Facelift: stop the moments of youth

Perhaps no one wants to say goodbye to youth and beauty. Fortunately, plastic surgeons are ready to argue with 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 one's face without fear? How to choose from the plethora of tempting onesOffered a good clinic and a competent specialist?

What is a facelift for?

With increasing age, the appearance and contours of the face change through natural physiological processes. There are many reasons for this: hormonal imbalance, a slowdown in metabolic processes, a decrease in collagen production, a change in the composition of bone tissue, the loss of fat packets in some places and their appearance in others where it is undesirable, etc. As a result, the facial tissue loses itselfVolume and elasticity, the skin becomes flabby and flabby.

No matter how good care, effective folk methods and cosmetic procedures are used, time will take its toll: all these agents can only affect the surface layers of the skin. Even if it turns out that the appearance of superficial wrinkles is delayed for a long time, then with all of the above steps, the processes that occur in deep tissues cannot be stopped or completely reversed.

On a noteThe advent of modern techniques has allowed the surgical tightening services to regain their position. According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), our country is now among the TOP 15 countries in the world in terms of the number of plastic surgeries performed. In 2017, the local plastic surgery market reached record sales over the past five years, growing by more than 30%. The demand for aesthetic medicine continues to grow. The third most popular among all types of plastic surgery is the face lift.

astranscriptThe first thing that occurs during a facelift is ptosis. This is a prolapse of the soft tissues of the face as a result of a gradual loss of skin elasticity and tone, deterioration in muscle contractility. Ptosis can be prevalent in a specific part of the face:

• in the lower third of the face- Ptosis (drooping) of the tissues of the neck and chin against the background of relaxation and enlargement of the skin area. This leads to the formation of fine lines and wrinkles on the neck and to the smoothing of a clear chin-neck angle;
• in the middle third of the face- Nasolabial folds, tear nasal grooves, bags under the eyes, and sagging cheeks that distort the oval of the face;
• in the upper third of the face- Wrinkles in the forehead, drooping of the outer edges of the eyebrows and corners of the eyes, overhanging of the eyelids, formation of horizontal wrinkles in the bridge of the nose.

These age-related signs of aging of the tissue can be compensated for using various facial plastic surgery and professional cosmetics techniques. However, when performing surgical interventions, it is important not to forget about the other side of the coin - contraindications.

Contraindications:

• malignant neoplasms;
• violation of blood clotting;
• Epilepsy and severe psychosomatic illness;
• untreated high blood pressure;
• Diseases of internal organs;
• dermatological diseases;
• chronic diseases at the stage of exacerbation;
• 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 are to be preserved, although this does so with the appearance of gravitational ptosis, i. H. a physiological loss of tissue volume and the formation of wrinkles and fine lines. Therefore, from the very beginning of the degenerative process of tissues, it is better to choose more sensitive methods of exposure that do not give a pronounced effect of a "tuned" face.

Aesthetic and reconstructive surgery is of course well advanced in its development and its possibilities are now great. However, you need to be aware that there is a possibility of complications after plastic surgery - surgeons are aware of these and know how to minimize side effects. However, some complications can be lengthy and even dangerous, which is why it is so important to choose a plastic surgeon with years of experience and an impeccable reputation.

Here is an overview of the currently most popular methods of facelift - so you can get an idea of the "arsenal" of modern clinics for aesthetic surgery and cosmetics.

Types of braces

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

Surgical methods of facelift

These techniques allow you to work on the deep tissues of the face so they can have a lasting effect. The most popular and effective are endoscopic facelifts and SMAS lifts - they aim to provide a comprehensive solution to age-related problems. With their help, the redistribution of the soft tissues of the face and skin tightening are carried out.

