Facelift: Stop the moments of youth

Perhaps no one wants to say goodbye to youth and beauty. Fortunately, plastic surgeons are ready to argue over time: with their help, patients can "stop" the aging process, preserve youth and at the same time naturalness. But is it possible to trust someone with your face without fear? How to choose a good clinic and a competent specialist from the abundance of tempting offers?

What is a facelift for?

With age, the appearance and contours of the face change due to natural physiological processes. There are many reasons for this: hormonal imbalance, slowing down of metabolic processes, decreased collagen production, change in the composition of bone tissue, loss of fat bundles in some places and its appearance in others, where it is found. undesirables, etc. As a result, the facial tissues lose their volume and elasticity, the skin becomes flabby and loose.

No matter how good care, effective folk methods and cosmetic procedures are used, time will take its toll: all these funds can only affect the superficial layers of the skin. Even if it turns out that it delays the appearance of superficial wrinkles for a long time, then it will not be possible to completely stop or reverse the processes that occur in deep tissues with the help of all of the above.

On a noteThe emergence of modern techniques has allowed surgical tensioning services to once again strengthen their position. According to the International Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), today our country is in the TOP 15 countries in the world in terms of the number of plastic surgeries performed. In 2017, the local plastic surgery market reached a record turnover in the last five years, increasing by more than 30%. The demand for aesthetic medicine continues to grow. The third most popular among all types of plastic surgery is the facelift.

Whattestimonyfor a facelift, ptosis is the first to appear. This is a prolapse of the soft tissues of the face as a result of a gradual loss of elasticity and tone of the skin, deterioration of muscle contractility. Ptosis can predominate in a specific part of the face:

• in the lower third of the face- ptosis (drooping) of the neck and chin tissues against the background of relaxation and increase in the skin area. This leads to the formation of wrinkles and folds in the neck and the smoothing of a clear chin-cervical angle;
• in the middle third of the face- Nasolabial folds, nasolacrimal folds, bags under the eyes and drooping cheeks, distorting the oval of the face;
• in the upper third of the face- wrinkles on the forehead, drooping of the outer edges of the eyebrows and corners of the eyes, protrusion of the eyelids, formation of horizontal wrinkles on the bridge of the nose.

These age-related tissue aging signs can be compensated for through the use of various techniques of facial plastic surgery and professional cosmetology. However, when it comes to surgical intervention, it is important not to forget the other side of the coin: contraindications.

Contraindications:

• malignant neoplasms;
• violation of blood clotting;
• epilepsy and serious psychosomatic illnesses;
• untreated hypertension;
• diseases of the internal organs;
• dermatological diseases;
• chronic diseases in exacerbation stage;
• the pregnancy;
• Inflammatory and infectious processes.

On a note

Aging, although not very pleasant, is a natural process in which the natural anthropometric proportions of the face should be preserved, despite the fact that this is accompanied by the appearance of gravitational ptosis, that is, physiological loss of tissue volume and the formation of skin folds and wrinkles. Therefore, from the beginning of the degenerative process of the tissues, it is better to choose more delicate exposure methods that do not give a pronounced effect of a "tuned" face.

Cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, of course, has come a long way in its development and its possibilities are now great. However, you should be aware that after plastic surgery there is a possibility of complications: surgeons know them well and know how to minimize side effects. But some complications can be lengthy and even dangerous, which is why choosing a plastic surgeon with extensive experience and an impeccable reputation is so important.

Here is an overview of the most popular face lift methods today; This will give you an idea of the "arsenal" of modern cosmetic surgery and cosmetology clinics.

Types of braces

Today, plastic surgery specialists can perform facelift procedures for all tastes, because the possibilities of modern medicine allow it. Each technique has its own adherents both among doctors and among patients. Let's take a closer look at how these techniques differ.

Surgical methods of face lift.

These techniques allow you to work on the deep tissues of the face, so that they can have a long-lasting effect. The most popular and effective are the endoscopic face lift and the SMAS lift, which are aimed at a comprehensive solution to age-related problems. With its help, the redistribution of the soft tissues of the face and the tightening of the skin are carried out.

Circular facelift (complex face and neck correction) -a combined method of surgical rejuvenation, which includes the possibilities of several techniques.

• Indications: loss of tissue volume, "floating" contour, large amount of excess loose tissue, deep wrinkles and other age-related changes.
• Contraindications- diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, nervous and other systems, as well as of the liver and kidneys, hematological and skin pathologies, inflammatory and infectious processes, the period of pregnancy and lactation - to identify contraindications, it is necessary to conduct a laboratory and instrumental, consult with various specialists. . .
• Injury: high. This is a full-blown operation, therefore, when choosing this technique, you should be aware of the severity of the next intervention.
• Conducting: With a circular scalpel lift, long incisions are made, followed by deep tissue shaping, transposition of fat pockets, and excision of excess skin. The operation is performed under general anesthesia. Subsequently, it is necessary to stay in a hospital (up to two days) and a rehabilitation period of at least one month.
• Outcome- the most pronounced and durable, compared to all other techniques. Possible complications are scarring, damage to the facial nerve and its branches, and extensive bruising.
• pros- the most effective procedure for a facelift with an excessive amount of tissue, the ability to correct deficiencies that other methods cannot cope with.
• Disadvantages: high trauma, relatively serious risk of complications, long rehabilitation period.

