Many people need both eyelid surgery – blepharoplasty – and a facelift to truly look their best. Should you consider having both procedures at the same time? Many who are starting to look older than they feel have asked me that question. Both facelift and eyelid surgery address important facial aging issues. Before deciding what to have and when, it’s important to know what each procedure will do to help you look younger and more vibrant.
How a Facelift can improve your appearance
The technical term for facelift is Rhytidectomy. It literally means “removal of wrinkles.” This procedure sounds like it would rejuvenate your entire face. However, not everyone’s facial aging is the same. It makes the most sense to have individual procedures for different parts of the face. That way, people can have work done only on the areas they really need. Here are the facial aging issues a facelift will address:
- Sagging in the midface and cheeks
- Nasolabial folds – deep lines between the nose and mouth
- Marionette lines – noticeable creases between the mouth and jaw
- Jowls and a sagging jawline
- Fat and loose skin under the chin and jaw
A good facelift performed by an experienced, board certified plastic or facial plastic surgeon can help you look years younger – for years. However, many people with sagging cheeks, jowls and deep nasolabial folds also have aging around the eyes. This requires a specialized procedure – blepharoplasty.
How Eyelid Surgery – Blepharoplasty – can help you look younger
Eyelids have thinner skin than the rest of your face. It’s not surprising that one of the first places where you start looking older is around your eyes. Eyelid surgery can make your eyes look substantially younger. Depending on whether you have an upper blepharoplasty, a lower blepharoplasty, or both, we can:
- Fix a drooping eyelid by removing excess skin
- Tighten muscles and skin on your upper eyelids
- Reduce or eliminate bags and puffiness under your eyes
- Eliminate the tired, sad or angry look you may have even when you feel fine
When people first meet you – and form a lasting first impression – they often focus on your eyes. That is especially true at work and in business situations. It’s easy to see why many people want their eyes to look youthful and alive – not old and tired. Eyelid surgery makes sense!
Should you have blepharoplasty and a facelift at the same time?
While it’s not for everyone, many people can truly benefit from having blepharoplasty and a facelift at the same time. It makes a lot of sense. Did you ever get a new couch, only to find that now the rest of your living room looks old and out of date? That’s exactly what can happen with your face.
After eliminating your jowls, tightening the area under your chin, plus softening your nasolabial folds and marionette lines, you can really look terrific. But, if you also need eyelid surgery, your aging eyes may stand out like the proverbial sore thumb. They’ll definitely become more noticeable. Rejuvenating your eyes at the same time you revitalize your mid-to-lower face can really help you “roll back the clock.”
We’ll typically start with your blepharoplasty first, then move on to your facelift. We’ll inject your local anesthesia progressively, so there are no worries about running out of time.
Maximizing your great new look CONTACT Dr. Machida Inland Empire, CA
If you really want a great new look, consider combining a facelift and blepharoplasty with laser skin resurfacing. All require 7-10 days of downtime. Why not do them all at the same time? That way, your eyes, mouth, jawline, chin and skin can truly look the best they can – after just a week or so.
If you’re having a lower blepharoplasty procedure, you can truly benefit from having fat transfer at the same time. That can restore the volume you’ve lost and really give the areas under your eyes a more youthful look. Of course, if you’re thinking of also undergoing liposuction, have your fat transfer procedure first. Otherwise, you may not have enough high-quality fat cells available to make fat transfer really work for you.
Performing over 4,000 facelifts and associated procedures has taught me what really works. To get the best results, you’ll want to work with a plastic or facial plastic surgeon who has performed many facelifts and blepharoplasties. Be sure to ask them about their track record. Look at their Before and After photos for those procedures, or any others you may need. If you’re thinking about a facelift and/or blepharoplasty in Inland Empire, California, you can find me at STC Plastic Surgery in Ontario.