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

• Indications: Loss of tissue volume, "floating" contour, lots 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 the liver and kidneys, hematological and skin pathologies, inflammatory and infectious processes, pregnancy and lactation - to identify contraindications, it is necessary to conduct a laboratory and instrumental studies, consultA number of specialists. . .
• injury: high. This is a full-fledged operation, so when choosing this technique, you need to be aware of the severity of the procedure ahead.
• execution: A circular scalpel lift involves making long incisions, followed by deep tissue modeling, transposition of fatty sacs, and excision of excess skin. The operation is performed under general anesthesia. A hospital stay (up to two days) and a rehabilitation phase of at least one month are then required.
• Result- the most pronounced and longest lasting compared to all other techniques. Possible complications are scars, damage to the facial nerve and its branches, and extensive hematomas.
• Professionals: the most effective procedure for a facelift with too much tissue, the ability to correct imperfections that other methods cannot cope with.
• Minus points: high trauma, relatively high risk of complications, long rehabilitation period.

Endoscopic facelift -a progressive surgical procedure to deeply correct age-related changes using videoendoscopic equipment. As you can understand, this method uses an endoscope with a video camera several millimeters in size, which transmits an image magnified many times over to the monitor. In this way, the doctor can clearly see the work area with the nerve bundles and vessels located in it. An endoscopic face and neck lift is performed under general anesthesia. Variants are endoscopic lifting of the upper, middle or lower third of the face - each of the operations is used depending on which part of the facial problem needs to be treated. It is possible to work with separate zones as well as to combine several types of interventions. With an endoscopic facelift, there is little damage to the blood vessels and full control over the operation is given, and if all rules and recommendations are followed, the risk of serious complications is practically eliminated. Tissue swelling, small bruises, and temporary hair loss in the area of the procedure are possible, but over time the tissues will be fully restored.

• Indications: deep wrinkles and fine lines, the consequences of sagging soft tissues, lack of tissue volume due to age-related changes, drooping eyelids, drooping eyebrows and other aesthetic problems.
• Contraindications: Oncology, severe chronic diseases in the acute stage, inflammatory skin diseases, infections, skin coagulation disorders, pregnancy and lactation.
• injury: Middle. The device makes it possible to dispense with large incisions and to control the position of blood vessels and nerves.
• Implementation of the procedure: Under general anesthesia, small incisions (up to 1. 5 cm) are made, then a deep detachment of the face mask and tissue manipulation under the control of videoendoscopic equipment: dissection, tension and fixation of muscles and fat pads. Cosmetic stitches are made at the end. The stitches are removed in five to seven days and the patient can return to their normal lifestyle in two to three weeks.
• Result: The patient looks 10-15 years younger and does not lose his natural individuality - the skin is smoothed, the volume is 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.
• Plus pointshigh safety and low trauma, the possibility of complete control with a video camera, the absence of visible signs of surgery, a pronounced rejuvenating effect.
• Minus points: In the early rehabilitation phase, the effect of overcorrection is observed; the technique is poorly suited for patients with very large excess skin.

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

• Indications: Signs of aging in the form of sagging and loss of elasticity of the skin, wrinkles, indistinct facial contours.
• Contraindications: Oncology, chronic diseases in the acute stage, bleeding disorders, pregnancy.
• Implementation of the procedure: During the operation, after removing the excess, the skin is tightened, the muscle tissue is moved and fixed. The operation takes several hours, after which a recovery period is required, which lasts about a month.
• Resultpersistent, lasts up to eight years, but not as pronounced as with endoscopic lifting. Possible complications are nerve damage, bruises, and edema.
• ProfessionalsMethods: noticeable lifting effect, removal of excess skin.
• Minus points: the risk of complications, the presence of scars around the auricle (in front and behind the ears).

Skin tightening without surgery

This is a group of techniques that can be used to achieve a lifting effect without significantly damaging the skin. Such approaches gained their popularity due to the ability to have a face lift procedure without surgery, that is, in a gentler way with minimal rehabilitation time. Unfortunately, this inevitably affects the severity and duration of the effect.

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

• Indications: Wrinkles, loss of skin firmness and clear contours.
• Contraindications: Oncology, chronic diseases, inflammatory skin diseases, pregnancy.
• injury: absent or almost absent.
• execution: During the procedure, action on the problem area is carried out using special devices. In this case, general anesthesia is not required and in a long period of rehabilitation. The patient can immediately return to his business, it is only necessary to follow the recommendations of the doctor. A few sessions are sufficient for some procedures, while a procedural sequence is required for others.
• Result: Restoration of firmness and turgor, smoothing of wrinkles, stimulation of the natural collagen and elastin production. The result is less lasting than after a surgical tightening and depends heavily on both the patient's body characteristics and directly on the specifics of the technique chosen. The effect usually lasts for two to three years.
• Professionals- visible effect without trauma, the absence of painful sensations and the need for long-term rehabilitation, skin tightening.
• Minus points- the inability to eliminate many of the expressed problems of aging, a less noticeable and permanent result, the need to repeat the course.

