Aging is a part of life, but while everyone gets older, not everyone gets older in the same way. That’s why there are a number of options for facial rejuvenation out there.
Some treatments help to minimize sagging skin and smooth wrinkles. Others focus on restoring lost volume, helping the face look more youthful in shape. If you are considering facial rejuvenation, it’s worth it to discuss your options with an aging face specialist and facial plastic surgeon, so that you know for sure that you’re picking the option that is just right for you.
Facial Rejuvenation with Fat Transfer
As you get older, it is common to lose fat and volume from your face. The loss of fat actually changes the shape of your face, making it look older. Younger people often have wider cheeks and narrower chins. As you age, however, the shape flips, so that the chin begins to look wider and the cheeks narrower.
You have a number of options for enhancing the cheek areas and minimizing the loss of fat from the area. One option is fat transfer. During the procedure, your surgeon will take fat from one area of your body, purify it, then inject it into the cheek area.
You’ll usually need a week or two to recover after a fat transfer procedure. After the injection, you might notice that your cheek area is very puffy or full. That’s because the surgeon will typically overfill the area, as a considerable amount of fat might be reabsorbed by the body. The fullness usually dissipates after a few weeks.
Obviously, fat transfer isn’t the right option for every patient. To benefit from it, you need to have a suitable amount of extra fat somewhere on your body, such as on your tummy or hips. Very slender people might not have enough fat for the procedure to fully work.
Although some fat is usually reabsorbed by your body, the final results from fat transfer are usually permanent. Your face will continue to age, but you’ll look younger for longer.
Cheek Implants
If volume loss in your cheek area is a major concern, fat transfer isn’t your only option for facial rejuvenation. Another choice is to have cheek implants placed in the area.
The implants are usually made from a synthetic material and can be cut and sized to best fit your face and proportions. During the procedure, the surgeon will make an incision on the inside of your mouth so that any scarring isn’t visible.
Although cheek implants do involve surgery, the recovery process afterwards is usually fairly short. You might want to take about a week off from work and should avoid physical activities for about two weeks afterwards. Since the incisions are made inside of the mouth, you might need to avoid eating and drinking certain things until they have fully healed.
Mini Cheek Lift
There are cases when a patient might want a bit of facial rejuvenation but is not yet be ready for a full facelift procedure. A mini procedure, such as a mini cheek lift, can be a better option for certain patients.
You can think of the mini cheek lift as a “touch-up procedure.” It’s ideal for people who are just beginning to show signs of aging, such as sagging in the jowls or cheek area, but who don’t have a considerable amount of laxity just yet.
The incisions made during the surgery are considerably smaller than those made during a full facelift. The incisions are also carefully hidden in the ear and hairline. A mini cheek lift also requires less anesthesia than a full facelift. Depending on the complexity of the procedure, a surgeon might use a local anesthetic or monitored anesthesia care during the surgery.
Neck Lift and Liposuction
Rejuvenating the neck area can help to rejuvenate the face and make you look younger. Depending on your specific needs, neck liposuction, a neck lift or both might help you look more youthful. Neck procedures are ideal if you have some sagging or extra fat in the neck area but have not yet developed jowls.
During neck liposuction, the surgeon makes a small incision under the chin. Excess fat is suctioned away, then the incision is closed.
During a neck left, the surgeon makes incisions in the hairline, which means they can be easily concealed. The surgeon lifts and tightens the skin of the neck, as well as the underlying tissue, to create a more shapely and younger-looking neck.
In some cases, a patient concerned about the appearance of his or her neck might benefit from a submentoplasty procedure which focuses on removing extra skin and fat through a “T”-shaped incision made under the chin. Not every surgeon offers submentoplasty, and it’s not the right surgery for every patient.
An Expert in Facial Rejuvenation
Dr. Jessica Kulak is a board certified facial plastic surgeon practicing at the Naderi Center in Maryland and Virginia. A fellowship trained surgeon, Dr. Kulak is an “aging face specialist” who focuses on facial rejuvenation. If you want to take years off of your appearance, schedule a consultation with Dr. Kulak today to discuss your options. For an appointment in Virginia, call 703-481-0002. To schedule an appointment in Maryland, call 301-222-2020 today.
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