Before and after facelift, lower blepharoplasty and a chin implant
About The Procedure
How To Determine the Appropriate Facelift Procedure For You?
Top 5 FAQs About Facelift That My Patients Have Asked Over The Last 30 Years
Today more women and men are considering a facelift surgery or mini face lift to help restore their face to a more youthful appearance. No longer do you have to worry about having a “plastic” or pulled look that was one of the concerns of the facelifts of old times. Having performed so many facelift surgeries, Dr Hodgkinson’s facelift patients tell us that their family and friends say they look like themselves, just more youthful, refreshed and more vibrant!
Facelift surgery restores a more pleasing contour to your face and neck. A mini-facelift can be done alone, or in conjunction with other procedures such as a forehead lift, eyelid surgery, or nose reshaping. Ask Dr. Darryl Hodgkinson and the specialists at The Cosmetic & Restorative Surgery Clinic about the facelift procedure that is right for you, they are the leaders for facelift surgery Sydney.
Are you a Facelift Surgery Candidate?
If your face and neck have started to sag, you may be a good candidate. Dr. Hodgkinson can assess your skin’s elasticity, your complexion and help you determine the appropriate procedure for you. Remember, facelift surgery has been successfully performed on patients as young as 40 years old and as old as 80 years old.
Before and 6 months after facelift and neck lift
Your general health will be assessed prior to any anticipated surgery. You should bring your medical records with you at your consultation.
Facelift Quick Facts:
How Long Does a Facelift Last & How Can I Extend Facelift Results?
A facelift surgically elevates sagging tissues and re-adjusts the contours of an aging face caused by fat accumulation or fat degeneration.
The main contributors to the appearance of an aging face are lax facial tissues of the neck, and jowls and brow
Sagging tissues causing loss of jaw and neck definition is corrected by re-suspension of the platysma muscle and tightening and anchoring the SMAS (subcutaneous muscular aponeurotic system).
All scars are hidden as much as possible within the hairline and in front of and behind the ear as well as under the chin.
The most common age for facelifts in women is 45-60 and for men it is 50-60.
Skin aging with wrinkles and loss of elasticity and collagen is dealt with by resurfacing during or after a facelift.
The benefits of a Facelift
A facelift procedure aims to improve the appearance of sagging or loose skin, wrinkles, and deep creases. The tightening and removal of excess facial skin creates a youthful and rejuvenated look via a very common cosmetic surgical procedure.
The primary benefits of a facelift include;
Reduced sagging of affected and treated areas, by a mild to moderate amount
The lessening of deep creases under the eyes, if an eyelid operation or browlift is also performed
Reduced folds and creases in other areas of the face and neck
Greater definition of the jawline
Less sagging in the neck
You should be in good health with normal exercise tolerance and blood pressure to be the ideal candidate for the operative procedure.
Combinations with Other Procedures
It is quite common to combine a facelift with another procedure to achieve or enhance certain results. A facelift will focus on the lower two-thirds of the face, however, if the forehead or eyes also require attention, you may wish to consider one of the following options;
A Blepharoplasty, or eyelid lift, which targets ageing around the eye on both or either of the upper or lower eyelid.
A Browlift which will tighten the skin on the forehead raising the brow to create a more youthful look
A Neck lift, which is a very common procedure to combine with almost all facelifts.
Facial Fat Grafting which restores volume by using your own fat to fill contours lost with ageing and sometimes we add cheek or chin implants.
Before and after face and neck lifts
Eyelid surgery and brow-lifts are considered complementary to each other. Drooping brows can cause a fold of loose skin to hang beyond the lid margin. If gravity has been the cause of fullness in the upper lid, however, then a brow-lift surgery may be more appropriate. Eyelid surgery often has longer lasting results when done in conjunction with a brow lift.
Blepharoplasty will not necessarily remove all crow’s feet or wrinkles from around the eyes, in which case injectable fillers may be required. It is important when undergoing these procedures, to not remove too much skin and fat from the upper and lower eyelids as it can cause a gaunt hollow look. If the brow is lifted too much, the patient can end up with a more startled looking appearance. Dr Hodgkinson experience ensures you will not have those problems.