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

• Indications: Wrinkles, lack of volume.
• Contraindications: severe chronic diseases in the stage of exacerbation, skin diseases, violation of skin integrity, blood coagulation disorders, individual drug intolerance, pregnancy and lactation.
• injury: The contour plastic procedure is considered less traumatic, but there is a risk of injury to blood vessels and nerves by a needle.
• execution: The process usually takes less than an hour. Only application 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 get rid of tear nasal grooves and nasolabial folds and correct the lack of volume in the middle and lower thirds of the face. Botulinum toxin is only injected into the muscles - to relieve hypertension and then smooth out wrinkles. In this way, too, it is quite possible to "raise" the lowered corners of the mouth. After the procedure, the patient can return to normal business and perform it according to the recommendations of the doctor.
• Result: Procedures make it possible to replenish the 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 for three-six months to a year or a year and a half.
• Professionals: little trauma, the ability to correct the result if it turns out to be unsatisfactory, no need for rehabilitation and the use of general anesthesia.
• Minus points: short-term result, need for repetition, visual elimination of only superficial imperfections.

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

When choosing a clinic, you should remember the well-known phrase: "You get what you pay for. " Any type of facelift is an operation that requires modern equipment, high-quality drugs and anesthesia, the patient special conditions of stay and, above all, a high oneQualification of the surgeon offers. If the price for this type of service is suspiciously low, it means that some of these points (or all of them at once) are ignored and the clinic may not have a license at all. But you can't save on the beauty and health of the facial skin. The public knows a multitude of stories about patients who, having made the decision to save money, later had to spend much larger sums not only to correct the aesthetic consequences of an unsuccessful operation, but also to restore their health.

On average, the price for a deep surgical facelift of two areas of the face starts at a fairly impressive amount; if there is a need to do more serious manipulations using a combination of techniques, then you will have to spend even more. The exact costs can only be determined during the consultation, as the scope of the procedure depends on the individual characteristics of the patient. We are talking about age, the quality of the skin, the volume of unwanted tissues, the type of face structure, as well as the desires of the person himself and much more.

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

Technologies that enable youth to return are constantly improving and expanding the possibilities of modern aesthetic medicine. Plastic surgeons today are able to eliminate almost any manifestation of age-related changes, and with the advent of endoscopic technology it also became possible to minimize surgical trauma. The use of modern equipment, an individual approach and the use of advanced techniques are all that people who want to look rejuvenated can rely on.

Where can I do the procedure?

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

"Since plastic surgery and cosmetology gained popularity, many specialized clinics have appeared on the market. Unfortunately, some of these facilities do not meet high standards of medical service delivery and employ unscrupulous specialists. Such clinics are not only not interested in successfully solving the patient's problem, but also simply do not have the necessary resources for quality work.

In order to find a first-class doctor and a comfortable clinic, it is necessary to study as much information as possible about the specialists and the institution itself. Do not hesitate to first apply for a license for the right to practice medical activities, certificates, diplomas from doctors. . . In addition, all of these documents should be publicly available on the website. It is necessary that the license reflects compliance with the requirements of the procedure for providing medical care in the "Plastic Surgery" profile approved by the order of the Ministry of Health. Also, refer to the documents confirming the surgeon's current certification. It is worth finding out what the status of the clinic is, whether it has sufficient financial resources to purchase quality equipment, and whether the medical institution has experience in performing the necessary procedures and photos of illustrative examples. It is desirable that the facility has been functioning for more than a year: if the clinic's history is long, it suggests that patients (and regulators) have already taken a trusting attitude towards this medical facility.

An important selection criterion is a wide range of services and a holistic approach to solving the patient's aesthetic problems in one place: from diagnostic measures to plastic surgery to professional cosmetics.