and skin of the face as well as restoring the youthful volume of the face to provide the best in Facial Rejuvenation.