Blog posts in category "Female Facelift"
5 Ways to Avoid an Unnatural Facelift Result
Jun
San Francisco plastic surgeon Dr. Roy Kim shares a few tricks of the trade for avoiding unnatural facelift results.
Why Men's Facelifts are More Difficult to Get Right
May
As plastic surgery continues to barrel its way into mainstream America, more and more men are choosing to undergo procedures once seen as exclusive to women. The majority of men are undergoing liposuction, but as baby boomers are now reaching retirement age, male facelifts are increasingly common.
However, a man’s facelift is harder to do than a woman’s facelift. Why? There are some aesthetic aspects, surgical techniques and hair and skin considerations unique to men that require a little more thought, as well as time, to get right.
- Avoiding Feminization - Skin and Facial Structure Differences
- Hairline Difficulties
- Camouflaging Incisions
Avoiding Feminization
Kenny Rogers
The once ruggedly handsome celebrities that have been beaten up by the media for “bad” facelift surgery all have one thing in common. Their results look too feminine.
If you look at Kenny Rogers or Burt Reynolds or Bruce Jenner or any number of famously bad male facelift surgeries, you’ll notice that things look somewhat “off,” but it’s hard to put your finger on what it is. Yes, it’s clear they had surgery and don’t resemble their former selves, but specifically, they no longer look manly.
Basically, if you pull the facial structures tight, it feminizes people. In a woman, it’s okay to pull tight and have a really sharp jawline. In a man, to the eyes of most people, it tends to feminize them.
I don’t totally perceive why this is the case, but it’s rare to see a buff guy with a youthful face, not too many wrinkles, and a sharp jaw line. Those guys look like models – not movie stars. Young men who fit this profile can appear very androgynous, like a Calvin Klein perfume commercial. In older men, it’s psychologically jarring and gives the mind pause when you know someone is in their 40s or 50s, yet he has few wrinkles and very tight skin.
Personally, I think it’s more natural for older men to have a touch of loose skin, and to try to reduce, but not eliminate, all wrinkles. If the “after” photos have really tight skin with no wrinkles, to me, it just looks too “surgerized.”
Aesthetic judgment is just as important as surgical skill. It may sound strange, but sometimes leaving a little loose skin or a slight wrinkle on a man is actually going to give a more natural and better result than eliminating ALL loose skin and wrinkles.
Skin and Facial Structure Differences
Simply put, a man’s face is bigger than a woman’s, which makes the surgery longer.
Also, men have heavier and thicker skin than women. Due to the heavier skin, men usually have a less dramatic result than women, which is a good thing since we’ve already covered how subtle improvements are best for men.. Men may also experience “rebound relaxation” because of their skin’s heavier quality. This refers to the skin going back to its pre-operative condition shortly after surgery and not remaining tight.
Hairline Difficulties
Men generally have a lot of facial hair. These hairs have more blood flow, and thus, will potentially cause more bleeding right after surgery. Even if there is no surgical complication from bleeding, there is a chance that there may be more bruising and swelling.
Mickey Rourke
Facial hair also means longer sideburns, which need to be preserved. However, if you pull the skin too much or too tight, this will eliminate all or some of the sideburns and create an unnatural look (see Mickey Rourke). Pulling back the skin that covers the jaw and anchoring it behind the ear can result in beard skin (and continuous beard hair growth) behind the ear. Because of this, the incision may be made just in front of the ear and behind the sideburn.
More hairline difficulties arise if a man wants a brow or forehead lift. Yes, sad but true - most older men will have a receding hairline. It’s important to consider the aesthetics of a smooth forehead on a man, and I would typically recommend skipping the forehead lift and just using Botox to achieve a more natural look. I think that some celebrity male facelifts have been too aggressive in brow lifts, which result in
- No wrinkles on the forehead. On a 55-year-old guy, it just doesn’t psychologically mesh with the rest of the man’s face.
- More forehead skin and space, which possibly raises the hairline itself.
- Higher brow position, which tends to feminize.
Camouflaging Incisions
Hiding the incisions from a facelift becomes a much greater challenge when operating on a man. Men have sparse hair around their temples and ears, whereas women can use their long hair to hide all sorts of sins. Men’s scars usually end up in the hairline above the ear and around the ear, but care must be taken to not disturb the hair growth or to create a glaringly obvious scar on the face. Men don’t have the benefit of wearing foundation, so while I always take precision with my surgical incisions very seriously, it’s especially true on men.
In short, men can have a fantastic facelift result and still look like MEN by choosing an experienced plastic surgeon, not going for dramatic change and using less invasive procedures around the eyes and forehead.
