|
Once considered a rite of passage for older women, facelifts have taken a new approach that appeals to younger patients. A technique known as the extended mini-facelift allows plastic surgeons to help preserve a youthful, rested look for an additional five to 10 years. And the procedure can be repeated before the need for a full, or formal, facelift arises.
“Only a few years ago, we rarely performed a facelift on anyone around age 40. We’d tell them to come back in five years or more. Now we know that the younger you are—within reason—the better and longer your results will be,” says Dr. Donald Wood-Smith, a Park Avenue plastic surgeon.
“The ideal time to begin facial rejuvenation is when you become tired of looking tired—usually between age 38 and 48. The technique produces subtle changes that give the impression that you never age.
A tiny instrument called an endoscope allows Dr. Wood-Smith to elevate the forehead through three tiny perforations made within the hairline. Working under the skin, he lifts the eyebrows and tightens muscles and supporting structures.
A small incision within the temporal hairline allows for the elevation of the cheeks and jowls to complete the lift.
When wrinkling around the eyes and mouth is the main complaint, laser resurfacing may obviate the need for a mini-facelift. According to Dr. Wood-Smith, however, it cannot replace it.
“A vertical lift cannot be done safely with a laser, no matter what someone tells you,” he stresses. “When the face begins to drop, it must be corrected endoscopically with a mini-facelift or by a full facelift.
“The laser can be used effectively, however, to remove skin layer by layer, making fine lines disappear to produce a modestly tighter skin.”
After laser skin resurfacing, patients look great with makeup in less than two weeks, and terrific with a bare face after two to three months.
While a majority of patients undergoing facial rejuvenation are young women, men now comprise 10 to 15 percent of Dr. Wood-Smith’s practice. The upward trend, he noticed, coincided with downsizing in industry.
“More and more men are recognizing the commercial advantages of looking younger and more vigorous. It helps them compete with younger men in their field,” he explains.
Regardless of age or sex, most people can benefit from some form of cosmetic surgery. And while facial rejuvenation is the modern trend, the technique must be individualized, depending on the type and extent of skin sagging and desired result. Therefore, Dr. Wood-Smith offers this advice to anyone considering cosmetic surgery: “Seek only a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery who knows all aspects of his craft.”
Dr. Donald Wood-Smith is Chairman of plastic surgery at New York Eye & Ear Infirmary and a professor of plastic surgery at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. He is past chairman of plastic surgery at Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital and past professor of plastic surgery at New York University
Back to Top
|
