People considering facelift surgery at our Nashville, TN, practice usually spend time browsing before-and-after photos that showcase results. Many patients appear to be 10 to 20 years younger in their “after” photos, and the dramatic improvement in their appearance often seems astonishing.
Can a facelift really produce such significant outcomes? Yes, when it’s part of a customized surgical plan that I call a Reflection Lift and it’s combined with other procedures to address other cosmetic concerns. By focusing on facial harmony, rather than facial features as separate areas, I create comprehensive results that a facelift alone usually won’t match.
What Does Facial Harmony Mean?
Imagine remodeling your kitchen and being wowed by the result and then noticing how drab the dining room looked. That can happen when people love the results of a facelift but then focus on their sagging eyelids.
As a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon, I understand intimately how facial anatomy, skin elasticity, and texture all combine to influence the face’s overall appearance. In some cases, especially with younger patients, it may be wise to address only a single aesthetic concern. Usually, however, I create a treatment plan that includes multiple procedures after thoroughly examining the facial structure and listening to patients describe their concerns.
Most people associate aging with wrinkles and the loss of volume that can create a hollowed-out appearance. But faces also become less symmetrical as we age, especially in the lower face, as a 2018 study documented.
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What a Facelift Can—and Cannot—Do
Many people interpret the phrase “facelift” literally and believe it improves the appearance of the entire face. That’s not the case. A facelift addresses the lower two-thirds of the face by repositioning the tissue and muscle under the skin and removing excess skin. It’s an excellent way to minimize jowls and reduce sagging in the cheek area. But the procedure won’t improve the skin’s texture, lift droopy eyelids, or restore volume.
As you can see in this Instagram post featuring one of my actual patients, I recommend combining procedures with a Reflection Lift to produce results that look natural and create an overall improvement. I performed a Level 3 Reflection Lift, fat transfer, and fractional CO2 laser skin resurfacing for this 74-year-old patient.
What Procedures Can Be Combined With a Facelift?
As seen in the above Instagram post, laser skin resurfacing and fat transfer are often combined with facelift surgery, but there are a number of other procedures that I may recommend for specific patients. For example, eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) creates a more alert appearance for patients whose upper eyelids sag. Many facelift patients also need a neck lift. Facial implants can also provide the finishing touch for facial rejuvenation, such as the patient featured in this post. He had cheek implants inserted in addition to undergoing a Level 3 Reflection Lift.
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You can see the results of many more facelift patients in our gallery of before-and-after photos. If you’re looking for a facial plastic surgeon in the Nashville area, contact us using the online form to request a consultation or call us at (615) 942-8016 to schedule an appointment.
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