Dr. Bray's Plastic Surgery Blog

Unfortunately, time takes its toll on the aging face, literally changing its shape. When you observe the face of any youthful male or female model, high, full cheek areas are apparent. The idealized face, especially of a young woman, is heart-shaped or roughly triangular.

In contrast, observe the face of the older person. It will be clear that facial fat in the cheek region has traveled to the area above the upper lip and jowl area, or even further to the jaw area—one of the most tell-tale signs of aging.

This movement of fat down the face has a dramatic effect on appearance:

• The eyes look hollowed out and tired.
• The folds that run from the sides of the nose to the corners of the mouth deepen.
• Jowls form at the jaw line.
• The facial shape is no longer a youthful triangle, but more of a rectangle.

Cosmetic surgeons know that these changes, although inevitable, can be remedied. Their face lift techniques focus on raising the facial fat that has drooped into the upper lip, cheek and jowl region. The fat can be moved back up to the cheek area where it originated. This affects the face in three key ways:

• Reduces the lines between nose and mouth.
• Rebuilds the full cheek area that is found in youthful faces.
• Raises the fat from the jaw area, eliminating jowls.

When these steps are accomplished, the face’s youthful triangular shape is restored.

If you are interested in exploring the possibilities of a facelift procedure, please schedule a Los Angeles facelift consultation with Bray Plastic Surgery Medical Center at 310-534-8300 to schedule an appointment to learn more about your cosmetic surgery options.

The medical term for the face lift procedure is rhytidectomy. The procedure involves repositioning the muscles and tissues of the face to create a refreshed and younger-looking appearance.

Today’s facelifts are a big improvement from yesterday’s procedures. Key differences exist:

• Modern face lifts do much more than pull skin tightly over facial features, creating that stretched look that we connect with facelifts of the past.
• Cosmetic surgery has advanced to provide a naturally enhanced appearance by raising droopy tissue, tightening worn muscles, and filling in furrowed regions
• New technology has made healing from a facelift a faster and less uncomfortable process

The first facelift involved simply tightening the skin to reduce wrinkles, but in the 70's surgeons began also to tighten the SMAS (sub muscular aponeurotic system), the thin layer of muscles and nerves below the skin. This would give better and longer-lasting wrinkle reduction. Unfortunately, many surgeons simply pulled the tissue tight.

Nowadays, surgical advances have allowed cosmetic surgeons to get better results with less stress on the skin and muscles. This has led to the creation of a number of mini facelifts that can give results comparable to full facelifts with a shorter procedure and recovery time.

But technology is not the only issue. With a facelift, it's important to pick a cosmetic surgeon with the skill and aesthetic sense to remedy sagging skin, muscle and tissue while maintaining (or even enhancing) the natural contours of your face.

If you would like to take advantage of the dramatic improvements in face lift technique, please schedule a Los Angeles facelift consultation at the Bray Plastic Surgery Medical Center at 310-534-8300 to schedule an appointment to learn more about your cosmetic surgery options.