The 21st century ushered in an era of unprecedented technological advancement. From computers so small we can fit them in our pockets—i.e., smartphones—to affordable electric cars, the new millennium is shaping up to be a time of great change and wonderment.
If you’re interested in cosmetic medicine, you know that this field, too, is enjoying something of a renaissance. From laser treatments to neuromodulators and experimental therapies that rely on the use of human plasma, aesthetic treatments are becoming decidedly “space age.” However, while innovative nonsurgical procedures like the aforementioned get a lot of attention in the media, one area is all too often overlooked: Facelift surgery. Facelift surgery has come such a long way over the last two decades that it bears almost no resemblance to its initial form. If you think you know what facelift surgery looks like, it’s time to think again.
The Enduring Appeal of the Facelift
Despite its lack of publicity, the facelift has been quietly gaining in popularity over the last two decades. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of facelift patients rose by 28 percent between 1997 and 2015 alone. Curiously enough, research reveals that plastic surgery is actually becoming more popular because of—and not in spite of—the advent of noninvasive cosmetic medicine. When patients try treatments like Botox and discover what a difference cosmetic procedures can make in the way they look and feel, they inevitably think about going one step further. Moreover, the social acceptability of nonsurgical treatments has helped to ease some of the stigma that used to surround plastic surgery.
People also quickly discover that while noninvasive treatments are capable of making many pleasing alterations in one’s appearance, they still have certain limitations. They cannot, for example, remove loose skin from the neck or jowls. Likewise, while dermal fillers can fill in lines and hollows, they cannot raise the underlying musculature and supportive tissues of the face back to where they once were. As such, noninvasive treatments are only suitable for treating mild to moderate signs of aging. The vast majority of patients over the age of 45 require surgery in order to achieve highly visible, lasting results.
Patients ultimately experience the most satisfaction when they combine facelift surgery with nonsurgical procedures. Facelift surgery does the “heavy lifting,” in essence, while nonsurgical treatments can handle the detail work. Once the muscles of the face are adjusted and the overall shape of the face has been restored to its prior proportions, nonsurgical treatments can be used to resurface the skin and compensate for age-related facial fat loss, for instance. For this reason, many plastic surgeons refer to noninvasive treatments as “complementary procedures.” While they can never replace the facelift, they can most certainly enhance it.
New Methods, New Results: How Facelift Surgery has Changed
Two decades ago, facelift surgery was all about achieving optimal skin tightness. Little work was done to adjust the structural tissues beneath the dermis; instead, the skin was stretched until wrinkles were smoothed out. The patient’s excess skin was then removed and sutures were placed over his or her incisions (which were generally quite lengthy).
Alas, while the above method certainly worked to get rid of wrinkles in the short term, it wasn’t the ideal long-term solution to facial aging. To begin with, the results of this type of facelift usually only remained in place for about five years; as soon as the skin grew loose again, wrinkles would start to re-appear. (By contrast, patients can expect the results of today’s facelift methods to last an astounding ten to fifteen years.) Worse than this, however, was the effect skin stretching tended to have on the patient’s facial features. Overly tight (or repeated) skin-only facelifts tended to stretch the corners of the eyes, mouth, and brows upward, leading to a characteristic “windswept” look. Facelift surgery was therefore seen as something that distorted, rather than enhanced, a patient’s natural beauty.
Today, however, we have a much better understanding of what actually causes facial aging. We know that wrinkles are only the skin-deep symptom of a much larger problem: The sagging of the subcutaneous musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS). The SMAS is a system of muscles and connective tissues that lie across the cheeks and jaw. As we age and our connective tissues get weaker (owing to collagen loss), the SMAS slowly “drops,” sliding further and further down the face. This has a variety of different effects on the face: First and foremost, it leads to poor skin support; this causes the skin (which is already becoming looser with age, also due to collagen loss) to sag dramatically downwards. As a result, the cheeks start to droop, jowls appear, and overall facial definition is lost. At the same time, fatty deposits that once sat high on the cheeks also journey south. This leads to the formation of hollows under the eyes and cheeks and often creates a tired, gaunt appearance—even in patients who are well-rested and a healthy weight.