Facelift Options in Sydney
(Facelift, S-Lift and Mini Lift)
(Facelift)
The full facelift is a comprehensive procedure that addresses the entire face and neck. The areas of focus of course, will depend on the individual’s condition and desired outcome.
The facelift operation elevates and re-drapes the facial skin and underlying musculature to eliminate laxity and sagging. The operation can be designed to correct problems in the neck, under the jaw and/or chin and in the cheeks.
Mid – Facelift
The midface lift (addresses sagging in the cheek or middle third of the face) tends to be popular in the younger facelift patient whereas the older patients tend to require a full facelift to address ageing in the lower two thirds of the face.
Mini – Facelift
Mini-facelift is a poor term but is used to describe a moderate tightening of the cheeks and jowls and neck usually with a smaller incision and no incision under the chin. Best usually at about 40-50 year of age.
“S”Lift
“S”Lift, just tightens the cheeks, nothing is improved in the neck. There are very few patients who just require an “S”lift without some improvement to the neck”. “MACS” lift is similar, a combination of a Mini and S lift.
Before and after facelift and eyelid surgery – note excellent contour of the jowls and neck.
Facelift Misconceptions
Facelifting has come a long way from the old style of operation that gave patients a ‘pulled’ or a ‘stretched’ look, which created a stigma or aversion to the procedure among the general public and still does.
Correctly performed facelifts by an experienced surgeon offer longer-lasting rejuvenation, restoring a more natural appearance without the stigma of an operation. It is critical, however, that the procedure is carefully individualised for each patient. Dr. Hodgkinson uses photographs of patients from their early 30s as a guide for achieving the most realistic and suitable result possible. This can also vary depending on the age of the patient as to which style of the procedure will be performed.
Dr. Hodgkinson, aims to achieve a more natural looking aesthetic, that is not overdone and works naturally with the contours of your face. The primary goal is to restore the tissues to where they were previously, which is why the use of past photographs during consultations is very important.
Procedures to be Wary Of
Some practitioners offer a different range of facelift procedures which could include the use of threading, a technique which lifts the structure of the face with sutures under the skin. The results are transitory and rarely satisfy Caucasian patients.
The “silhouette” lift is a newer thread lift procedure which includes the use of absorbable sutures. These absorbable sutures are said to cause fewer problems than the permanent varieties; however, the results from this procedure still don’t last more than a year to 18 months, limiting its cost-effectiveness.
Before and after facelift with removal of threads
Dr. Hodgkinson’s Procedure of Choice
After being trained by the leaders of the ‘New Age facelift’ in Newport Beach, California in the SMAS technique, Dr. Hodgkinson has expanded on his skills with the help of the French plastic surgeon Dr. Alain Fogli’s ‘Lore’s fascial lifting’ method. This procedure results in a more dramatic neck and jaw rejuvenation, making the neck appear longer and more defined. Dr Hodgkinson has written several papers and presented several chapters in the textbooks of his technique.
Facelift Potential Complications
The major complication to avoid postoperatively is a haematoma or having blood collect under the skin flaps of the face. We offset this risk with a specialised clinical nurse who stabilises the blood pressure of all facelift patients to reduce anxiety or discomfort. This nurse can detect if hematoma has formed, in which case it can be quickly averted without any negative effect on the results of the facelift surgery.
Along with this, there is the risk of bruising and swelling in all patients which are quite normal and will vary from patient to patient based on the extent of the surgery. These bruises and swelling can also be minimised by early ice application and bandaging, with most patients returning to work after about two weeks.
Some patients may also feel depressed during the postoperative period; however, confidence will be restored with time as your rejuvenated and more youthful appearance settles in.
Before and 6 months after facelift and neck lift
What is Involved With the Procedure?
When many people think of facelift surgery, they tend to think about processes that were used in the earlier days of the surgery, in which wrinkled skin was stretched to create a smoother surface. These days however, there are more advanced modern techniques which are used to reshape the layers of connective tissue under the skin, which don’t involve similar stretching techniques.
