Face

As we age, unsightly wrinkle lines may appear on the forehead. Frown lines between the brows can make us look angry or "too serious". Skin relaxation may cause the eyebrows to drop, hooding our upper eyelids and making us look tired. If you are bothered by these signs of aging in the brow region, a brow lift may be right for you.

A brow lift:

• Reduces the wrinkle lines that develop horizontally across the forehead, as well as those that occur on the bridge of the nose, between the eyes
• Improves frown lines, the vertical creases that develop between the eyebrows
• Raises sagging brows that are hooding the upper eyelids
• Places the eyebrows in an alert and youthful position

Other cosmetic procedures that may be performed with a brow lift include:

• Upper and or lower eyelid tucks
• Facelifting
• Skin resurfacing techniques

You may be a candidate for brow lift surgery if you:

• Are physically healthy
• Don't smoke
• Have a positive outlook and realistic goals

Eyelid surgery, called blepharoplasty, is a surgical procedure to improve the appearance of the eyelids. Surgery can be performed on either the upper and lower lids, or both. Whether you want to improve your appearance or are experiencing functional problems with your eyelids, eyelid surgery can rejuvenate the area surrounding your eyes.

Specifically, eyelid surgery can treat:

• Loose or sagging skin that creates folds or disturbs the natural contour of the upper eyelid, sometimes impairing vision
• Excess fatty deposits that appear as puffiness in the eyelids
• Bags under the eyes
• Drooping lower eyelids that reveal white below the iris
• Excess skin and fine wrinkles of the lower eyelid

In general, good candidates for eyelid surgery include:

• Healthy individuals who do not have a lifethreatening illness or medical conditions that can impair healing
• Non-smokers
• Individuals with a positive outlook and specific goals in mind for eyelid surgery
• Individuals without serious eye conditions

Remember that the eyelids are part of the face. The appearance of a drooping upper lid may also be due to relaxation of the forehead skin and eyebrow. Sometimes a drooping eyelid is caused by stretching of one of the upper eyelid muscles, the levator. Your plastic surgeon will evaluate your anatomy thoroughly to determine the causes of your eyelid appearance, and what procedures might best remedy them.

The loss of youthful contours in the face can be due to a variety of factors, including heredity, gravity, environmental conditions, and stress. A facelift, or rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure that improves visible signs of aging in the face and neck, such as:

• Sagging in the middle of your face
• Deep creases below the lower eyelids
• Deep creases along the nose extending to the corner of the mouth
• Fat that has fallen or has disappeared
• Loss of skin tone in the lower face that creates jowls
• Loose skin and excess fatty deposits under the chin and jaw can give even a person of normal weight the appearance of a double chin

In general, good candidates for a facelift include:

• Healthy individuals who do not have medical conditions that impair healing
• Non-smokers
• Individuals with a positive outlook and realistic expectations

Rejuvenation procedures typically performed in conjunction with a facelift are brow lift, to correct a sagging or deeply furrowed brow, and eyelid surgery to rejuvenate aging eyes.

What it won't do: As a restorative surgery, a facelift does not change your fundamental appearance and cannot stop the aging process. A facelift can only be performed surgically; non-surgical rejuvenation treatments cannot achieve the same results, but may help delay the time at which a facelift becomes appropriate and complement the results of surgery.

A neck lift, or lower rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure that improves visible signs of aging in the jawline and neck.

What a neck lift can treat:

• Excess fat and skin relaxation in the lower face that creates jowls
• Excess fatty deposits under the chin
• Loose neck skin
• Muscle banding in the neck, which created abnormal contours

The loss of youthful contours in the face and neck can be due to a variety of factors, including heredity, gravity, environmental conditions and stress.

Some people feel they are not ready for a full facelift because the upper face is still pleasing. However, many patients will note excess wrinkling of the neck skin, a double chin or "turkey wattle" and jowl lines.

When the neck area doesn't match the upper facial appearance, a neck lift may be a good solution.

In general, good candidates for a neck lift include:

• Healthy individuals who do not have medical conditions that impair healing
• Nonsmokers
• Individuals with a positive outlook and realistic expectations

Some people feel they are not ready for a full facelift because the upper face is still pleasing. However, many patients will note excess wrinkling of the neck skin, a double chin or "turkey wattle" and jowl lines.

When the neck area doesn't match the upper facial appearance, a neck lift may be a good solution.