Facial
REJUVENATION
Facial rejuvenation is an all-in-one surgery to restore a youthful face and neck with a completety patient-tailored approach. It is usually a combination of a facelift, necklift, and facial lipofilling. For each patient, a personalised surgical plan is discussed that can be one of these procedures or a combination.
Facelift
A facelift is the kind of surgery that restores both the sagged tissues and volume loss of the face, while at the same time improving skin texture. The procedure can focus on one or several areas of the face, including the cheek, brow, and neck. When combining all three areas, we talk about a full facelift. A facelift is the best option to treat the signs of facial aging, such as jowls, hollow eyes, droopy mouth corners, and deepened nasolabial folds. It ensures the restoration of a fresh, youthful facial expression, while still maintaining a natural result. Facial aging is due to both gravity and deflation, depending on the anatomical facial zones. The outer parts of the face usually sag over time (cheek, brow, and neck), whereas the inner parts of the face lose volume due to thinning of the bones and soft tissues (central cheek and mouth region). The volume loss often makes the patient look tired and older. Therefore, with modern facelifts, the missing volume is also addressed by using your own fat and injecting it in the right areas of the face. When this is done, we talk about volumetric lifting.
For the most natural results, the face tissue needs to be treated in two levels. The deep layers (the so-called SMAS and facial muscles) are pulled strongly in a vertical way to correct the gravity pull. Afterward, the skin will be redraped softly in both a vertical and posterior direction to smooth out the skin excess and wrinkles. This state-of-the-art surgical technique ensures a long-lasting result and avoids classical facelift stigmata. An inconspicuous incision along the edge of the face gives access to the structures beneath the skin that need to be lifted. This usually heals nicely. A state-of-the-art facelift procedure usually combines both the lifting of the skin and deeper structures, together with a restoration of the lost volume in the central part of the face. Combining both a lifting procedure and volume restoration ensures a true rejuvenating effect, while maintaining the natural harmony of the face.
By combining the stengths of a multi-level lifting technique and volume restoration, the face is rejuvenated on all levels. Once everything is healed, you will notice a more defined jawline, fuller cheeks, a tighter neck, and an overall refreshed look. A facelift has a downtime of 2 to 3 weeks with easy wound care.
Facial lipofilling
Facial lipofilling is a minimally invasive procedure to restore the volume loss of the face through fat injections in the areas where volume is lost. It is the best option for a full face treatment where you want to treat multiple zones and keep a natural, long-lasting result without any scars.
Lipofilling is a completely scar-less treatment as the fat is harvested through one 3mm incision in the abdomen or thigh, after which the fat is prepared and injected through a needle puncture hole. The procedure can be done under local or general anesthesia, depending on the amount of treatment zones and the type of surgery that is planned.
During a facial lipofilling procedure, the skin can also be rejuvenated thanks to the powers of nanofat. Nanofat is obtained through an advanced processing system, during which the larger fatty cells are removed after liposuction and the regenerative stem cells are kept inside the fat graft. The stem cells within the nanofat graft are then injected in the most superficial skin layer to improve the skin quality of sun-damaged skin and scars. Nanofat treatment is therefor not a treatment to volumise specific areas, but more to rejuvenate the skin quality thanks to the regenerative characteristics of stem cells within fat tissue. Typical areas to treat are the face, cleavage and back of the hands. Both facial lipofilling and nanofat rejuvenation can be combined during the same procedure. It is important to realise that, in case of a regenerative treatment with nanofat, the visible effects may only present themselves 6 to 8 months after the procedure.
In the right patient, a facial lipofilling procedure can bring tremendous changes to the face without any visible scar. The volumising strengths of fat injections bring immediate results to the treated areas such as the cheeks, temples, and mouth. The regenerative effects from the stem cells within the fat continue to improve the skin quality over time. Facial lipofilling has a downtime of 1 week with no dressings.
Necklift
A necklift is a procedure to tighten loosened skin in the neck, improve the jawline definition, and remove bulging or excess fat below or under the muscles of the neck. The concept of “neck rejuvenation” can involve liposuction only, skin tightening, a surgical necklift to address the skin and muscle, or a combination. What treatment works best for you will depend on the clinical investigation, your wishes, and your expectations.
A surgical necklift is often combined with a facelift, as it can be performed through the same incision and does not increase the recovery period. An inconspicuous incision behind the ear gives access to the structures beneath the skin that need to be lifted. The sagged muscles are tightened, any excess fat is removed, and the skin is redraped and trimmed to smooth out the contour of the neck.
Both a surgical and minimally-invasive necklift aim to rejuvenate the neck from all angles. The best technique for you will be discussed during consultation. After the healing period, you will notice an overall tighter neck with smoother skin, less wrinkles, a tightened platysma muscle, and a sharper angle. A necklift has a downtime of 2 weeks with easy wound care.
