Smartlift Facelift Combined With Other Procedures At Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center

Facelift season is upon us. Well, at least this seems this time of year, Autumn through very early Winter, that most patients want to schedule facelifts. And it seems to be a good time of year for a couple of reasons, you can either prepare to present the new you for the holidays, or you can use your winter holiday vacation to have the surgery and recuperate. Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center is renowned for the Smartlift Facelift, which is a lower face lift that addresses the jaw line and neck in particular. By tightening up those jowls and excess hanging skin that some people call the “turkey waddle” and eliminating the double chin the whole face achieves a refreshed, rejuvenated look. With the Smartlift, small incisions are made in the hairline behind each ear, just inside the ear, and there is a small incision under the chin. Consequently, once healed any scarring is well hidden. This procedure lasts 6-7 years or more, and recent research shows that it makes one look up to 10 years younger.

But let’s talk about what lifting the SMAS (superficial musculoaponeurotic system, the underlying supporting soft tissue of the face) does and what it does not do. Although the lower face is effected greatly with age, nasal ptosis and eyelid ptosis also contribute to the generally droopy look of the aging face. This is why in some cases, it is most ideal to combine a facelift with rhinoplasty or blepharoplasty. By also lifting the eyelids, or the brow, depending upon the individual, the upper face is also addressed. It is quite common to have an upper eyelift and/or abrow lift with a facelift. The nose appears to lengthen as we age as well, and this has to do with the cartilage structures supporting the tip of the nose. As it turns out, facial muscle laxity and gravity are not the only reason for the downward movement of soft tissue of the face. There are also subtle bone and cartilage position changes that contribute to the lengthening of the face. However, most researchers believe that soft tissue downward movement contributes to this lengthening in the female face more than hard tissues changes. But this is not true of the nose. It is the weakening and movement of the cartilage that causes that appearance of nose growth.

So the question becomes: is it safe to combine these types of surgery in order to achieve a complete facial rejuvenation? Performing a facelift, rhinoplasty and blepharoplasty or a brow lift would require more time under anesthesia. I like to limit time spent under anesthesia to 6 hours. On the other hand, combining surgeries does eliminate the risk of a second surgery. So the answer to that question is basically: it depends on the individual patient’s health, the complexity of the procedures required (again this is completely individual), and what the procedures in question are. I quite commonly perform an upper and lower eyelift and/or a brow lift with a facelift. Rhinoplasty is a little trickier as it takes more time. The facelift would be performed first and depending on the time that it takes, the nose would be addressed secondarily. Often it is preferable to perform the rhinoplasty separately.

If you are planning a facelift at Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center this fall or winter, we will discuss all the options during your consultation.

Dr. Branman

Call Melinda at the front desk to set up a consultation 501-227-0707