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The best facelifts do not do minimal work. They do a lot of work. They lift, readjust volume, add volume to deficient regions, and are often combined with many ancillary procedures such as skin resurfacing. If you are limiting your results by selecting a procedure that is "less invasive", you may save yourself 48-72 hours of healing time, but be troubled with the sub-par rejuvenation or excessive scarring for the rest of your life. Most surgeons would agree that a well performed facelift will give rejuvenation which will last a lifetime. The older the patient, the more sun damaged, the more favorable the anatomy, the more ancillary procedures etc. the longer (in years) the facelift will appear to have turned back the clock.The best facelifts are not defined by whether the deep plane, the composite, the PSP, the MACS or a minilift is performed. In varying forms, an experienced facelift surgeon may use all of these techniques at some point. They are defined by the reputation and the ability of the facelift surgeon performing your work.One of the biggest misconceptions of facelift surgery is that there is a universal way the procedure is performed. Every PSP facelift is the same. Every MACS facelift is the same. I suspect this belief is based on consumer items, where any two items with the same Model Number are basically the same, no matter where they are purchased. Nothing could be further from the truth with respect to facelift surgery. You are purchasing art. That art cannot be defined by a Model Number or name. The one unifying feature of the best facelift results is that they are comprehensive but they are not cheap. Long after the cost of the procedure has been forgotten, the results will be there for all to see.
On average the surgical #results last between 4 and 7 years. However, people vary so much from one another, an exact time is difficult to provide. If you wish, you may repeat the procedure at that time. There is always an improvement compared to not having the procedure as the #aging process continues to progress throughout the future. Patients, with very loose skin will occasionally experience sagging earlier and it may be seen as soon as one year later. Such may require a secondary procedure to tighten the loose skin.
I agree with other who have stated that the specific approach or technique is only part of the story. Not all facelifts are the same, and the results of the procedure can certainly be enhanced by preoperative skin care, other procedures (such as fat grafting or resurfacing) performed at the time of facelift, and attentive postoperative care. In an ideal patient, we expect the results of a facelift to last about 10 years. There is so much variability, however, that your question should be directed to your particular plastic surgeon. Best of luck!
The longevity of facial rejuvenation procedures depends upon a variety of factors. These include; the patients genetics, environmental exposures and the quality of the surgical craftsmanship. It’s important to remember that these procedures set the clock back, but never stop it from ticking. The MACS and PSP are two options that are available for the treatment of facial aging. These procedures have been designed to address laxity of the underlying muscles and fascia in a minimally invasive manner. They utilize suspension sutures to improve facial contour. These procedures result in moderate improvement in facial aging. Unfortunately, they are temporizing maneuvers and most patients eventually need a more aggressive procedure. For many patients, minimally invasive surgery is an attractive alternative even when the results are not long term. When time is not available for longer recoveries, this type of procedure can be a viable option for many patients. In most cases, we prefer more aggressive procedures which more thoroughly address facial aging. These procedures have greater longevity and higher long term satisfaction rates.
A minimal facelift will last a minimal amount of time. A good facelift with neck lift and SMAS elevation and transfer will last all of your life. You will always look about 10 years younger than others at your age. That is, at 50 your will look 40 and at 60 you will look 50 and so on.
The variation of the mini lift known as the MACS lift is a good tool. What I have found is that by making certain modifications of the technique (such as adding a SMAS excision and a mid face lift) I can get at solid lift that will last 5-7 years. At the end of the day its nit the particular technique used but the surgeon who is doing it!
There are many different types of facelifts, the MACS being popular of late. The MACS lift is essentially a suture plication of the face to help lift up the tissues of the face and neck. It is popular in part because knowledge of facial anatomy is not as important and does not require as much technical talent as other facelifts. My belief in facial aging is based on anatomy of the face and repositioning it to a more natural position. (see article attached). Repositioning of the platysma muscle will allow for a more rejuvenated face, a firmer neck, and a longer lasting result in my hands. Typically surgeons who perform more sophisticated lifts well, will not use a simple lift. I do use the suspension point of the MACS lift in suspension. (This is one of several points the face and neck are suspended to.) Myself and some of my colleagues studied several suspension anchoring points in the face and found this to be the most sturdy.
In properly selected patients MACS face lift could produce adequate results. Unfortunately some surgeons try to fit this procedure to improperly selected candidates, in those patients the results will not only be short lived but even minimal to start with. Nevertheless this is a fair question and it is one of the more commonly asked questions in my practice. If the face lift is done properly, namely the surgeon is skilled and experienced and corrects all the deep structures in the face, than the results last forever. Of course this does not mean that the face remains "frozen" or uncharged with years. There is always some aging that's going to occur with time. I tell my patients that a face lift will turn back the lock significantly, but it will not freeze the clock. Typically it will take more than a decade before a patient will look as aged as she looked prior to face lift. The more important question is, when should the patient contemplate having another facial rejuvenation procedure. That approach is individualized based on the patient's preference. In my practice I've seen some patients come back 20 years after my original procedure to repeat the face lift, on the other hand some patients prefer to come back every few years for some minor maintenance procedures to keep the young and refreshed look. Make sure your surgeon carefully explains to you what procedure is being contemplated and what is the expected result. Only then can you avoid disappointment after surgery. You might find it insightful to ready my article on "Fast Tract Facelift" which can be found on my web site under "publications".
MACS lifts are shorter incision lifts with less skin elevation and less muscle tightening of the SMAS in the face. For droopier faces with excessive neck skin and more muscle weakening the results of a MACS lift is shorter lived. For a good candidate requiring less muscle and skin tightening this lift can last 10 years.
Given patients age, anatomy, skin quality, and surgical techniques, it is nearly impossible to predict how long procedures will last.It's also important to understand, and it may be obvious as the old saying goes: "we are turning back the hands of time but we are not stopping the clock from ticking" All facelifts age and they age differently.Ageing is not the process of loose skin; it is a process that effects skin, muscle, fat bone and their composition and relative proportions. Furhtermore procedures generally address only one or two or three and rarely all four of these components at the same time. What we want is enhanced skin elasticity; what we do is substitute for restoring the elasticity by pulling and cutting the skin. If you have a loose waistband, cutting out a segment of the band may keep them from slipping to your knees but it doesn't restore the elasticity.As you can tell from my colleagues comments, generally the more you do the more you get.Predicting the longevity of a face lift, is similar to predicting how your new house will settle after being built. After watching my house settle, I noticed some nail pops, cracks in the walls and tile separating. It didn't happen the same way in all parts of the house and its impossible to predict.I hope this helps!
