How do you know whether facial rejuvenation is right for you, what is the proper procedure, and what’s the right time? Take the mirror test. Stand in front of a mirror in a well-lit room and truly look at all your features. Then, ask yourself what bothers you and what would you like to change. Are your brows or eyelids droopy? Are your cheeks hollow or sagging or both? Do you have jowls? Is your neck full or is it sagging? Are there other marks or lines on your face you don’t like? Are your earlobes and your nose getting longer and droopy? Are your lips deflated or getting longer? Do you have wrinkles on your lips and laugh lines around your eyes? Well, if you answered yes to any or all of these, perhaps it’s time to consider surgical facial rejuvenation including a real Face/Neck lift and blepharoplasty with facial fat augmentation. The key factor in considering a facelift is when you begin to have lower facial jowling and lax or sagging neck skin – then it is time to stop fillers and botox and consider surgical facelifting.
What are Your Options for Facial Rejuvenation?
When considering facial rejuvenation treatments, it is important to have a partnership with a real board-certified plastic surgeon who is an expert in facelifting and understands the science of facial aging.
You need a professional who not only understands the aging process but can determine whether a noninvasive or invasive procedure will be required to achieve your desired results. You might think you need a facelift or neck lift when you actually may just need filler and Botox or vice versa. What are your options for facial rejuvenation? The most commonly sought out procedures include eyelid rejuvenation, facelifts after age 50 and the use of facial fillers, and Botox when there is no facial skin sagging or jowling
Is Eyelid Rejuvenation Right for Me?
Eyelid rejuvenation, also known as blepharoplasty, is a common area of the face that patients request to refresh first. Eyelid rejuvenation usually precedes a face and neck lift or can be done at the same time. The eyes are the windows to the soul, and as you age, that window will start to show severe signs of aging. Loss of volume in the face leads to sunken eyes and sagging skin that was never there before. Since your eyes are the most prominent feature of your facial structure, it is vital, when considering eyelid rejuvenation, that you do not change the appearance of your eyes too dramatically. We cannot overemphasize this concept enough because excessively slanting or making your eyes smaller with surgery will forever change how you look to yourself and to others. The goal is to look like yourself only better.
Is a Facelift What I Need?
Facelifts, also known as rhytidectomy, is sometimes required to correct sagging facial skin. There are many different techniques used to accomplish a facelift. We cannot stress enough the importance of choosing a real board-certified plastic surgeon who is a true expert and who specializes in facial rejuvenation when considering a facelift. Facial rejuvenation is so much more than just a facelift, and, when done correctly, facial rejuvenation focuses on facial harmony. To maintain facial harmony often facelifts are accompanied with eyelid surgery and filler to restore the eyes, bring back the natural jawline, and reestablish fullness in your cheeks.
Do I Need Botox?
Neuromodulators such as Botox and Dysport and Xenomin are agents that block muscular nerve signals, which in turn weakens the target muscle limiting or nullifying muscle contraction. The action of Botox, in turn, results in diminished unwanted wrinkles in the target area. Botox has multiple uses can be used to treat crow’s feet, forehead furrows, frown lines, skin bands on the neck, etc. Plastic surgery procedures as you age should rely heavily on a partnership with a board-certified plastic surgeon who truly understands the aging process. An expert that can help you determine if neuromodulators are appropriate to correct lines and wrinkles or if a more invasive procedure is necessary.
Do I Need Filler?
As we age our bodies naturally lose fat, this is especially evident in the face. Fat loss is especially apparent in the hollowing of the eyes and cheeks. Soft tissue fillers help to reduce fine lines and wrinkles by adding volume and fullness back to the face. Most fillers such as Restylane, Voluma or Juvéderm work by replenishing the hyaluronic acid levels in your skin and pulling in moisture from the body to add to its plumping and smoothing effect. These safe hyaluronic acid degradable fillers are helpful at reducing early signs of aging such as plumping thin lips and softening facial creases and wrinkles.
When Should I Have Facial Rejuvenation?
As with any elective medical procedure, you should only undergo facial rejuvenation when you are in good health physically, psychologically and mentally. When deciding to have plastic surgery, you want to make sure your body and your immune system are in good shape to minimize the risk of complications. Certainly, facial rejuvenation is not advisable if you have any significant underlying medical issues, and especially if you smoke.
For your safety, we cannot stress the importance of discussing your goals with an expert board-certified plastic surgeon who understands the natural aging process and therefore can perform the correct antiaging surgical procedure that will restore your youthful face. An expert board-certified plastic surgeon can also determine whether a noninvasive or an invasive procedure will be required to achieve your desired results.
Dr. Rod J. Rohrich is an internationally known, highly respected and skilled plastic and cosmetic surgeon from Dallas, Texas. He is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and has led most of the key professional organizations in plastic surgery in the USA. He has received numerous honors and awards in plastic and cosmetic surgery, both nationally and internationally. In addition to his extensive surgical expertise and talent as a gifted surgeon, he is the Founding Chair and Distinguished Teaching Professor of Plastic Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He has authored hundreds of innovative academic publications in the field and he also serves as the Editor in Chief of the leading plastic and reconstructive surgery journal, the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Rohrich has also performed philanthropic work as a civic leader of organizations such as the March of Dimes, American Cancer Society and Save the Children and has established the Rod J. Rohrich, M.D. Foundation, which supports medical students in his native North Dakota. He is also a founding member and President of AiRS, the Alliance in Reconstructive Surgery, which serves to support education and reconstructive surgery for breast cancer survivors, regardless of financial status. Dr. Rohrich has repeatedly been featured as one of the best plastic surgeons in the country by US News and World Report, Harper’s Bazaar, Good Housekeeping and Texas Monthly as well as being quoted in notable publications such as the New York Times and Boston Globe. He has appeared on many television shows including Oprah, the View, and Good Morning America and is currently working to provide a reliable source of public-centered information in the fields of plastic and cosmetic surgery as well as other areas of medicine.