While the process for this procedure will vary between patients based on their needs and how their tissue will be manipulated, trimmed, folded and then fixed in place, the aim of the procedure is uniformly to achieve a natural, youthful appearance usually with discreet incisions to minimise scarring. For a facelift operation, patients will be placed under general anaesthetic and twighlight anaesthesia.
Everyone heals differently, so whilst there is no one answer to this question, there are of course guidelines to help you plan for your surgery and an uneventful recovery.
The less invasive nature of today’s facelift procedures means that most people can be back at work after two weeks. There will be bruising and swelling after the operation but even the most severe swelling should be gone by the third week. Heavy work, stress and sudden movements should be avoided for the first ten days so as not to aggravate swelling or put any stress on the stitches.
Before and 3 Months After Facelift by Dr Hodgkinson
With any surgical procedure, there will likely be a certain amount of scarring. In the case of a facelift, natural creases or hairlines are used to keep incisions discreet and easily concealable with time all scars fade to being impeccable.
Jowls are commonly associated with ageing in the lower half of the face. Everyone ages differently but jowls are a common complaint of patients that present at the clinic to find out what their options are and what is the best procedure to correct their sagging jowls. As we get older, not only does our skin lose elasticity but the underlying tissues and fat pats atrophy as well. This ageing process creates this sagging, loose appearance, wherein the jawline loses its definition and often there is also a laxity of the tissues under the chin, giving the person a double chin.
The best procedure or treatment for sagging jowls usually involves a facelift of just the lower two-thirds of the face, which is enough to elevate these tissues combined with some fixation of the tissues underneath (not just a skin lift or S-Lift). It is not possible to create natural looking results when the skin is stretched and tightened like cling wrap to hold the sagging tissues in place. The advantage of the facelift combined with the fixation of the underlying tissues over more traditional procedures is that there is less scarring and “down-time” while still providing for a long lasting and more natural result. This is referred to as a SMAS lift.
No-one wants a double chin (or “turkey neck”) but regardless of your age, you can usually do something about it. From late teens some people notice the hereditary feature of a chubby fat neck. Just looking at your relatives gives you the clue that diet and exercise are not going to fix the problem. Liposuction is generally very effective for these fatty accumulations up to the age of about 40. After 40 years, men and women who are ageing relatively normally, note a laxity of skin and sagging muscles under the chin. A mini-lift is the treatment of choice at this age and can result in a marked “firming” and tensioning of the underlying muscles of the upper neck. After about age 45, fat and sagging skin combine to make the problem more severe and at this stage a neck-lift or a facelift is a better option. To find out the most suitable procedure for you, be sure to consult a surgeon with extensive experience in facelifts. Beware of the “latest”, the “newest”, the “L”, the “S” or “the turbo”! These procedures may have a nifty name but liposuction, a mini-lift and neck-lift have a proven track record of more than 20 years.
Before and After Face Lift & Neck Lift Surgery by Dr Hodgkinson
Whilst a facelift can be done at any time, it is important to time your surgery so that you have ample time off (at least a few weeks) to fully heal before returning to the rigours of daily life. That said, facelifts and other procedures, such as eyelid surgery, brow-lifts, neck-lifts and skin rejuvenation techniques like chemical peeling, laserbrasion and dermabrasion, are especially popular in winter. These procedures require the patient to reduce their exposure to the sun and this is easier to do in the cooler months. This exposure to the sun, however, if controlled does not preclude other seasons. Winter is also traditionally socially quieter than summer when holiday parties tend to take over.
Before and After Facelift Surgery by Dr Hodgkinson
Good results cannot be achieved at any age. Facelift surgery and its results are more dependent on the individual patient rather than the age. There is no more powerful tool than surgery to rejuvenate the ageing face. A facelift can give a dramatic reduction in your apparent age and make you look more energetic and enthusiastic.
A facelift can give you back your Mojo.
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Facelift Myths Revealed: How To Turn Back The Clock Overnight Without Looking Operated On
Click to watch this 3-minute video where world-class facial surgeon Dr Hodgkinson reveals the 3 top myths that he’s busted while helping to transform thousands of his patients’ faces over the past 30 years. And just for watching this video, you’ll also receive a special gift valued at $150 inside.
