As you know, the biological process of skin aging begins at the age of 25 years. By the age of 30, the regeneration of the upper layers of the skin occurs 2 times less than in adolescents at the age of 15. Dead cells accumulate on the surface, due to which the skin becomes rougher, dull, wrinkles appear.
With age, the appearance of a person undergoes the following changes:
- the appearance of the so-called crow's feet (facial wrinkles);
- deepening of the nasolabial and interbrow folds;
- omission of the corners of the lips;
- sagging skin of the eyelids;
- a decrease in the volume of the cheekbones;
- sagging neck skin;
- the appearance of a second chin;
- skin and muscles become flabby, elasticity is lost
Even if you carefully take care of your skin, you can only slightly delay the manifestation of age-related changes. But unfortunately, to avoid them is completely impossible. Sooner or later, the moment will come when the use of cosmetics and methods to correct age-related changes will become insufficient. Then a facelift comes to the rescue.
A facelift (ritidectomy, or facelift) is a correction method designed to correct age-related changes. During the operation, the excess skin of the face and neck, as well as excess fat, is removed.
Classification
Currently, there are several ways to perform a circular pullup. This is a surgical method, laser and radio wave.
Indications for surgery
As a person grows older, his skin loses its elasticity. With a decrease in the amount of collagen and elastin, the skin begins to sag, wrinkles appear. To correct these problems, a circular lift is performed.
Indications for surgery are:
- wrinkles on the forehead;
- drooping eyebrows;
- overhanging of the skin folds of the upper eyelid, bags under the eyes;
- wrinkles in the nose and periorbital region;
- drooping of the outer corners of the eyes;
- deep nasolabial folds;
- sagging soft tissues in the lower jaw;
- double chin;
- the formation of pronounced wrinkles and folds on the neck.
Contraindications
Like any operation, a circular lift has a number of contraindications. Among them:
- oncological diseases;
- inflammatory processes;
- chronic diseases in the acute stage;
- endocrine system diseases;
- hypertension;
- tendency to form keloid scars;
- bleeding disorder and other diseases of the circulatory system.
Some aspects
What you need to know before carrying out a circular pull-up?
- The expectations from the facelift procedure must be real. You should not hope that the operation will return the image of a 20-year-old girl if you are 50. The purpose of the operation is to make the patient younger, the face more fresh, to correct the tired look. A lift does not eliminate every wrinkle.
- Consultation before surgery is critical to understanding the problems, goals and expectations of the patient.
- Before surgery, you need to get rid of smoking. Products containing nicotine can have an adverse effect on the healing of postoperative sutures. Patients who smoke, use smokeless tobacco or any nicotine-containing products, should give them up before the procedure. Smoking increases the risk of infection, the formation of hypertrophic scars and skin necrosis. As a rule, patients are asked to refrain from nicotine a month before the procedure and do not smoke for one month after. It should also be noted that second-hand smoke can cause similar problems.
- Scars are inevitable, despite all the sophisticated techniques and precision equipment.
- The effect after a circular tightening does not appear immediately, but after the disappearance of bruises and swelling.
- After the facelift procedure, the patient can go home on the same day. With a successful procedure and good health, a hospital stay is optional.
- The postoperative recovery period after a circular lift takes an average of 2-3 weeks.
Preoperative preparation
The question of the need for a circular facelift and its volume is decided with a plastic surgeon at a preliminary consultation. Quite often, the procedure is combined with an operation to rejuvenate the eyelids - blepharoplasty (upper and / or lower) and lipofilling.
Before the operation, an examination is required. It is also necessary to take a photo before and after a circular facelift for a visual comparison of the results. The duration of the operation depends on its volume, on average it takes from 2.5 to 4.5-5 hours.
Operation
Most often, the procedure is performed under endotracheal (general) anesthesia, but with small volumes, intravenous anesthesia is possible.
Stages of circular tightening:
- Very often, at the first stage, liposuction of the chin area is performed, as a result of which only the neck muscles and skin areas with thinned subcutaneous fat remain.
- Skin incisions are made according to preliminary marking. These lines often go along the hairline, behind the ears. After healing, the scars will not be noticeable.
- The lift is performed in stages: forehead correction, along the edge of the lower jaw, in the cervical fold. The amount of skin and fat deposits removed depends on the degree of age-related changes.
- The procedure of platysmaplasty is performed - a tightening of the neck muscles that form the second chin.
- Stitches are sutured.
- In the area of skin removal along the angle of the lower jaw, drainage is established. This manipulation is necessary to prevent the accumulation of blood.
- A special compression dressing is put on.
Postoperative period
The length of stay in the hospital is 1-2 days. Installed drains are removed on the first day after a circular tightening. Sutures are removed on the 7-14th day, depending on their location. To minimize edema, it is necessary to wear a special compression dressing for 7-10 days. It also supports the neck, chin and cheeks. Maximum swelling after surgery lasts 3-4 days, then it decreases every day. In the first few days after tightening, the appearance of not strong painful sensations that are stopped by painkillers is possible.
