Tuck It, Pull It, Freeze It, Lift It: Your Medical Facelift Treatment Options Explained
Posted on: 27 February 2017
Share
Facelifts are the most popular procedure for people in their forties and fifties, following breast augmentation and abdominoplasty (tummy tuck). If you are looking at getting a facelift, there are so many more options now than there were even two decades ago. Here are some of your medical facelift treatments explained.
Tuck It
Tucks in your face means that a surgeon uses a scalpel to cut close to your hairline or near your ears. Then he/she pulls the facial skin and underlying muscle in the direction of the incisions, "tucks" (i.e., sews) the pulled flesh taut, and cuts some of the excess tissue away prior to closing the incision. While tucks have long been used as standard in facelift surgery, they are not for everyone because the scars may develop into purplish keloids or remain lighter than the skin around it. However, the results are immediate and permanent.
Pull It
This is a much more intense form of tucking. Your surgeon makes a wide incision at the nape of your neck, loosens the blood vessels and fascia of your scalp and face, and then pulls it all to the back of your head. Everything is carefully stitched back into place. Usually, this procedure is only worth doing on someone who has a really low hairline and plenty of hair because pulling the scalp up and back results in a higher forehead and higher hairline. If you are already entirely bald, then you could do this as well, but anyone who is partially bald, balding in weird spots and/or already has a high hair line should skip this procedure.
Freeze It
Cryogenic treatments are becoming very popular now because they do not require any incisions or down time. The freezing action of the cryo-wand activates sagging muscles behind the facial flesh, causing the muscles to pull taut. This, in turn, causes the flesh to pull tighter as well. Several treatments are needed over time for more permanent results. Otherwise the results are usually quite temporary as the muscles will begin to relax again, as will the overlying flesh.
Lift It
Finally, lifting involves lifting the muscles under the flesh surgically. As you age, your muscles become lax, causing the flesh over the top to sag and droop. Your surgeon makes incisions in your face and then either lifts and ties or cuts the muscles. A more advanced procedure includes electric stimulation to tighten the muscles before doing anything else to them. Your individual cosmetic surgeon will offer you a couple choices under this category if you opt for lifting.
For more information about these facelift options and which would be best for you, talk to a surgeon like those at Plastic Surgical Arts.