Endoscopic facelift -a progressive type of surgical intervention for the deep correction of age-related changes using video endoscopic equipment. As you can understand, this method uses an endoscope with a video camera several millimeters in size, which transmits a magnified image many times to the monitor. So that the doctor can clearly see the working area with the nerve bundles and vessels found in it. An endoscopic face and neck lift is performed under general anesthesia. The varieties are endoscopic lifting of the upper, middle or lower third of the face; each of the operations is used according to the part of the face problems to be treated. It is possible to work with separate areas and combine various types of interventions. With an endoscopic face lift, the blood vessels are little injured and you have full control over the operation, and if all the rules and recommendations are followed, the risk of serious complications is practically excluded. Tissue swelling, small bruises, and temporary hair loss in the surgical area are possible, but over time, the tissues are fully restored.

• Indications- Deep wrinkles and folds, the consequences of soft tissue sagging, lack of tissue volume due to age-related changes, drooping eyelids, drooping eyebrows and other cosmetic problems.
• Contraindications: oncology, serious chronic diseases in the acute phase, inflammatory skin diseases, infections, skin coagulation disorders, pregnancy and lactation.
• Injury: half. The equipment allows to dispense with large incisions and to control the location of blood vessels and nerves.
• Carrying out the procedure: under general anesthesia, small incisions are made (up to 1. 5 cm), then a deep detachment of the mask is made and tissue manipulation is performed under the control of videoendoscopic equipment: dissection, tension and fixation of muscles and fat packages. At the end, cosmetic sutures are applied. The stitches are removed in five to seven days and the patient can return to his usual lifestyle in two to three weeks.
• Outcome- The patient looks 10-15 years younger and does not lose his natural individuality: the skin is smoothed, the volumes are replenished, but the natural symmetry is preserved. The duration of the effect depends on individual characteristics, the presence of bad habits and behavioral stereotypes, but in general, the result can last up to 20 years. If we talk about the possible negative consequences, then everything is limited to swelling and small bruises.
• Advantagehigh safety and low level of trauma, the possibility of complete control with a video camera, the absence of visible traces of surgery, a pronounced rejuvenating effect.
• Disadvantages- In the initial rehabilitation period, the effect of overcorrection is observed, the technique is not suitable for patients with very large excess skin.

SMAS elevation- an effective method of surgical tightening with modeling of the muscular-aponeurotic layer. Most foreign plastic surgeons believe that the aging process of the middle and lower third of the face is mainly associated with this layer.

• Indications- signs of aging in the form of sagging and loss of skin elasticity, wrinkles, indistinct facial contours.
• Contraindications: oncology, chronic diseases in the acute phase, blood clotting disorders, pregnancy.
• Carrying out the procedure- During the operation, after removal of the excess, the skin is tightened, the muscle tissue is moved and fixed. The operation lasts several hours, after which a recovery period is required, which lasts for about a month.
• Outcomepersistent, lasts up to eight years, but not as pronounced as with endoscopic lifting. Possible complications include nerve damage, bruising, and edema.
• prosmethods: remarkable lifting effect, removal of excess skin.
• Disadvantages- the risk of complications, the presence of scars around the pinna (in front of and behind the ears).

Non-surgical skin tightening

It is a group of techniques whose use allows to obtain a lifting effect without significant damage to the skin. These approaches have gained popularity due to the ability to perform a non-surgical facelift procedure, that is, in a gentler manner with a minimal period of rehabilitation. Unfortunately, this inevitably affects the severity and duration of the effect.

Hardware Cosmetologyincludes techniques that use ultrasonic, radio wave, or laser lifting effects on tissues without violating their integrity.

• Indications: wrinkles, loss of skin firmness and clear contour.
• Contraindications: oncology, chronic diseases, inflammatory skin diseases, pregnancy.
• Injury: absent or almost absent.
• Conducting- During the procedure, the impact on the problem area is performed with special equipment, in this case, it is not necessary to use general anesthesia and in a long rehabilitation period. The patient can immediately return to work, it is only required to follow the doctor's recommendations. With some procedures, only a few sessions are sufficient, while others require a course of procedures.
• Outcome: restores firmness and turgor, smoothes wrinkles, stimulates the natural production of collagen and elastin. The result is less durable than after surgical tightening and largely depends both on the characteristics of the patient's body and directly on the specific characteristics of the chosen technique. The effect generally lasts two to three years.
• pros- Visible effect without trauma, absence of painful sensations and need for long-term rehabilitation, skin tightening.
• Disadvantages- the inability to eliminate many of the expressed problems of aging, a less noticeable and lasting result, the need to repeat the course.

