When it comes to rejuvenating surgeries, facelifts tend to get most of the attention. While it’s true that a facelift can do a lot to help a person look younger and that it is often the “go to” facial plastic surgery procedure, it’s also true that not every patient is a good candidate for a facelift.
A facelift is ideal if you’ve got signs of facial aging, notably sagging and loose skin in the lower third of your face. But what if your face is changing in other ways as you get older? If you’ve noticed skin laxity or sagging in other areas, one of these alternative rejuvenating surgeries might be a better fit for you.
Brow Lift
In some cases, signs of aging not only make you look older, but they can also make you look like you are constantly tired, worried, or angry.
For example, some people develop a heaviness in their eyebrows or forehead as a result of the aging process. The brows start to droop down and lines can appear between the eyebrows and across the forehead, creating an upset or angry-looking facial expression.
While a facelift won’t correct sagging in the forehead or heaviness in the eyebrows, a brow lift (forehead lift) can. During a brow lift, the surgeon makes incisions within the hairline or at the top of the forehead. The skin and underlying tissue in the area are repositioned and lifted, smoothing the brow and reducing the appearance of heaviness.
Although in the past, brow lifts required a full incision across the head, newer methods use much smaller incisions. A surgeon today is likely to use a camera, or endoscope, to navigate the area while performing the surgery.
Endoscopic brow lifts tend to have lower risks of complications and require considerably smaller incisions than traditional techniques. Another benefit of an endoscopic brow lift is that the recovery time needed after the procedure is usually much shorter.
Eyelid Lift
People often say that the eye area is one of the first regions of the face to show signs of aging. The skin around the eyes is extremely delicate and prone to deterioration. Because of this, it is common for people to notice changes there sooner rather than later.
While an eyelid lift can’t solve all of the problems associated with aging eyes, it can address many of them. The surgery can help to reduce the appearance of bags or puffiness under the eyes. It can also help to make the eyes look more alert and awake by reducing drooping in the eyelids.
Depending on a person’s goals and needs, a surgeon can either perform an eyelid lift on the upper lids alone, the lower lids alone or on both the upper and lower eyelids.
Usually, recovery after an eyelid lift can take about two weeks. During that time, you’ll want to rest your eyes and give them a break from reading or screen time.
Neck Lift
Perhaps surprisingly, the neck is another area that begins to show signs of aging quickly. There are a lot of reasons why a person’s neck might age more quickly than the skin on their face.
Although many people use anti-aging products and moisturizers on their face, the neck often gets neglected. The neck also experiences a lot of repetitive movements. This can contribute to the development of lines and wrinkles across its surface.
A neck lift helps to create a tighter, more youthful-looking neck. It does that by removing extra skin and fat from the neck area (it is sometimes combined with liposuction of the neck). The neck lift procedure can also involve tightening the platysma muscle, which often becomes loose with age.
Compared to other rejuvenating surgeries, recovery after a neck lift is often very short. Patients might need to take less than a week off from work after the surgery.
Can’t decide which rejuvenating facial surgery is the right one for you? You might benefit most from a combination of procedures. Dr. Paul Vitenas, a plastic surgeon in Houston, Texas, can go over all your options and explain each surgery in full detail. He can evaluate your face and neck and help you choose the surgery or surgeries that are right for you.
To schedule a consultation with Dr. Vitenas, call 281-484-0088 today!