Restore and Re-Volumize the Whole Face for the Most Comprehensive and Natural Looking Facelift Results with a Total Rejuvenation Facelift
As we age, there are a number of processes that contribute to the changes in our face that we see over time - and each of these processes are treated differently when it comes to the surgeries or treatments that are recommended:
- Surface Level (Skin) - discolouration, brown spots, change in texture, loss of elasticity: These conditions are best treated with skin care products, resurfacing (chemical or laser) and neurotoxins to soften dynamic wrinkles around the eyes and in the forehead
- Loss of volume, flattening & descent: The tissues, muscles and tendons start sagging and this is made worse by the loss of volume we experience in particular in the mid face region. Loss of volume starts at about age 35 and the visible signs of sagging features become noticeable 7 - 10 years later. Surgery repositions sagging features to where they were before, creating natural looking and long lasting results. Surgery, however, doesn't replace volume, so the mid face area can be augmented with fat transfer or dermal fillers.
- Gravity and sagging, lax skin: Once extra skin has formed and begins to sag (usually in the eyelids and jawline/neck area) it is best to surgically remove (trim) during an eyelid or facelift procedure. The SMAS layer of the face is accessed and pulled, which repositions that features of the face to where they were before the aging process, and the redundant skin is trimmed away.
So in summary, if a patient wishes Total Rejuvenation, their treatment plan will include:1) A lower facelift (short or long incision)2) Resurfacing of the skin and/or neurotoxins to smooth out dynamic wrinkles and3) Volume added to the mid face area with either fat transfer or dermal fillers. To review, Dr. Buonassisi offers different categories of facial rejuvenation:
- Short incision or long incision facelift: to tighten the lower face, jowls and remove extra sagging skin, improve neck angle
- Combination Facial Rejuvenation: when a lower facelift is combined with eyelid or brow surgery, or facial implants if the bone structure can be improved (for example, adding a chin implant if the chin is recessive)
- Total Rejuvenation: described on this page, when lower facelift surgery is combined with non-surgical treatments to add volume to the midface and resurfacing and/or neurotoxins are used to smooth out dynamic wrinkles
If Total Rejuvenation is the Patient's Goal, What Treatments Are Best For Achieving the Desired Result?
No two patients are alike and the treatment plan will be custom developed by Dr. Buonassisi during your consultation. The consultation, aside from the surgery itself, is the most important part of the facial rejuvenation surgery process. We recommend you take advantage of our free pre consultation before making the decision to meet with Dr. Buonassisi. In this telephone discussion with our patient care manager, you can find out what type of facial rejuvenation might be right for you, find out about costs and how much time you should take off work or activities.
Do I Have to Have Both Surgical and Non Surgical Treatments?
Of course not - every patient has their own comfort level when it comes to what kind of procedure they would like to have done. Here are some of the typical patients we work with at Dr. Buonassisi's office:
- No surgery at all - in this case, this patient will consider a non-surgical facelift, knowing however that the results of this procedure can't be compared to a surgical facelift. But if the patient is willing to accept the limitations, they will be very happy with the results of a non surgical procedure. Non-surgical facelifts are great for smoothing our dynamic wrinkles around the eyes and on the forehead and adding volume to the mid face, mouth, etc - but the main limitation is that the deep structures aren't repositioned to where they were before, and extra sagging skin cannot be removed
- Surgery only - there is no question that the most natural looking facelifts are when done in combination with volume replacement to the mid face (done with dermal fillers), however some patients are not interested in neurotoxins or fillers. In this case, they will be very happy with the results of their facelift if they understand the limitation (no volume replacement, but a tightened and redefined lower face, with extra skin removed)
- Comfortable with anything - these patients are interested in a combination of surgical and non surgical treatments so that all the processes of aging are addressed - this Total Rejuvenation as we call it, produces the most natural and most restorative results, but is expensive.
What is the Recovery from Total Rejuvenation Surgery?
The recovery time is dictated by the type of facelift performed. Additional procedures such as eyelid lift or browlift don't extend the recovery time beyond what is required for the facelift. Dermal fillers and neurotoxins can be performed at the same time as the surgery or at a different appointment. Skin resurfacing (if done with a laser) is done at the same time as the facelift surgery. Patients who wish to maintain the results of their neurotoxins and fillers will need to repeat their treatments every 3 - 6 months (for neurotoxins) and every 6 - 12 months (for dermal fillers).