Injections -the introduction of fillers based on hyaluronic acid, collagen or botulinum toxin to combat age-related changes.

• Indications: wrinkles, lack of volume.
• Contraindications- serious chronic diseases in the stage of exacerbation, skin diseases, violation of the integrity of the skin, blood clotting disorders, intolerance to individual drugs, pregnancy and lactation.
• Injury: The contour plasty procedure is considered less traumatic, but there is a risk of damaging blood vessels and nerves with a needle.
• Conducting: The procedure usually takes less than an hour to complete. Only the application of anesthesia can be used, after which the drug is injected into the problem area with a needle or cannula. With the help of a filler, you can remove nasolacrimal folds, nasolabial folds, correct the lack of volume in the middle and lower third of the face. Botulinum toxin is injected only into muscles to relieve hypertonicity and then smooth wrinkles. Also in this way it is quite possible to "lift" the lowered corners of the mouth. After the procedure, the patient can return to normal activities and perform them, following the doctor's recommendations.
• Outcome- procedures allow to replenish volume and eliminate wrinkles, but the result depends on the characteristics of the patient's body and the choice of drug. The effect can last three-from six months to a year or a year and a half.
• pros: low trauma, ability to correct the result if unsatisfactory, without the need for rehabilitation and use of general anesthesia.
• Disadvantages: short-term result, need for repetition, visual removal of only superficial imperfections.

The cost of facial rejuvenation procedures: you can not buy youth?

When choosing a clinic, it is worth remembering the well-known phrase: "You get what you pay for. "Any type of facelift is a procedure that requires modern equipment, high-quality medications and anesthesia, providing the patient with special conditions of stay and, most importantly, a high rating from the surgeon. If the price of this type of service is suspiciously low, it means that some of these points (or all at the same time) are not respected, and perhaps the clinic does not have any license. But the beauty and health of facial skin is not something you can save on. The public knows a lot of stories about patients who, once determined to save money, were then forced to spend much larger amounts not only on correcting the cosmetic consequences of a failed operation, but also on restoring their health.

On average, the price for a deep, two-area surgical face lift starts from quite an impressive amount; if it is necessary to carry out more serious manipulations with a combination of techniques, you will have to spend even more. The exact cost can be found only in the consultation, since the scope of the intervention depends on the individual characteristics of the patient. We talk about the age, the quality of the skin, the volume of unwanted tissues, the type of structure of the face, as well as the wishes of the person himself, and much more.

SMAS hardware (ultrasonic) face lift is not too cheap, the price is largely influenced by the number of lines. The cost of the contour with fillers depends on the drug and the volume of administration required.

The technologies that allow the return of young people are constantly being improved, increasingly expanding the possibilities of modern aesthetic medicine. Today, plastic surgeons can eliminate almost any manifestation of age-related changes and, after the introduction of endoscopic technology, it was also possible to minimize the trauma of operations. So the use of modern equipment, an individual approach and the use of advanced techniques is all that people who want to look rejuvenated can count on.

Where can I go for the procedure?

Recommendations for choosing a center for aesthetic medicine and a specialist are given by an expert - plastic surgeon:

"Since plastic surgery and cosmetology gained great popularity, a large number of specialized clinics have appeared on the market. Unfortunately, some of these institutions do not meet high standards for the provision of medical services and employ unscrupulous specialists. Such clinics Not only are they not interested in successfully solving the patient's problem, they simply don't have the resources for high-quality work.

In order to find a high-class doctor and a comfortable clinic, it is necessary to study as much information as possible about the specialists and the institution itself. First of all, do not hesitate to apply for a license for the right to perform medical activities, certificates, diplomas of doctors. . . In addition, all these documents must be available to the public on the site. It is necessary that the license reflects the fulfillment of the requirements of the Procedure for the provision of medical attention in the profile of "Plastic Surgery", approved by order of the Ministry of Health. You should also pay attention to the documents that confirm the current certification of the surgeon. It is worth finding out what the status of the clinic is, whether it has a sufficient level of funding to purchase high-quality equipment, and whether the medical institution has experience in performing the necessary procedures and photos of illustrative examples. It is desirable that the institution has been operating for more than a year: if the history of the clinic is long, this suggests that patients (and regulatory authorities) have already formed an attitude of trust towards this medical institution.

An important selection criterion is a wide range of services provided and an integrated approach to solving the aesthetic problems of the patient in one place: from diagnostic measures to plastic surgery and professional cosmetology.