Can a facelift improve crows feet?

A #facelift is a surgical procedure designed to remove the major folds and wrinkles that form on our faces with age. Gravity, sun damage, smoking, living in a dry climate, and a variety of factors contribute to the aging process of our faces. Facelift techniques vary from patient to patient to give each person a procedure tailored to produce the best possible surgical result. A facelift will smooth out major folds and #wrinkles, #tighten the tissues beneath your skin, remove #sagging and excess skin. A facelift can also reduce excess skin around the #neck and #jawline.  

There is not just one facelift procedure, but a whole range of #facelift procedures. These different techniques have been developed over the years, involving different incisions and lifting the skin to varying degrees. A facelift may also involve the tightening of certain muscles and tissues, or liposuction of areas such as the jowls or chin.It is important to understand that facelifts are meant to remove major folds and wrinkles, not fine wrinkles. A facelift which removes every line and fold would be too aggressive and would result in an unnatural result. Fine lines and #wrinkles are better addressed by skin treatments such as chemical peels or microdermabrasion, which we also offer at our office. Incisions vary depending upon whether the patient is male or female, the hairstyles, hairline, age, previous surgery, and other factors. Generally, the #incision starts in the temple, in front or within the hairline. It continues in front of the ear, sometimes partially hidden within the ear. It then goes under the earlobe, behind the ear fold, and ends within the hairline or at the hairline behind the ear. The newer, shorter scar #techniques, which do not include scars in or by the hairline, can be used for most patients. Frequently another small and hidden incision is made under the chin in a natural skin fold. This allows fat removal and tightening of the platysma muscle in the neck if required.

Thank you for your question. You’d like to know if crow’s feet lines can be treated with a facelift, and are aware they can be treated non-surgically.

To first give you a little information about myself — I am a Board-certified cosmetic surgeon and a Fellowship-trained oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, practicing in Manhattan and Long Island for over 20 years. My expertise lies in facial rejuvenation and facial aging, as well as advanced treatment of the area around the eyes.

Crow’s feet lines are caused by a combination of factors that are dependent on two key elements: (1) the looseness or laxity of the skin around the eyes and; (2) the activity of the muscle around the eye that is responsible for the contraction of skin.

Assuming there is no skin laxity around the eye and there is no presence of eyebrow ptosis, what would most likely cause the appearance of crow’s feet lines is a muscle called the orbicularis oculi muscle. Simply put, when this muscle contracts, it causes lines to form around the eyes. Traditionally, this is resolved with the help of Botox, or comparable drugs such as Dysport and Xeomin. What this does is it prevents the muscle from contracting, thus preventing the crow’s feet lines from further deepening from the constant contractions. If you have static lines around the eyes, laser treatments such as fractional CO2 laser or erbium laser can both resurface and tighten the skin, thus lessening the appearance of the lines.

In cases wherein a patient has eyebrow ptosis, the eyebrow can be lifted in order to reduce skin laxity around the eyes that contributes to the depth of the crow’s feet lines. As a side note, before the introduction of injectables and lasers, there was a procedure that involved cutting this muscle out to help reduce crow’s feet lines, however, given all the new technology and methods that exist nowadays, I don’t think my colleagues would pursue that type of approach.

With regard to your question, a facelift does not really address the upper part of the face where crow’s feet lines are prominent. Facelifts are more focused on the mid-and lower parts of the face, particularly the cheek and jowl area; and the direction in which facelifts are performed does not really directly affect crow’s feet lines. You could get some improvement if you make the incisions go high into the hairline, such as a lateral or temporal brow lift, but the skin vector will not be enough to flatten the area.

That said, if you’re concerned about crow’s feet lines, then I recommend you deal directly with the orbicularis oculi muscle using Botox. You can also consider having a laser treatment with platelet-rich plasma to improve overall skin quality and fine lines.

I hope that was helpful and I wish you the best of luck!

Crow’s
feet are caused by underlying muscle contractions, and as such cannot be
eliminated completely though surgery. The best treatment for crow’s feet is
Botox, which will relax the wrinkle causing muscles and allow the wrinkles to
smooth out. If your crow’s feet are especially deep, laser resurfacing may help
as well. I suggest visiting a board-certified facial plastic surgeon for a
consultation to find out what your best options are. I hope this helps