This is why modern facelift techniques—such as the deep plane and SMAS lift—focus on treating aging where it starts: In the muscles. During a deep plane or SMAS lift, the muscles of the SMAS are “released” and then moved gently upwards so that they rest higher on the face, just as they once did. Once this step is complete, the face’s fatty deposits, connective tissues, and skin are carefully “draped” over the adjusted SMAS. The skin is then pulled firm, but not stretched in any way, leaving the patient’s facial features completely intact. Then and only then is loose skin removed. All of these steps create a final result that is completely indistinguishable from very graceful natural aging. The patient looks ten to fifteen years younger, but without any of the telltale giveaways that used to signal plastic surgery.
While this sounds like an intensive operation, modern surgical methods have ensured that deep plane and SMAS lifts are actually less invasive in many ways than their skin-only predecessor. Surgeons are using smaller incisions coupled with highly specialized instruments in order to reach the patient’s underlying tissues without causing a great deal of damage to the dermis. This results in a relative lack of post-surgical pain, swelling, and bruising. In fact, as an anonymous patient explained to Allure Magazine, recovering from a modern facelift can be downright easy. “I healed really fast and was out running errands four or five days after surgery,” said the patient. “And I looked so natural—like myself but more defined. Now the laxity in my jawline is gone. My neck is smooth but not at all fake-looking. And with the exception of the one or two people I told, nobody seemed to notice I’d had anything done—not even my ex-husband… I have scars around my ears, mostly hidden in the folds, but really, my face looks so good, I don’t even care.”
Crossing the Gender Barrier
Another area where facelift surgery has made great strides is in adapting to the needs of male patients. Decades ago, the mere idea of a man—especially a man who wasn’t directly involved in the entertainment industry—getting a facelift was considered highly taboo. Today, however, our attitudes have changed. Society has come to embrace the idea that, like women, men want to look good and feel good about themselves, at every age. We understand that the need to love one’s self is a human need—and right—that shouldn’t be restricted simply due to a person’s gender. As such, male facelift surgery has experienced a dramatic surge in demand.
If you’re a man who’s interested in anti-aging procedures, you’ll be happy to know that modern facelift methods are especially flattering to male patients. Unlike skin-only facelifts, which tended to distort and soften male features, modern facelift methods allow plastic surgeons to refine and chisel the jaw and cheeks in a distinctly masculine way. The subtler scarring associated with modern facelift surgery is highly advantageous for male patients, too. Because men usually keep their hair short, they have less opportunity to disguise facelift scarring—something that could lead to embarrassing moments after having a skin-only lift. Today, however, facelift scars can often be hidden entirely by the earlobes and hairline, so long as the patient in question still has sufficient hair cover.
Furthermore, plastic surgeons have become adept at working with the unique properties of the male face thanks to the number of male facelift patients they now serve. They understand how to effectively drape and position thicker male skin, for example, and how to use complementary nonsurgical procedures to strengthen key features on the male face, such as the chin. Male facelift patients can expect to walk away from surgery looking mature, strong, and dignified, while also maintaining a youthful alertness and vitality.
In addition to conferring numerous personal benefits (in the form of increased self-esteem and confidence), male facelift surgery has been shown to give guys a professional edge… And this, too, is believed to be a significant factor in why so many men are seeking out plastic surgery. While an obviously mature look used to be favored in some industries—such as the financial and educational sectors—research shows this is changing. Today, across almost every field, younger looking men are being paid more, and promoted more often, than their older looking contemporaries. Our society has become so fast-paced that looking alert and energetic is paramount to being perceived as a dynamic, capable employee. Furthermore, younger looking people are assumed to be more technologically savvy—an extremely desirable quality in an era when almost every job involves the use of advanced technology. It’s therefore little wonder that the American Society of Plastic Surgeons has reported a 20 percent increase in the number of men seeking plastic surgery since 2010.
Creating Results that Last For Life
Regardless of whether you’re male or female, you’ll be happy to know that facelift surgery is now a better investment than ever before. Because the SMAS takes a long time to “drop,” many patients find that the results of just one facelift that addresses the SMAS will last well into old age. In fact, it’s becoming more and more common for patients to undergo only a single “full” facelift during their lifetimes. Instead of having multiple full facelifts, they turn to what is known as a “mini” facelift to touch up their original procedure every five to ten years. This less invasive procedure can quickly make small adjustments to the SMAS and combat skin laxity, without requiring extensive healing time.
There has, in summation, never been a better time to try facelift surgery. Whether you’re a man or a woman, forty or seventy, this procedure can reverse the signs of aging in ways we once could only dream about. For facelift surgery patients, the future is bright.