You need to be prepared for the fact that the postoperative period is accompanied by the appearance of bruises on the face, which disappear within 2-2.5 weeks. The sensitivity of the skin on the face may also decrease, which will gradually recover over time.
After surgery, you can wash your hair with water and a mild shampoo after 2-3 days. Do not rub the seams with your hands, fingers or a towel. You should also refrain from dyeing your hair for several weeks.
Within 4-5 weeks after surgery, any physical exertion should be avoided. For example, running, hard housework, or any other activity that can increase blood pressure.
Subject to all recommendations, the result will not be long in coming. A course of cosmetic procedures will also help maintain the effect of a tightening. At present, it is possible to take into account all the features of social activity and the daily routine of each patient, to develop an individual rehabilitation plan, depending on the volume of surgery, financial opportunities, for an early return to work.
Prevention
To save and maintain the result after a circular facelift, you can carry out the following procedures:
- Physiotherapeutic rehabilitation. For example, magnetotherapy, which can be carried out from the second day after surgery. Rehabilitation helps to reduce edema, quickly absorb bruises, and prevents rough, dense scarring.
- Ozone therapy improves microcirculation (especially with repeated operations on the face), accelerates healing.
- Microcurrents also relieve swelling and improve lymphatic drainage.
- Mesotherapy strengthens the walls of blood vessels.
- Plasma lifting.
- Skin biorevitalization sometimes even from the fifth day after surgery.
- Fractional polishing of the skin.
- Longidase injections.
- Hirudotherapy.
Possible complications
All operations are associated with a certain degree of risk. Some of the possible complications after a circular tightening:
- an allergic reaction to anesthesia, which in rare cases can be fatal;
- bleeding or infection;
- the formation of blood clots, which can lead to potentially fatal cardiovascular complications, such as a heart attack, venous thrombosis, a blood clot;
- collapse of the lung;
- hair loss along the wound;
- tissue necrosis;
- itching in the area of scars;
- hypertrophic scars;
- coarsening of the skin;
- uneven skin contours;
- persistent facial skin pain;
- nerve damage, which can lead to temporary or permanent paralysis of the facial muscles;
- temporary or permanent numbness of the face;
- uneven results, for example, asymmetric eyes.
An additional operation may be required to treat such complications.
Where is a facelift performed?
Surgery can usually be done in plastic surgery clinics. In large cities, such as Moscow, a facelift is performed in many medical institutions. It is preferable that the procedure was done by a surgeon who has extensive experience in conducting this type of operation.
The cost of the operation depends on the amount of intervention and is individual in each case. On average, prices for a circular tightening in Moscow range from 200,000 to 300,000 p.
Alternatives to facelift include:
- fillers
- Botox injections
- laser lift
- facial implants.
Laser facelift
One of the greatest achievements of modern aesthetic plastic surgery is a laser non-invasive facelift. In the 90s, the so-called laser resurfacing (laser dermabrasion), which allowed to rejuvenate the skin for 10-15 years, was widespread. The procedure has become a partial alternative to a circular facelift and blepharoplasty. But the very aggressive effect of the laser on the skin and the long recovery process, complicated by numerous side effects, made this procedure obsolete, and deep laser dermabrasion was forgotten for several years.
The laser actively stimulates the production of subcutaneous collagen, which is responsible for the youthful appearance and elasticity of the skin. Depending on the level of aging, the appropriate number and intensity of procedures are assigned, for example:
- at the first stage of skin aging, up to 2 laser lifting sessions are necessary with an interval of 2-4 weeks;
- at the second stage - 2-4 sessions with an interval of 10-30 days;
- at the third stage, 3-5 sessions are necessary with an interval of 2-4 weeks.
Laser lifting can be used as an additional procedure after a circular facelift for the older generation and as an alternative for people aged between 35 and 45 years.
Effect of surgery
The circular lift in the photo below helped the patient get rid of the sagging corners of the eyelids, nasolabial folds, and the second chin. In general, the operation helped the woman look much younger.
From a different angle in the photo to a circular facelift, the patient’s look was noticeable. It became fresher, signs of fatigue disappeared.
In the patient in the following photo, a circular lift was performed in combination with platysmaplasty (neck skin lift). The patient had previously sagged skin in the area of the chin and neck. After tightening, there is no such problem.
In the photo after a circular tightening, changes in the appearance of the patient are visible. Expression wrinkles disappeared, excess skin was removed, leading to the appearance of deep wrinkles in the forehead, upper lip and around the eyes.
Circular Tightening. Reviews
The result of the procedure is a significant improvement in appearance. Most patients after performing a circular lift notice that they began to look younger by an average of 10 years.
Finally
Unfortunately, the source of youth does not exist. Remember that a facelift does not change your basic appearance. The procedure is cosmetic surgery to remove excess skin and reduce signs of aging. However, it is impossible to completely stop this process. Your skin will continue to fade after surgery. A circular lift will help you look younger. To consolidate and prolong the results of the operation, it is necessary to use proper skin care, avoid sunlight, and maintain a healthy lifestyle, do not smoke and abuse alcohol.