Facelift
Turn back time
The ageing face undergoes two distinct changes: tissue sagging of the outer parts (cheek, jawline, mouth corners) and volume loss of the central part (eyes, cheekbones, lips). Over time, this results in a change of the overall facial contours. A young face has a typical V-shape with high cheekbones and a well-defined jawline. With ageing, the face becomes more boxy and elongated with the formation of jowls, hollow eyes, droopy mouth corners, an elongated upper lip, and a more distinct nasolabial fold. At the same time, the loss of skin elasticity and thinning of the skin may cause wrinkling and discolouration. A facelift is a very elegant solution to treat both the sagging tissues and volume loss, while at the same time improving skin pigmentation and texture. This all-in-one surgery can truly bring an uplift to your appearance, both physically as well as mentally.
The essentials
A facelift is an all-in-one surgery than restores both the sagged tissues and volume loss of the face, while at the same time improving skin texture.
It is the best option to treat typical signs of facial ageing, such as jowls, hollow eyes, droopy mouth corners and deepened nasolabial folds.
A facelift ensures the restoration of a fresh, youthful facial expression, while still maintaining a natural result.
A meticulous and state-of-the-art surgical technique results in a long-lasting result and avoids classical facelift stigmata.
Both the deep tissues and skin are lifted to have a result that lasts. The volume loss is restored by fat injections to give a smooth, natural, refreshened appearance.
An inconspicuous incision along the edge of the face gives access to the structures beneath the skin that need to be lifted. This usually heals nicely.
A facelift can easily be combined with an eyelid correction, brow lift, and neck lift for a complete facial rejuvenation.
Consider a downtime of 2 weeks with easy wound care. Avoid physical activity for 6 weeks.
Respect the recovery time well and you will profit from the transformation for the rest of your life.
What is a facelift ?
A facelift tackles both the sagging tissues of your cheeks and mouth region, as well as the volume loss around your eyes, cheekbones, lips, and the central part of the face. What is important to understand is that what you see on the outside (the jowls, droopy mouth corners, the deeper nasolabial folds) is a result of both the loss of skin elasticity as well as the sagging of the supportive structures beneath the skin (the SMAS or Superficial MusculoAponeurotic System and the elongation of the ligaments). At the same time, you loose volume (which is mostly loss of fat) in the central part of the face, which gives you hollower eyes, thinner lips and less prominent cheekbones. If you would look at a picture of your younger self, you would see exactly what I am describing. So a facelift is not only about lifting the skin, it is an all-in-one surgery that lifts the sagged deeper structures, redrapes the skin over it, restores the deflated volume loss through fat grafting, and treats the wrinkles by boosting the skin rejuvenation. All this work can be done with the most inconspicuous incision, that runs in the hairline, right at the border of the ear, around the lobule and behind the ear. This incision gives me access to the whole region that I need to lift. The fat grafting itself is done through small stab incisions with a needle, which do not leave any scars. To finish it off, I often use nano-fat (a special mixture of your own fat with a very liquid consistency) as a skin booster to stimulate skin tightening, improve the pigmentation, treat the wrinkles, and enhance the skin texture. Furthermore, a facelift can easily be combined with an eyelid correction, brow lift, and neck lift for a complete facial rejuvenation. During the consultation, I will explain to you the procedure in more detail, with pictures and photographs, as well as which scars to expect and the post-operative care that will be needed. You can expect a down time of 2 weeks, with light dressings.
Facial ageing is a combination of sagging tissues and volume loss. Both need to be addressed to ensure a long-lasting result.
An inconspicuous incision along the edge of the face gives access to the structures beneath the skin that need to be lifted. The excess skin is then resected and redraped.
What are the benefits of a facelift ?
Restoration of a fresh, youthful facial expression, while still maintaining a natural result
Avoiding typical facelift stigmata: no visible scars, no hairline elevation, no earlobe displacement, no over-stretched appearance
Removal of the jowls and creation of a well-defined jawline
Natural lift of the mouth corners and flattening of the deepened nasolabial folds
A facelift is a life-changing procedure with a very high satisfaction rate. Although I cannot make the time stand still (I wish I could...), we can achieve a beautiful result that easily makes you look 10-15 years younger. The main benefits of a facelift are:
Improvement of the skin elasticity and texture
Improvement of the hollowness around the eyes and flattened cheekbones
Barely visible scars
Light, easy dressings
Very natural look
Are you a good candidate for a facelift ?
Nowadays, a lot of treatments are available to rejuvenate the skin and face, both surgical and non-surgical. Volume loss can sometimes be treated with hyaluronic acid injections or fat grafting under local anaesthesia, skin tightening may be achieved with radio-frequency devices, and skin texture and elasticity can be improved with skin boosters and laser treatment. You should see a facelift as an all-in-one solution and treatment for the combination of volume loss, tissue sagging and skin laxity. Therefor, a facelift is also mainly necessary if you suffer from several signs of ageing. So the best candidate for a facelift, is a patient who has some of the following complaints:
Jowls with an undefined jawline
Droopy mouth corners with deepened nasolabial folds
Hollow eyes and loss of the youthful prominence of the cheekbones and infrabrow
Wrinkly, thinned skin
Overall tired appearance of the face, despite a young, energetic mindset
During the consultation, we will do a thorough analysis of your face together. You need to point out the areas that disturb you and I will explain to you how we can improve them. In case that a facelift is the best option, I will explain to you why that is. If I would be of the opinion that some other treatments may be better at a particular stage, I will also explain to you why and what the options are. For each patient, the right time to undergo surgery will vary because the ideal time to undergo plastic surgery is when a person experiences a disharmony between their external appearance and self-perception. Therefore, the ideal time for you to undergo, for example, a facelift is when looking in the mirror, you no longer identify with the image reflected. What treatment will best serve you, will then depend on what you aim to achieve. You can always expect a clear level of communication where I will explain the advantages and disadvantages of every possible treatment.
If you recognise some of these signs and concerns, I recommend you to plan a consultation in order to see how we can improve your overall facial aesthetics and bring a positive impact to your life.
