Robert T. Buchanan, MD

I believe there are two main reasons for bad facelifts. First is technique. Many people still use the same technique they learned in residency. What may have been accepted as a good result then may not be today. In order to provide excellent results that look natural, one must keep up with the newest discoveries in technique and the thinking about what constitutes beauty. There have been a significant number of changes in technique in the last several years that allow us to return the face more to where it was rather than to where we could pull it limited by the technique we used. In the last 8 years, I have totally changed the technique I use and continue to do so as I learn more. Part of this is from seeing the problems of the old techniques and modifying what I do to prevent those results. The approach I use is a modification of the MACS Lift that lifts much more vertically than the old methods. See www.TodaysFacelift.com. The second cause of some of the bad results you see is due to inexperience. Because cosmetic surgery is more lucrative generally than some other medical specialties, many physicians are “getting into it.” Many of the physicians doing facelifts have little or no real training in the procedure. Many learned everything at one or several weekend courses. Unfortunately, you cannot learn what you need to know that way. Therefore, to avoid problems, as best as you can (no one can guarantee perfect results all the time), find a Plastic Surgeon with significant experience in facelifting and ask to see examples of results with before and after pictures. Also, make sure you discuss at length what YOUR goals are, and ask how the surgeon will achieve them.