Best Options for Aging Face, 65 Year Old Woman? (video)

Thank you for your question and the photos.

A full facelift is likely your best option. If you do not wish to have surgery, aggressive fractionated laser resurfacing with some strategic botox and injectable fillers can give you partial improvement.  If you go the nonsurgical route, multiple treatments would be necessary and these costs add up over time.

To be sure, see two or more board-certified plastic surgeons in your area for a full and complete evaluation to make sure you are a good candidate and that it is safe for you to have surgery. I hope this helps.

Patients who desire facial rejuvenation that is affordable, quick, and effective should consider the Lite-lift™. The LiteLift™ is an innovative facelift developed by board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. Larry Nichter and myself which benefits many male patients. The goal of the #LiteLift is to provide a less invasive natural looking option for both men and women desiring to refresh their appearance with less downtime and risks. The LiteLift® is a “real” facelift, which does address the underlying muscle, tissue and overlying skin.The technique requires limited incisions and takes a vertical lifting approach, in contrast to the traditional facelift, which requires extensive incisions and lifts or pulls the face towards the ears horizontally. The modern techniques used allow us to perform most LiteLift® procedures in the office under local anesthesia. Also, removing the risk of general anesthesia opens the door for more people to pursue facial surgery. All too often people do not move forward with undergoing the desires facelift surgery due to their overwhelming fear of the risks associated with general anesthesia.This is a modified facelift that can be performed in the office with a local anesthetic and improve signs of aging around the neck, jawbone and lower face. These procedures are not "Thread-lifts" or "String-lifts". We do not use the "barbed" sutures employed in these other lifting operations. The Lite-lift™ uses longer lasting techniques that are discussed below. Because the incisions are limited, there is less bruising, swelling and healing time for most patients. Many patients can be back to work in one to two weeks looking rested and more youthful.The best candidates for #LiteLift are non-smoking patients 35-60 years old with stable skin elasticity, well-defined bone structure but showing early changes of the lower face and the neck. Older patients who cannot or do not wish to have a longer operation or general anesthetic can be improved with a Lite Lift™. All in all, Lite Lift™ surgery is individualized for each patient.

The
management of facial aging varies from patient to patient and depends on a
multitude of variables. Each patient has unique aesthetic goals and specific
physical findings. Your video very clearly illustrates both your aesthetic
goals and your physical manifestations of facial aging. Your video demonstrates
jowls, nasolabial folds, loss of jawline definition and separation of the
paired platysma muscles. In addition you have brow descent and redundant upper
and lower eyelid skin.Based on these finding’s the most
appropriate procedure would be a full facelift and neck lift. This procedure
could also correct the separation of your midline neck muscles. The procedure
would address your loose facial skin and ultimately correct your jowls, nasolabial
folds and define your jawline.Although you’re not concerned about
your eyelids and brow position these areas would also benefit from facial
rejuvenation. Brow descent could be helped with a brow lift and excess upper
and lower eyelid skin could be corrected with upper and lower lid
blepharoplasty.There’s significant advantages when
these procedures are performed together. These include synergy, greater
affordability and one recovery. These procedures are associated with excellent
results and high patient satisfaction rates. If you’re considering facial
rejuvenation surgery consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon is
appropriate. This surgeon should be able to formulate a treatment plan that
addresses your concerns.

Thank you for posting the video.  You express concerns that many patients do, desiring facial rejuvenation, but not wanting anything "major".  The sentiments are understandable, but the facts are unavoidable. In the same breath, the term "Lifestyle Lift" is used.  It is important to understand that this term more accurately describes a company that markets an abbreviated facelift procedure.  Although the terminology may appear more appealing, which is a deliberate marketing tool, the results are often those of an abbreviated procedure. At age 65, the procedure that will work best for you is a well performed facelift, performed by a board certified and fellowship trained facial plastic surgeon or general plastic surgeon with an interest in faces. The aging changes you describe are not likely to be adequately met by any other procedure.  Volume addition can be used as an adjunctive proceure.

   I would recommend a full face and neck lift to address your concerns.  This can be performed with a short scar facelift.  Find the plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of facelifts each year.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Thank you for the photos and the video was fantastic. You will see a variety of procedures advocated or even promoted on the internet. No one procedure is best. In general the surgical procedures with a shorter downtime often have a less dramatic result. You need to let your surgeon know which is most important to you. Most patients will not have the dramatic improvement that surgery can offer with non surgical "fillers"  . Fillers however can most definitely add to the results of surgery so I would encourage you to have an open mind about an integrated approach.   Best of luck

The video was very helpful, FullofHope. Frankly, you would benefit most from a facelift and you would almost certainly be disappointed by the alternatives. Choose a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who has a manner you relate to; and who is someone you feel you can trust.

While anything is possible, patients rarely look 'over done' after their first facelift. It takes a lot of time, energy and expense to make people look like that!

Facelift for the aging face with excess skin and platysma bands by an experienced facelift surgeon is what would make you look the best. Minilifts only give mini results and based on what you said in your video you would not be happy. There are no short cuts to a good result. Choose wisely and good luck.

Be very careful with branded operations the majority of surgeons performing these have no true plastic surgery training.  they may be Otolaryngologists, dermatologists or general practitioners.  In reality you should seek out an honest ethical plastic surgeon with good judgement to guide you and help achieve your goals.  Your thoughts and desires are very common in patients in my practice.  While I do offer noninvasive skin tightening and facelift alternatives, all these procedures will only drain your wallet and leave you unsatisfied.  These techniques are more appropriate for patients with subtle neck findings and minimal excess skin.  Volume replacement with fat grafting is another option for some, but with minimal skin excess.  You could achieve some rejuvenation with aesthetic facial balancing with fat grafting but this will not address your neck.  Heavily maketed lifts are usually skin only lifts that age very poorly.  A well designed facelift resuspends the deep tissue of the face to create a natural appearing and lasting result there should never be skin tension.  Any of the marketed shortcuts will likely lead you to a plastic surgeon later on  to fix errors with skin tension.  I hope this helps!

 

 

All the best,

 

Rian A. Maercks M.D.

You don't have to have a facelift to look rejuvenated. But sometimes a facelift can help with your jowls and neck. You should look into filling your face in just the right way. If done thoughtfully, you can make your face smaller and more youthful at the same time.