Facelift, Face-Neck Rejuvenation – Rhytidoplasty | Sigmund L. Sattenspiel, M.D., P.A., F.A.C.S.

The term facelift is often misunderstood. Actually, it refers to rejuvenation procedures that primarily redrape the lax and hanging skin of the neck and adjacent lower facial regions. With age, the skin and underlying soft tissues of the face and neck lose their resilience and tone. This laxity results in gravitational sagging. The cheeks droop, facial creases develop, natural face grooves deepen, prominent sagging jowls develop and the soft tissues of the neck hang. The neck may develop a fullness under the chin, excess hanging skin and noticeable vertical bands. These undesirable changes can be substantially reduced with techniques performed to address these physical findings. Procedures range from conservative to more definitive depending on individual corrective needs. Redraping of the neck and face restores the contour of neck, jawline and lower to mid face. These redraping procedures offer a more youthful appearance. Depending on skill, experience and personal philosophy, each surgeon will tailor procedures to suit the needs and correct the unwanted physical findings of each person. The primary goal of rhytidoplasty is the creation of a pleasant, more youthful look with nice natural contours. It is most important that the surgeon take every measure to avoid the conspicuous signs of a facelift such as a taut or too tightly pulled face, a windswept look, or a face that is just out of sync with the other facial features. A sophisticated surgeon will also preserve normal hairlines and make all incision lines as inconspicuous as possible.

The best results are those that create no distortions. In both women and men, the primary goal of an expert surgeon in performing all rejuvenating procedures is to develop contours that produce a youthful quality. People whose appearance may be dramatically enhanced should still maintain their inherent features and recognizable characteristics. They should not look like someone else. They should retain their good features while appearing their very best. Most people are very happy to be more attractive, perhaps even appear as they did when they were a few years younger. Everyone deserves to look as well as possible.