Dr. Leila Grayson, M.D

Facelift

As we age, the visible changes are manifested on a number of levels: skin may become more lax and inelastic, jowls become deeper and more pronounced, the neck slackens, and the youthful volume from the upper cheek region and mid-face decreases. Restoring youthful beauty with a facelift takes all of these elements into consideration. The best approach is always one that reestablishes facial harmony and a refreshed appearance.

Planning For Your Facelift

• Short Scar Facelift – this minimal incision facelift approach allows for the repositioning of deeper facial tissues with more limited incisions
• Classical Facelift – deep tissue repositioning is carried out, and more skin can be removed.
• Facelift with Necklift – an incision is often added beneath the chin, and the platysma muscles are repaired
• SMAS Plication – the SMAS is tightened to lift the jowl and cheek
• SMASectomy – a strip of SMAS is removed, and then tightened
• SMAS Flap – SMAS is elevated, and tightened
• MACS Lift – generally associated with short scar facelifts, purse string sutures tighten the cheek and facial SMAS planes

A facelift, as with any facial rejuvenation process, is about restoring natural balance and facial harmony. As such, most will consider adjunct complementary treatments. Autologous fat transfer is the most common, as the facelift will restore the soft tissue position that has changed, and the addition of fat will restore the volume that has dissipated. Upper and lower lid blepharoplasty (eyelid lift) is also a frequent accompaniment to facelift. A chin implant during a facelift can further improve the definition of the jawline and upper neck, and help to accentuate a more youthful appearance. Browlift can also be combined with facelift surgery.

Rhinoplasty

Facial harmony is the most important endpoint in any beautiful aesthetic enhancement of the face. The nose, as one of the most distinguishing facial features, must always be addressed with balance and proportion in mind. There are a variety of reasons for which people consider rhinoplasty, but at the end of the process, a nose that is both intrinsically balanced and in beautiful proportion with other facial features, is the ultimate goal.

Planning Your Rhinoplasty

The structural issues that can be addressed during a rhinoplasty are:

• Dorsal hump – the bump at the bridge of the nose
• Nasal Width – a nose that is too wide or too narrow
• Asymmetry – a nose that is twisted or deviated
• Prominent Nasal Tip – a nasal tip that is round, bulbous, fatty, or disproportionate
• Drooping Nasal Tip – the angle between the upper lip and lower nose (columella) is less than 90 degrees
• Post-traumatic deformities – shape aberrations after nasal injury
• Nasal airway problems – internal valve collapse and septal deviation

Eyelid Surgery

There is no area of the face that is more likely to show the signs of aging than the eyes. Due to a variety of factors including heredity, environment and age, the upper and lower eyelids are prone to the development of crepey skin, discoloration, and puffiness. Eyelid rejuvenation has undergone a number of evolutionary changes over the past decade, with the incorporation of nonsurgical, minimally invasive, and “minimal touch” techniques.

An eyelid lift is aesthetic plastic surgery of the eyelids that can address all facets of aging and the tired look that often develops around the eyes.

A traditional blepharoplasty is an eyelid lift that might include any or all of the following: removal of excess upper eyelid skin, removal of excess eyelid fat, and removal of excess lower eyelid skin. To these basic cornerstones of blepharoplasty, a variety of improvements, additions and modifications have been added, and are currently available for eyelid rejuvenation. The eyelid rejuvenation techniques that may be used alone or in combination include: