As you age, you may notice more lines and wrinkles, as well as a general loss of volume in your facial area. This is because the collagen and extracellular matrix degrades and reduces in quality as the skin advances in years. This is not the end-all, be-all, however. Many individuals are turning to the following facial surgery procedures to tighten up loose skin, and walking away with refreshed, youthful results.
Facelift
Facelifts are one of the more common facial surgery procedures individuals undergo to tighten up loose skin. Facelifts aim to tighten facial tissues that have lost volume or started sagging around the jowls, cheeks, neck, and mouth.
During this procedure your plastic surgeon will make an incision around the hairline and under the chin, lift the muscle and tissue layer to smooth out and tighten, and re-affixed with hidden, microsutures.
The goal of a facelift is to restore a natural and refreshed appearance in the patient, and each facelift is specifically tailored to the individual.
Facelift surgery takes between 3 and 4 hours, and patients are typically back to work within one or two weeks.
[Related: What to Expect After Your Facelift]
Eyelid Surgery
If you’re looking for a more area-focused type of procedure, specific facial surgeries are an option. For example, eyelid surgery, also known as blepharoplasty, removes excess skin and fat to rejuvenate the skin around and underneath the eye region.
Upper blepharoplasty focuses on the skin on the eyelids and under the brow bone, while lower lid blepharoplasty removes fat from the fat pads and excess skin underneath the lower lid.
Each eyelid surgery is customized to the individual, and patients typically recover fully and can return to their normal day-to-day in about 4-6 days.
Brow Lift
Another option for facial surgery to tighten loose skin is to undergo a brow lift. Brow lifts target the drooping skin around and in between the eyebrows and lower forehead. At Athré Facial Plastics, we ask our patients to bring in a photo of themselves in their early 20s to serve as a benchmark for natural-looking results. This procedure is done under general anesthesia and only takes about 45 minutes. Brow lifts are sometimes paired with blepharoplasty in order to further open up the eye area and tighten loose skin.
Incision sites are generally not noticeable after a week (depending on the type of brow lift), and patients can go about their daily routine after 5 to 7 days.
[Related: Facelift Surgery: Why Choose Dr. Athré?]
Neck Lift
For those looking to tighten loose skin around the neck and jowls area, neck lifts using liposuction can remove excess fat and tighten the tissues. The liposuction also triggers a platysma muscle contracture that also works to tighten the neck and sharpen the jaw and chin line. This type of procedure is most often used in tandem with a full facelift, but can also be performed independently.
Neck lifts are performed under general or local anesthesia, or deep sedation, and usually take about an hour. Patients who undergo this surgery can get back to full physical activity within one week.
Whether you’re looking for a targeted procedure to open up your eye area, or are interested in a full facelift, Athré Facial Plastics is ready to analyze your facial structure, discuss your beauty goals, and find the right surgical option for you to tighten loose skin. Contact us today for a consultation and let’s get started.