Facelifts are a perennial hot topic when it comes to cosmetic surgery, and at Atlantic Coast Aesthetics, we get a lot questions about the various kinds of facelift options. Our ACA Question of the Week this week deals with facelifts and came in via email. The patient asks: “Would I benefit from a mini-facelift, an S lift or a more complicated facelift? 45 y.o. male. I want to know if I would benefit from just a mini facelift, S lift or a more complicated face lift. I want to correct the initial cheek drooping that comes with age. I don’t like how my cheeks droop when I tilt my head. Later, I would add fillers to plump cheek area. Thanks.” Dr. Pane felt this question made a great Question of the Week because it allowed him the opportunity to evaluate the pros and cons of each procedure both broadly and on a patient-specific scale, always a plus when it comes to our Questions of the Week!
Dr. Pane said that the first concern with this is that at age 45, the patient is still fairly young to be considering a facelift at all. After studying the pictures the patient included, there isn’t sufficiently pronounced drooping or jowling around the jawline to make the patient a good candidate for a facelift. Basically at the patient’s age, he would only be achieving a scar to very little real benefit since gravity doesn’t miraculously switch off after a facelift, so it would continue to work on that area.
With that said, Dr. Pane observed that the scars from a facelift are almost always concealed in the hairline and along the jawline. Obviously where a receding hairline is a problem this would be a different issue, but the vast majority of cases don’t present obvious scarring in most areas. Dr. Pane generally prefers to do a full facelift when and where one is indicated rather than a more complicated procedure that involves the deeper structures of the face and a greater risk of neuromuscular damage without offering any clearly defined greater benefit.
In this specific patient’s case, Dr. Pane says an injectable filler treatment might actually give better results. There are a number of reasons for this, including that injectable fillers can be used to target certain areas very precisely and help enhance cheek volume without the risks associated with facelift surgery at a relatively early age. Liposuction and fat transfer into the face might also be an option depending on the desired results. Both of these have the benefit of being less invasive but still long-lasting solutions to the specific pain points the patient indicated.
One of the great drawbacks of living in southern Florida is that there is almost always someone who will say a patient is a “great candidate” for a certain kind of surgery, whether or not this is actually the case. This is not to say that all or even most cosmetic surgeons are solely out to make a buck at the patient’s expense, but there are a few out there who will advocate for the most expensive procedure they possibly can, whether or not it is really of benefit to the patient. For this reason, Dr. Pane strongly advocates getting opinions from a number of surgeons to ensure that the full spectrum of available and feasible options is covered.
Every cosmetic procedure, whether minimally invasive or otherwise, carries some risks with it. Patients should always make it their business to ensure they are as well-informed as possible about the potential benefits, drawbacks and risks associated with the procedures they are considering. A reputable cosmetic surgeon will take care to educate the patient on what they can realistically expect from the procedure and set clear expectations for aftercare and what is and isn’t considered normal, so that the patient can help monitor and advocate for their own health and safety if a complication does arise.
At ACA, we believe strongly in patient education and information. That is why we want to take this opportunity to invite you to ask us anything you ever wanted to know about plastic surgery and whether it’s right for you! You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter, call us at (561) 422-4116 or email us at https://acplasticsurg.com. Your question may even be selected as ACA’s next Question of the Week, which Dr. Pane will answer live in an upcoming Google Hangout. The only bad question is the one you don’t ask, so let us answer your cosmetic surgery queries!