When excess skin is present and little or no effect is expected from Botox or fillers , a facelift is the only effective way to restore the face's youthful appearance. But won't a facelift… make you look unnaturally "American"? Dr. Van De Sijpe , founder and plastic surgeon of the D&E Clinic, explains.
NATURAL LOOK
It's a common misconception that after a (well-performed!) facelift, you'll look like you've been sitting in front of a wind turbine or will appear like an expressionless, motionless statue. Nothing could be further from the truth! Facial rejuvenation with a facelift is precisely intended to create a fresh, natural look. As a woman, I understand all too well that a natural result is crucial!
The right technique
It all comes down to a good combination of the right techniques and a good artistic vision. This way, a beautiful result can always be achieved. The best technique to avoid this "wind tunnel effect" (caused by excessive traction) is the SMAS technique . This technique doesn't pull on the skin itself, but rather achieves firming at the level of the deeper underlying structures and muscles.
These are sutured and attached to the bone structure. It's somewhat comparable to a sagging hammock that's shortened and hung from a solid tree trunk. This allows the skin itself to drape smoothly over the suture, and excess skin is removed . This creates a very natural result, without traction on the skin itself and with a longer-lasting effect .
You don't need to worry about pain either. We avoid general anesthesia, which means a longer recovery. You'll only feel the numbing injections, nothing else. You'll spend most of the procedure sleeping peacefully. Afterward, you'll have some discomfort from the bandages for the first week, but it's certainly not very painful.
This procedure is often combined with the addition of some of the patient's own fat ( lipofilling ) to restore any lost central volume in the face. A complementary eyelid correction can also brighten the look and complete the overall effect.
The result
And voilà, not only a subtle and natural effect , but also improved healing due to less traction on the skin! Better healing also results in finer and virtually invisible scars . These are located between your hair and on the edge in front of your ear, and possibly also behind your ear. While they are more visible, they remain very inconspicuous because they blend in with the crease. Furthermore, you don't need to shave your hair, and after two weeks you'll be perfectly presentable.
In short, there is no need to worry at all about looking like a freak after a facelift!
The right skin care
It's crucial to keep your skin in good condition before the facelift and to take good care of and maintain it afterward to preserve the results for as long as possible. While we turn back the clock 7 to 10 years with a facelift, we can't stop time; the aging process unfortunately continues after the procedure.
