Planning a facelift is shared between you and your surgeon. It takes into account your own sense of what looks right and the techniques that can achieve it.
Everyone's priorities are different, and so are their medical history, sun exposure, skin condition and inherited features. All of these affect the surgical plan.
At consultation, Mr Ion assesses the face and neck as a whole to see what is contributing to the impression of ageing.
The plan may address the contour and shape of the face, volume, the jowls, the folds between the nose and mouth, the lines at the corners of the mouth, and very often the neck.
The consultation helps you focus on what you want to change in the face and neck, and why.
The way we see beauty is very personal, so the best results come from planning together rather than from the surgeon deciding alone. Time is taken to involve you fully at every step.
Some people want a discreet change; others want more extensive reshaping.
It helps to write down beforehand the points that concern you most. Your plan is then built around them, and you will understand the likely benefits and the limitations of each option.
Your suitability for anaesthesia is assessed, along with anything that should change before surgery. For example, smoking, vaping and any other nicotine intake must stop at least 4 weeks before surgery. Fillers placed in the cheeks or tear troughs in the past may need to be dissolved before surgery, so that the tissues can be repositioned accurately.
Even small changes in contour can alter the face considerably, and this is hard to imagine. Every plan is therefore based on a 3D assessment of the face and neck, using the Canfield VECTRA H2 system.
3D imaging shows whether the changes you have in mind give the effect you want. The plan may then focus on those changes, or be adjusted to achieve the effect you are looking for.
With age, the face changes in volume as well as position: the areas around the eyes and the cheeks lose volume, while the jowls and neck become heavier. Early facelifts only tightened the tissues, and it became clear that this was not enough for a balanced result, particularly in slimmer people or after repeated operations.
A deep plane facelift lifts the cheek and jowl tissues back up together, which restores much of the fullness of the upper cheek without adding anything. Where volume has been lost, fat transfer can be added during the same operation, so that the face looks fresh without excess tightening.
The chin also shapes the jawline and neck, and some patients choose chin enhancement at the same time.
3D imaging is particularly useful for showing how much a small change in volume can affect the whole face.
Earlier changes in the lower face, with a neck that still has a good contour, can often be treated with a short scar deep plane facelift. The deep plane lift is the same, but the incision stops around the ear lobe, so there is no long scar behind the ear and in the hairline. Eyelid surgery can add to the effect.
When the neck has also changed, a full deep plane facelift is usually combined with a deep contouring neck lift. This may be combined with fat transfer, eyelid surgery, or an endoscopic brow or temporal lift. The direction in which the tissues are repositioned is planned individually.
Surgery can also improve the effects of sun damage and smoking. A healthy lifestyle afterwards helps the result last longer.
You will probably have many questions before a facelift. The role of the surgeon and the team is not only to perform the operation well, but also to support you in the weeks before and after it.
Details make a difference to recovery and to how you feel about the whole experience.
For example, if you colour your hair, it is best to do so shortly before surgery, so that you will not need another appointment until the incisions have healed.
Questions? Just ask.
Talk to our helpful team or book a consultation
with Mr Lucian Ion. Call 0207 486 7757
About our practice
Facial surgery
Breast surgery
Body contouring
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