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As people age, so does their skin. It is no secret that many people, especially women, start to have aging skin from the age of 30. Collagen is lost, the skin begins to lose its elasticity, it experiences sagging, and wrinkles come over the face. Therefore, it is no surprise that many women look for beauty treatments. While there are several types of treatments, facelifts have become one of the most popular choices.
What is a facelift? What are its effects? What are the kinds of facelifts? Which of them is effective and affordable? In this post, we will find the answer to all of these questions.
What Is Facelift?
The first step is to know what a facelift is.
A facelift is also known in medical terms as rhytidectomy. It is a cosmetic surgical procedure done by both men and women with the aim of making a face appear younger. This procedure can assist in reducing sagging of the skin on the cheeks, jawline, and other places on the face. It can also with changing, to an extent, the shape of your face as a result of aging.
In this procedure, a flap of skin on each side of the person’s face is drawn back, and the tissues under the skin are manipulated so that the contour of the face returns to a more youthful shape. Then before the drawn skin is closed, any excess skin is removed.
Facelifts are not just limited to the face as some people also extend them to the neck. A neck lift is often part of a facelift and is done to reduce the fatty deposits and sagging skin that might also appear on the neck.
Now a facelift is not some magical procedure that will cure all your problems. For example, this procedure will not reduce the creases or wrinkles on the skin or reverse the damage done by exposure to the sun. There are other procedures that might help with that.
Why Is a Face Lift Done?
If you are young, you might not understand why anyone would want to do a facelift. But as you get older, you’ll understand. As you get older, you will likely observe that your appearance, especially the shape of your face, changes because of aging. Your skin loses its elasticity and gets looser. Also, deposits of fat might increase in some parts of the face while reducing in others. Some of the things that you might notice include:
- Sagging of the cheeks
- Excess deposits of skin at the lower jawline
- Folding of skin from the nose to the mouth’s corners
- Sagging skin
- Excess fat in your neck
A facelift is not a procedure for perceived wrinkles, creases around the lips, or skin color.
Is a Face Lift Dangerous?
Considering that this is an invasive procedure, you might rightly wonder if it comes with risks. Well, yes. There are some risks associated with this procedure. A facelift can lead to certain complications. These can be taken care of with care, drugs, or more surgical procedures. There are also the most serious or permanent things that might result from a facelift. Some of the risks are:
Hematoma – this refers to blood pooling under the lifted skin. It causes swelling and is perhaps the most common side-effect of having a facelift. This formation of blood often results after a day of surgery. When this happens, surgery is done to prevent any damage to the skin.
Scarring – In a facelift, incisions are made on the skin, and these are oftentimes permanent. However, they are usually made in places where the scars are not visible. But sometimes, these incisions can turn to angry red scars. If this occurs, medication and other treatments are used to reduce the appearance of the scars.
Nerve Damage – These are rare side effects, but they are still risks all the same. Facelifts can injure nerves permanently or temporarily. You might experience temporary paralysis in a specific muscle. This can be corrected over time, and sometimes, surgical procedures are carried out.
What Are the Types Of Face Lifts?
Now that we have seen what can result from facelifts and why some people still go-ahead to do them, we can now consider the types of facelifts.
1. Ultherapy
In this type of facelift, ultrasound heat energy is used to lift and support deep layers of skin around your chin and face.
This type is one of the more expensive procedures, and results are visible for up to one year. It comes with certain side effects like swelling, tenderness in the operated area, and rarely numbness for some days.
2. Microneedling
Microneedling with radiofrequency is another popular technique. Here the doctors use small needles to generate new skin tissue and collagen, which can help with sagging skin.
This procedure is safe for most people. However, if you are pregnant or taking certain medications, you need to be wary of doing it. Some of the side effects of this procedure include irritation of the skin and redness for some days.
3. Laser Facelift
If all you want is to improve the aging appearance of eye bags, jowls, and laxity in the skin, then this type of facelift is right for you. This type focuses on the lipolysis of the face. It eliminates microscopic fat on the face, particularly any that is associated with wrinkles. It also helps to improve the elasticity of the face and facial lines.
This type of facelift, as with other non-surgical procedures, is not very invasive. Additionally, the results from this can last for up to three years.
Another advantage that this offers is that it can help to slim the face and make you look much younger.
One downside of this procedure is that it takes longer to recover, and you might suffer numbness in the face, tightness, and headaches sometime after doing it.
4. Thread Lift
This type of facelift is also known as a feather facelift. In this procedure, the ‘thread’ used has small hooks on it, and these are what hold the skin and stop it from sagging. It is not as invasive as complete facelift surgery. One of its biggest advantages or features is that the threads can be absorbed by the skin.
A popular material used for these threads is collagen. During the facelift, patients can stay awake although their face numbed, and they can see the changes being done on their face.
It is a very good option for anyone that doesn’t want facelift scars or waiting for long to recover from the effects of a facelift. In fact, there are almost no side effects to this type of facelift. The only thing that might be experienced is swelling and bruising. The biggest downside to this facelift type is that it doesn’t last for a long time. You would have to renew it in about a year.
5. Endoscopic Facelift
This is a unique facelift technique that has other features from the others. In this technique or type of facelift, fiber optic cameras that are known as endoscopes are used. It offers you a similar type of appearance to even more invasive procedures like those that tighten the facial muscles or remove fat deposits.
In this process, small incisions are made. They are made above and behind the patient’s ear, which results in as little scarring as possible. With the endoscope installed, the doctor tightens any facial muscles with more accuracy than ever.
This procedure is excellent for those that want to remove severe head lines or that have crow’s feet. In the process, a 1 cm cut is made in the hairline. The tissue beneath the skin is peeled, and any muscles and fascia lifted upwards.
However, unlike invasive procedures, it does not involve removing excess skin. Despite not removing excess skin, the procedure leaves you looking younger. It is a procedure that has a short recovery time, and there is a reduced chance of any complications.
This procedure is a clear sign of improvement in cosmetic technology. With the endoscopic facelift, you can have your face looking younger for up to 10 years!
Which Types of Face Lift Is the Best?
The best type of facelift depends on what you are looking for.
A laser facelift is an excellent option if you want to remove eye bags, have facial laxity, and remove a double chin. The effects also last for up to three years. A thread facelift is good for you if you are trying to avoid the side effects of facelifts. It has very few side effects, but it doesn’t last. If you are in for the long haul, then endoscopic surgery is just right for you as the results can last for up to ten years.
When you consider the overall effect and the lack of side effects, thread facelift offers a better value for money compared to the other options we have considered.
Conclusion
We have considered some of the most popular types of facelifts today. Choose from any of the options that we have provided and have your face looking younger and fresher with minimal side effects.
