I have heard that a facelift only treats 2/3 of the face. Why is this, and what parts does it correct versus not?
Answer:
The facelift procedure is performed to treat the neck, lower face, and depending on the technique, it may also elevate the “midface”, or cheeks. The facelift that I perform is named the deep plane facelift. This facelift provides a rejuvenation of the neck by tightening the neck muscles via an incision through the chin. Here the platysma neck muscle is sutured to help elevate the neck. In the lower face, the facial portion of the platysma is elevated and reposition back in its place. This provides a natural, non-pulled look to the lower face. This effaces the jowls and corrects them. In the midface, the malar fat pad, or the “cheek fat” is elevated from the underlying facial muscles and repositioned in higher position. This provides n natural appearing midface elevation. As you can see, the facelift procedure improves the mid and lower face. However, it does not improve the upper 1/3 of the face. The upper 1/3 of the face includes the eyelids and the brows. The eyelids can be improved with an eyelift procedure, or blepharoplasty. The procedure improves the droopy skin in the upper eyelids and the ” bags” in the lower eyelids. This is a separate procedure that can be combined with a facelift procedure and be done together. The brows can be elevated with a browlift procedure. This procedure can be done in several ways. It can be done endoscopically, via small incisions, or open with a larger incision. Each patient is different, and may be a candidate for one browlift technique and not for the other. Your plastic surgeon will help you decide which technique works best for you. Posted by Dr. Bustillo