If you’d like more information on male facelifts or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kim, contact our Patient Care Coordinator, Caroline, at 415-354-8148.
Non-Surgical and Surgical Options for Your Face
Feb
How a Plastic Surgery Face Lift Can Help You Look More Youthful and Vigorous
Gone are the days of plastic surgery face lifts that made patients look like they had just taken a ride in a convertible F-16 fighter jet. When people think feel nervous or anxious about how they will look after facelift surgery, they usually have a mental picture of a “bad” celebrity facelift. Think Kenny Rogers, Rupert Everett, Joan Rivers, Donatella Versace, etc. What most patients don’t realize is just how many celebrities have had great face lifts. That’s because the results are natural and leave them looking amazing instead of….well, weird.
Before considering a plastic surgery facelift, it’s important to find a facial plastic surgeon that specializes in facelift surgery and the newest face lift techniques. I can create a customized plan for you, including alternatives to a traditional plastic surgery face lift such as a “weekend facelift” or a “mini-lift” (keep reading to see if you might be a good candidate for these less invasive procedures).
Most patients will need a combination of treatments, but the following list might help you understand which treatments will .
Common symptoms of aging and which cosmetic treatments might best treat them:
Symptom: Forehead wrinkles
Treatment: Botox
Symptom: Wrinkles between the eyebrows, also called glabella lines
Treatment: Botox
Symptom: Cheeks not as full, fat that used to be on the cheek slides down the face
Treatment: Dermal filler, fat grafting and/or face lift depending on severity
Symptom: Jowling or loose skin along the jawline
Treatment: Neck lift and/or liposuction
Symptom: Hollow looking eyes
Treatment: Dermal filler, fat grafting and/or face lift depending on severity
Symptom: Eyebrow position too low
Treatment: Eye lift, also known as brow lift
Symptom: Loose skin in the upper and lower eyelid areas
Treatment: Eye lift, often in combination with a full face lift
Symptom: Loose skin around the neck
Treatment: Neck lift
Symptom: Double chin, extra fat under the chin
Treatment: Liposuction
Symptom: Deep nasolabial folds, the lines running from the corners of the nose to the corners of the mouth (also called smile lines or parentheses)
Treatment: Dermal filler, fat grafting and/or face lift
Symptom: Sun damage, dark spots and sun spots on the skin or melsasma (dark skin blotching) from pregnancy
Treatment: Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), chemical peels, laser resurfacing
When to consider a “weekend” face lift? And At what Age?
Keeping in mind that a “weekend” face lift is not really a face lift, you should consider it when you have no “major” signs of aging and will be happy with subtle results.
A weekend face lift, also known as a liquid face lift, is clever marketing to help convince some patients that dramatic results can be achieved with no scar, no recovery and no significant price tag. In reality, it is simply the use of non-surgical facial fillers, Botox and laser resurfacing to achieve a younger look. It can be a great alternative for those patients who are younger than 40-45 years of age, don’t have the resources for a traditional face lift, or don’t have the time for a 7-10 day recovery.
When to consider a mini face lift? And at what Age?
A mini face lift (not a real medical term, but rather a reference to the length of the incision) is a good option for patients who don’t have much loose skin and who don’t need a neck lift. It can usually be performed in an office or operating room without the need for general anesthesia, and it offers a quicker recovery time.
Unfortunately, most people are not candidates for a mini facelift. They usually have more skin than the procedure can accommodate, they also need a neck lift, or they need more adjustment to their SMAS (superficial musculo-aponeurotic system) than can be accomplished with a mini lift. Typical candidates are 45-55 years old.
When to consider a plastic surgery face lift? And at what Age?
If your skin needs tightened and your face requires more fullness in your cheek and eye areas or if your neck and chin are sagging, you should consider a plastic surgery face lift. If your symptoms can’t be significantly improved or have a long-lasting result with diet and exercise or less invasive procedures, you should consider a plastic surgery face lift. Typical face lift patients are 45-65 years old. The benefits of a plastic surgery face lift are many, but the biggest reward is a youthful and vigorous appearance that is natural and long-lasting.
Should you desire more information about my available services, or want to schedule an appointment, please contact my Patient Care Coordinator at info@drkim.com or (415)362-1846.
If you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave them below.
ASAPS 2010, Washington, DC - Party Central for Plastic Surgery!
Apr
ASAPS's annual meeting was in Washington, DC, this past weekend. ASAPS stands for American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery/ www.surgery.org, and as far as I can tell, it's one of the world's largest aesthetic surgery meetings in the world.
How Does a Female Facelift Differ From a Male Facelift?
Apr
Women tend to have more delicate, thinner skin than men. Because women have thinner skin, they may tend to show
