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Before and after Face lift. Notice the elevation of cheek fat creating a more triangular appearance. Also notice reduction of cheek folds and jowling. Picture taken 2 weeks after surgery.
Face Lift - Overview
When the term face-lift is brought up, many people think of a skin tightening procedure. This, in fact, used to be true up until about 10 years ago. At that time plastic surgeons began serious evaluation of the causes of facial ageing. What has been discovered is that skin stretching over time is only a small part of the ageing process. Other factors have been found to be the major contributors. Facial rejuvenation requires that all the contributing factors be corrected in order to produce the most aesthetically pleasing, natural result. The fruit of this research is that face-lifting is much more predictable and effective at re-creating the youthful appearance we once had.
Youthful Face
When considering the causes of facial ageing, it is not enough to just tighten skin. This can create an unnatural look and certainly does not re-create the full, glowing look of youth. The easiest way to describe this is to look at the cheeks of a baby. They are full of fat. In today's society fat is considered a bad thing but nothing could be further from the truth in regard to facial rejuvenation. In fact, it is the descent and/or loss of facial fat primarily and other factors secondarily that causes the characteristic look of facial ageing. See the aging woman below.
Aging Face
If you look at any model, male or female, you will see high cheeks that are full of fat. Now, look at an older person. You will see that this facial fat has fallen from the cheek area and now is located in the fold above the upper lip and in the jowl area at, or even below, the mandibular border. The results of facial ageing are quite predictable but only a small part of it is because of skin stretching.
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Youthful face. Cheek fat is just below the eyes.
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Ageing face.
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Notice how cheek fat descends with age. This gives a gaunty look to the eyes. It also enlarges the naso labial folds just above the lips and creates jowls at the jaw line. The once elegant triangular face has fallen creating an aged rectangular look.
It is a very exciting time in plastic surgery because we are just beginning to solve the puzzle of facial ageing. Even though facial ageing affects the entire face and neck, sometimes a client is really only concerned with a particular area such as the neck. In this situation, only that area needs to be addressed. This is an excellent way to approach facial rejuvenation. You should only have corrected what really bothers you. You can always come back and have other things done.
Our technique for face-lifting addresses ALL the causes of facial ageing. It is not a skin pulling procedure that is commonly practiced. Primarily, it involves elevating the facial fat that has fallen into the upper lip/cheek fold and into the jowl area. This fat is then suspended back up to the cheek area where it should be. This has a three-fold effect. It helps to reduce the prominent upper lip/cheek fold and also re-creates a fuller cheek area similar to that of youth. In addition, elevating the fat from the jowls defines the mandibular border. This effectively widens the face at the cheek level and narrows it within the jaw area. By doing this, an elegant triangular shape is recreated. Look at an attractive young model and then at a person with obvious facial ageing. The youthful model will have a triangular shape whereas the face of the older person will have a more rectangular shape. We have developed sophisticated techniques to recreate this triangular shape without an operated look. This is done by re-suspending the cheek fat and muscles, then redraping the skin gently so that it does not look tight or unnatural.
As far as the neck is concerned, we have developed a unique technique utilising suture suspension to elevate the tissues of the neck. This dramatically tightens the hanging skin and eliminates the banding under the chin that is so common with ageing. This creates a neck with a high, sharp angle above the Adams apple like that of youth. This is discussed in more detail within the neck-lifting section of this web site.
 
Face lift - 46 year old woman. Notice improvement of jowling, jawline, and neck.
The results of face lifting and neck lifting are quite dramatic. They can easily take 10 to 20 years off of your apparent age. You must, however, understand that the ageing process never stops. So, eventually the procedure may need to be repeated in 10 to 15 years. Some people say, Why bother? For them, it doesn't matter. But for most people, if they can turn the clock back 10 to 20 years, it has a huge impact on their state of mind and subsequently quality of life.
 
 
Face lift for 43 year old woman. Notice improvement of jowling, jawline, and neck. Notice how the facial shape has change from rectangular to a more youthful triangular appearance.
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Your cosmetic surgery procedure will take place at the Queen Anne Medical Centre, just off of Harley Street in the heart of London's premier medical district. The Queen Anne houses an ultra-modern, state of the art medical facility behind an elegant façade in historic Queen Anne Street. |
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Facelift prices are indicative. A price for your specific needs will be quoted to you at your free consultation. Financing is available for liposuction procedures. Liposuction consultations are available at all our London based clinics.
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