Ideal treatment for someone:

• Puffy eyes
• Sagging cheeks
• No jowls

Benefits:

• Creates a smooth and youthful appearance
• Faster recovery time than a full facelift

Individuals who have sagging cheeks but no jowls or banding at the neck can improve their appearance using a mid-face lift. This procedure is best for patients who are seeking elevation of their cheeks when the areas beneath the chin do not require lifting. Unlike a full facelift, this procedure focuses specifically on the middle region of the face. One can closely approximate how this area will be affected by a mid-face lift by putting the fingertip on the cheekbone about a fingerbreadth sideways and down from the outer corner of the eye and pushing upward.

The sagging cheeks and puffy eyes emerge as a function of aging in skin, muscle and fat. Skin elasticity decreases with age and the affects of gravity begin to pull the fat and muscles in cheeks downward. As the cheeks descend, the eyes begin to look puffier and lines around the nose become deeper, projecting an image of exhaustion and producing a general fatigued and haggard look. The mid-facelift can change this appearance by moving the muscle and fat that has descended further up and back to where they used to be.

Older facelift procedures usually involved pulling skin back through incisions made in the hairline above the ear. Scarring was not visible, but it also produced a “wind tunnel” appearance. Advances in surgical techniques and technology have enabled surgeons to create a natural, smoother and youthful appearance. Mid-facelifts are able to accomplish this as well as reducing puffiness in the eyes and drooping cheeks by lifting the lowered fat and muscle and restoring volume to the upper cheek.

This surgery usually only requires a week off from work or regular activities. However, patient recovery time can vary greatly. Immediately after surgery patients can expect minimal bruising and some swelling that will fade within one to two weeks.