What effect does age have on your face ?
Aging is not just a matter of redundant skin. As we grow older, multiple changes combine and conspire to give us an "old" as well as a "tired" and "sad" expression.

This explains why different small procedures performed on the tip of the nose, lips, chin, brows, fat of the face, etc., are often combined with a face lift in order to achieve a younger, more natural look. If only the skin of the face is stretched, the patient may look artificial, with a "pulled" look.

If you are relatively young, say 35 years old or so, it is ideal for you to undergo a minor surgical procedure every few years as soon as the first signs of aging begin to appear
(e.g., the eyelids are corrected first, followed by tightening of the double chin, etc.). The idea is to maintain youth rather than to treat aging !

Face lift

A "face lift" (meloplasty) improves the appearance of the cheeks and neck. It does not include the eyelids or the forehead. Dr Zakhary uses a new technique of face lifting: the Mini-Dissection. Thanks to this special approach, a maximum result is obtained using minimum surgical dissection, therefore causing less swelling. The hair is not shaved. The incision starts above the ear, where it is hidden in the hairline. It then runs inside the ear and into a natural crease where the scar is least noticeable. Finally, the incision continues behind the ear and along the hairline of the neck, resulting in a scar, but one that can be camouflaged by hair.

The skin is tightened and the excess is eliminated.

For a more durable result, a new and sophisticated procedure is performed to also tighten the muscles underneath the skin.

This elaborate face lift improves the appearance of the neck and cheeks, but exerts limited effect where there are collections of fat, such as under the chin, that need to be suctioned.

Fat suction is a technique performed by means of a fine tube connected to a suction machine, somewhat like a vacuum cleaner. This fine tube is inserted through a small incision and the excess fat is suctioned away.

A face lift requires about three to four hours to perform.

Some of the stitches are absorbable and disappear by themselves, but others require removal within a week or two following surgery.

On the average, you will be presentable with make-up and may return to work two to three weeks after surgery.

Your appearance will continue to improve for at least six months following surgery.

A face lift primarily corrects your neck and cheeks, but exerts a lesser effect on the center of your face around the lips and nose, since this area lies farthest from the incisions. Wrinkles persisting around the mouth and nose may need further enhancement with other procedures or injections.

Lifting your face can only retard the aging process. It turns back the clock but does not stop it! In most cases, however, you will look five to ten years younger following surgery... and you will maintain this age difference forever.

A face lift is not the end of the road. Though you will continue to look five to ten years younger, you nevertheless will continue aging. Ideally, you should maintain your result by undergoing minor treatments every year or two following your initial surgery, to compensate for the aging process.

There will be a sensation of tightness and possible numbness around the ears for a few weeks following surgery.

Double chin

With age or overweight, a pocket of fat forms below your chin. The correction of a double chin is either performed at the same time as a face lift or is done alone in younger patients. A small incision is placed under the chin. The fat is suctioned with a fine tube connected to a suction machine. If you also happen to have a weak chin, it may be corrected through the same incision at the same time.

Thin lips

lips are a stigma of old age. If you have thin aging lips, they usually are corrected at the same time as a face lift or shortly thereafter. If you have thin lips, you could be looking older than your true age. Correcting this type of thin lips gives you a younger, softer expression.

With injections : Lips may be made fuller and more attractive with different injections, such as Artecoll, collagen, fat, Hylaform, etc.

With Surgery : This type of surgery demands great precision. An incision is made at the border of the lips. A segment of skin is then excised along the incision to stretch the lips and make them look fuller. Following surgery, lips have a tendency to swell. However, they shrink rapidly and are presentable in two weeks. The resulting scar is easily camouflaged by lipstick, and continues to fade for at least one year following surgery.

Mini-Facelift

As you age, your face will inevitably change because of gravity's pull. The jaw line grows slack; jowls form; “turkey necks” form as folds and fat deposits appear around the lower face and neck.

You can look older and more tired than you feel.

Traditionally, people waited until the signs were obvious and then pursued a traditional face lift.

These days, the option of a mini face lift procedure has changed the way people approach facial rejuvenation.

A mini face lift is a minimally invasive procedure with shorter incisions than traditional surgery.

Its results are less dramatic but can pinpoint specific signs of aging in the face. It is a very attractive option for you if you have specific facial enhancement needs.

The advantage to a mini face lift is that it is tailored to meet specific needs, focusing mainly on trouble spots.

A mini face lift can address specific areas of the jowls, jawline and neck without the time and effort required for a traditional face lift surgery. It is like a traditional face lift in that incisions are required along the hairline or near the ears in order to help tighten droopy muscles and skin of the face and neck.

The difference is that a mini face lift procedure uses fewer and smaller incisions, and can be performed comfortably and safely under local anesthesia in healthy people.

That's why it is a popular choice for younger patients as a maintenance procedure, or for people who do not want a lengthy operation.

It prevents the need for more dramatic changes later in life and makes subtle changes to the face that doesn't look its been operated on.

By using fewer incisions, the recovery time and number of complications associated with the surgery are reduced significantly.

Undergoing maintenance mini face lifts is also easier than waiting to do a full face lift later on.

This mini lift has been wildly popular among people with busy lives because of shorter recovery times.

It has been especially popular among young executives.

Studies have shown that good looks are directly proportional to high pay.

That's why young executives have been interested in mini face lifts over the last few years.

To remain looking and feeling your best, you don't need to wait until you require a traditional face lift; Mini face lifts allow anyone to take steps to immediately address developing signs of aging.

Although a mini face lift can only address the jowls and “turkey” neck, the flexibility of the procedure and the fact that there is no lengthy recovery process, makes the mini face lift an exciting option.

To learn more about how a mini face lift could improve your appearance, or to find out if you are a suitable candidate, contact Dr. Kristina Zakhary by calling at 403-450-3759.