Face-lifts are invasive plastic surgery procedures that aim to give the patient a dramatically more youthful look. There are a variety of different face-lift techniques that have stemmed from the platform of the traditional face-lift, and to many patients these days, the rapidity of the procedure is an important factor in selecting the optimal technique. But the "quickness" of a face-lift has different elements, including not only the length of the procedure, but the recovery time, as well. Does this Spark an idea?
How Face-Lifts Work
Plastic surgeons have two basic objectives during a face-lift. The first is to tighten the skin. In a traditional face-lift, which is certainly not quick, as it requires an overnight stay in a hospital and can require weeks of recovery time, incisions are made to actually lift all of the facial skin layers and pull the skin tightly; then the excess skin around the jowl, neck and chin is cut off. Before suturing (surgically sewing) the skin back into place, the surgeon may manipulate the muscles and tissue beneath the skin, to achieve the "lifting" illusion objective of the face-lift. Lifting must be achieved so that not only is the skin pulled tightly from side to side, but it is done in such a way that it yields a top-to-bottom facial aesthetic that makes visual sense, as well. The lifting aspect of a face-lift ensures that the tissue will be manipulated upward in addition to being tightened from side to side.
Developments in Face-Lift Technique
The traditional face-lift, still widely used, is the most invasive face-lift technique, as it requires large, multiple incisions, and shifts the entire facial tissue as a whole. Because this technique bears many complications, risks and side effects, in addition to a lengthy recovery time, doctors have developed other techniques that focus on delivering effective results with minimal incision (and therefore less scarring), less risk and more rapid recovery. The goal with newer face-lift techniques is to target specific areas of the face that show aging through sagging skin and coarse wrinkles. Doctors developed these techniques to deliver effective results that have a more natural look, without the trauma that often comes with a traditional face-lift.
The Mini Face-Lift
The mini face-lift is the fastest face-lift technique, and is popularly referred to as the "weekend" face-lift. It is designed for patients of the younger face-lift age spectrum, who are usually in their late 30s, 40s or early 50s. This technique is also as a preventative treatment, in addition to its corrective purposes. Small incisions (tiny in comparison with a traditional face-lift) are made in "hidden" places in the hairline, and are used to target certain "trouble areas" of the face, rather than altering the entire underlying facial architecture. The mini face-lift can target the jowl area, the neck area, nasolabial folds (from the nostrils to the corners of the mouth) and/or the cheeks. The effects of this procedure are less dramatic than other techniques, yet still substantially visible. The procedure is performed in about an hour, does not require an overnight hospital stay, and downtime is limited to a day or two.
Endoscopic Face-Lifts
Endoscopic face-lifts are performed in a two-hour procedure, and are nicknamed "scarless" face-lifts. The key to this type of face-lift is the technology used. Tiny cameras are inserted beneath the patient's facial tissue through small, hidden incisions. This allows the surgeon to work with extreme precision, as the cameras' projections are broadcast before the patient in real time. Typical endoscopic face-lift patients do not have as much of the sagging, excess skin as face-lift patients who choose the traditional technique. The endoscopic face-lift, like the mini face-lift, can address specific facial areas, which decreases recovery time and side effects. This technique offers extreme precision, and therefore, ultimately, swelling and bruising are minimal. Endoscopic face-lift patients may often return to work in a day or two.
The Thread Lift
The thread lift, also called the feather lift, is of the latest face-lift techniques as of 2009, and is one of the least invasive face-lift procedures. This procedure also promises that patients can return to normal activities within a day or two. Surgeons use special surgical threads to lift and suspend targeted muscle and facial tissues with utmost precision. This technique can provide dramatic results with minimal complications and side effects. Patients of this method not only benefit from a speedy procedure and recovery, but also benefit from the more natural-looking results that precision thread lifts can yield. However, because the technique has only been used since the early 2000s, the long-term results are still unknown.
Warning
While the aforementioned face-lift techniques have minimal reported complaints, and are regarded as safe within the medical field, this does not guarantee that a patient will not experience complications or take on risks. All plastic surgery procedures, as they involve blood and manipulating the skin organ and muscle tissue beneath it, have risks. Neither can a plastic surgeon---no matter how skilled---100 percent guarantee a patient will be happy with the aesthetic results; that is impossible.
Tags: traditional face-lift, face-lift techniques, recovery time, face-lift patients, results that
