The Unlift – Beyond the Facelift

January 17, 2016 | Facelift

My practice is in Austin, Texas. Much of the cosmetic surgery I do is in the face and neck. Facelift and necklifts are one of my favorite procedures to do because of the significant impact is has on the life of the patient. A quite clarification is required: in my opinion almost all facelifts should treat the neck and almost all patients who say they want a necklift really need a facelift too. That is to say there are very few people who have had aging changes in their neck only. I have not seen a patient who has had a neck with sagging skin worthy of a neck lift that did not also have jowls and sagging cheeks too. The face and neck age at the same rate. Anatomically and surgically the face and neck are the same structure – the important layers of one are contiguous with the same ones in the other. And addressing one is best done when addressing the other at the same time.

I see both women and men for facelifts. The majority however are women. Women come to see me in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. While there are some difference between those at the polar extremes (40s and 70s) the goals and the desires are generally the same. Women desire surgery that will make them look younger and less tired. They want to avoid surgery that will make them pulled, stretched, like they had surgery, and not like themselves. Additionally, patients considering facelift have concerns about the nature of the surgery. They are apprehensive and think of it as a big operation that takes a long time and creates a lot of swelling, bruising, and pain and has a protracted recovery. Much of this sentiment is created by things they have seen on the television, been exposed to on the internet, and heard from friends or family.

It might seem obvious but it is still important to point out that not all facelifts are the same just as not all cars are the same. Different makes of cars have different features. So too do different techniques for facelifts as do similar techniques in the hands of different surgeons. And frankly, one can reasonably argue that some are qualitatively better. In my opinion, those facelifts that are high quality are characterized by little bruising and swelling, minimal pain, and short recovery time. Additionally they do not create a lasting pulled or stretched look, do not distort normal facial features, do not create a look that betrays the fact that the person had a facelift, and does not change the core identity appearance of the face. By observation and report from others, they are the very different from the clichéd concept of what a facelift is, what result it creates, and the nature of the experience associated with it. I aim to provide this enhanced form of facelift and because there are true distinctions from the typical I refer to it as the “Unlift.” Its the next step, its beyond the facelift.