Stephen J Ronan MD
The
youthful face is curvilinear with fullness
in the upper midface, graceful curves,
and a relative hollowness in the lower
midface. The lower lid appears vertically
short. With aging, there is an inevitable
descent of cheek tissue which creates
a depression hollowness of the lower lid
area, emptiness of the upper face area,
fullness in the lower face, and jowling.
The lower lid sags and appears vertically
taller. The neck skin and muscle loosen
creating central fullness and blunting
of the youthful, sharp distinction between
the jaw and the neck.
The basic principle
of the traditional facelift is tension.
Tension in the midface is the enemy of
the ‘modern’ facelift. Tension
flattens the midface tissue which is unnatural
and not youthful. Youthful faces, again,
are curvilinear. The midface procedure
restores the fullness of the upper midface,
the hollowness of the lower midface and
improves the appearance of the lower lid.
The procedure is sculptural and tension-free,
re-creating the soft and graceful curves
of youth. The combination of the traditional
facelift (for the neck) and the midface
lift comprise the ‘modern’
facelift and constitute a powerful tool
in facial rejuvenation.
The ‘modern’
facelift provides aesthetic advantages
over a traditional facelift because it
actually fills in the hollow areas by
moving the soft tissue in a vertical direction,
something not done by the traditional
facelift. If the soft tissue volume of
the upper midface is full relative to
an empty lower midface and the silhouette
of this contour relationship is flowing
and graceful, the face will appear healthy,
vibrant, and young. The best candidates
are those patients considering a facelift
and have concerns about the hollow appearance
beneath their eyelids.
Some patients, usually
younger, present initially with aging
limited to the midface and lower lid area,
without signs of aging in the neck. The
midface lift procedure alone can correct
this problem while avoiding incisions
used in standard facelifts. Incisions
are limited to two small areas in the
mouth and two small areas in the hair
above the forehead.
Ancillary procedures
may be used to enhance results. Autologous
fat grafting is a procedure where the
patient own fat is transplanted from one
area to another. About half of the fat
survives long term. Lips are commonly
augmented to replace fat lost with aging
or to create a fuller, softer look. The
drooping of the nose common with age can
often easily be corrected with a ‘peri-piriform’
implant. The chin is often augmented to
improve the jaw contour. Of course, a
good skin care program is essential for
the health and appearance of the skin.
Explore the possibility
of sculpting a new you.
Dr. Ronan is
Board Certified by the American Board
of Plastic Surgery. His specialty is aesthetic
or cosmetic surgery. If you would like
to discuss this or any other aesthetic
procedure in detail, please call (925)
736-5757 for a complimentary consultation.
Or, email Dr. Ronan at ronan@blackhawkplasticsurgery.com.
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