Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Browlifts Lift Your Expressions

Cosmetic surgery is continually on the rise in America. Many people seek facelifts to tighten sags and wrinkles around the mouth and cheeks and the chin to neck area. These are not the only types of facial improvement surgeries available.

The browlift is another type of procedure intended to reduce the signs of aging that show up on so many people. Browlifts are not as extensive as facelifts, however. The surgery involves only the brow or forehead and is designed to correct deep frown lines as well as raise the brows when they have dropped below the upper rim of the eye socket. These improvements create a more youthful appearance and are often done in conjunction with eyelid surgery or facelifts.

Sinking brows often produce an aged, angry, hostile, scowling or stern expression despite the person's true mood. Few people like the effects and some seek Botox to correct the situation. Browlifts, however, are a much more permanent solution. Choosing the surgical procedure means that you can avoid periodic visits to your plastic surgeon for additional Botox treatments.

Opting for facial surgery is a big step, and you should be well informed prior to making your decision.

Over time, the muscles running across your forehead can lose elasticity and begin to droop or sag. This creates the frown or worry lines seen on so many people. There are a few techniques available for correcting wrinkled foreheads.

The first involves an incision running over the top of your head, starting at one ear and ending at the other. This method is called a coronal forehead lift. The surgeon then lifts the entire forehead and brow area to eliminate your bothersome wrinkles.

A second technique employs an endoscope. The incisions are on the scalp and much smaller, creating less noticeable scars. The endoscopic procedure is the most current procedure for performing browlifts.

The recovery process is extremely important as in all procedures. Your healing time depends on your body and how closely you follow your surgeon's post-operative instructions.

After the procedure is completed, you will have the repaired area wrapped in light bandaging. These wrappings will remain in place for forty-eight hours, or two days. In some cases, the doctor may choose to attach drains to prevent any build up of fluids. If you do have drains, they will be removed twenty-four to forty-eight hours after your surgery.

Additionally, you may experience mild bruising and swelling during the first seven to ten days of recovery. This is common and should not cause any problems with your healing. Usually, patients can return to their normal activities within two weeks of the browlift.

As with any surgical procedure, there are risks involved. With this type of plastic surgery, however, the risks are limited. They include numbness and weakness of the muscles in your forehead and possible hair loss at the incision site. Most complications are infrequent and limited in their duration. If you have any concerns after your operation, you should consult your surgeon.

Cosmetic facial repair is one means of combating the visible signs of aging. Knowing all you can will help you make the choice best suited to you.

Cosmetic surgery is one way to combat the signs of aging. The browlift offers a more permanent solution than injectables. A consultation with one of the doctors at the Center for Plastic Surgery can help you in your decision. http://www.cpsdocs.com/plastic_surgery_facial_browlift.html
By Andrew Stratton

Facelift for a More Youthful You

As we age, our skin and muscles lose elasticity, or the ability to retain the original shape after being stretched.

Time and gravity play major roles in that loss. Such effects of time and gravity are most apparent in our faces. In a society where visual impressions are key, it is only natural to want to put our best forward.

Under the influence of aging, laugh lines can become etched in our faces. Lax muscle and skin tone as well as fatty build up can cause the sagging flesh beneath the chin. Loss of the skin's stretchable nature creates those loose pouches on the cheeks, also known as jowls. There are solutions for these tragic indicators of aging.

Once upon a time, facelifts were only for the rich and famous. These days, it is not just the celebrities that need to look and feel young and vibrant. Fortunately, with the advances in surgical techniques, facial surgery has become more affordable. A rhytidectomy, or face lift, has become a viable option for ordinary people.

As with any surgical procedure, it is important that you know the risks and benefits before going under the knife. First, a facelift is designed to remove fat that has collected as well as loose skin. Your procedure will also repair muscles that have been stretched to a point of sagging.

As a potential patient, it is also extremely vital for you to know what a face lift will and will not accomplish.

This process will remove excess, sagging flesh, including large wrinkles. It cannot, however, correct fine lines from sun exposure or blemishes such as brown spots.

Additionally, a facelift will not stop the aging process. Your skin will continue to age at its normal pace, but plastic surgery removes the most visible signs of the progression.

There is no average time that a rhytidectomy lasts. Your results depend on your body and how fast it ages. Some patients do not consider a second lift for six to ten years and many never request a second procedure.

Another factor to consider as you think about facial surgery is what you see now. Whenever your age begins to tell too much is something only you can decide. Some wait until the laugh lines and sagging are quite obvious. Others get the procedure done as soon as the signs appear.

The surgical procedure itself is a straight forward one. The incision is made from the temporal hairline (on or just behind your temple) and runs down along the front of your ear. It then curves around the earlobe, behind the ear and into your hairline along the back of your neck. The incision is placed as discreetly at possible to conceal the scarring that will occur. Your doctor may also place a cut beneath your chin for further skin and muscle repair.

The surgeon then removes your accumulated fat, loose, extra skin and repairs any stretched out muscles. With this procedure, there are a few risks. These include skin damage around the ears and facial nerve damage. If you are a smoker, skin damage is more common.

Recovery time can take as long as twenty-one days for the bruising to fade, so plan your surgery date with a reasonable recovery time in mind.

After your procedure, your face will be wrapped in turban style bandages. These stay on for one or two days, until your first follow-up visit. This dressing will be replaced with a lighter one. In three to five days, during a second follow-up, the sutures around your ears will be removed. Your third visit, seven days later, will be for the removal of the remaining sutures. All or most bruising should have faded within fourteen to twenty-one days after surgery, though swelling may take longer to fade.

Two to three weeks after surgery, most patients can return to normal activity. For proper healing, it is important that you follow all directions, including those about showering, getting haircuts and hair colorings. As you consider going in under the knife, it is in your best interest to know all of the face lift facts.

Many people worry about the visible signs of aging and the possibility of correcting those signs. A face lift is an effective method for making you look younger. The Center for Plastic Surgery in Washington, D.C. can help. http://www.cpsdocs.com/plastic_surgery_facial_facelift.html
By Andrew Stratton