Facial Procedures 101

Facial surgery is done to smooth wrinkles, lift sagging skin on various areas of
the face, or remove excess skin around the eyes or in other places. There are
many different procedures that are in a plastic surgeon’s tool box that can affect
specific areas of concern. One major misconception that many patients have is
that a face lift is going to affect your entire face from the brow to the chin. In
reality, a full facial rejuvenation often includes a range of different procedures in
combination, with the face lift only being one of those procedures.

These procedures are:

1. A brow lift: a lift and sometimes removal of the skin covering the area above your eyebrows to the top of your forehead.
2. An eyelid lift: a removal of loose skin covering your upper and lower eyelids, with occasionally some manipulation of the fat underneath.
3. A face lift: a tucking and removing of the skin covering mainly your cheek and jowl areas.
4. A neck lift: a tucking and removing of the skin covering your neck area. (This procedure is rarely done separately from a face lift, a “neck lift” is basically an extension of the face lift procedure into the neck area).
5. A fat transfer: moving fat from one area of your body into the face to replace fat that has dissipated with time.

Each one of these is a separate procedure, so a specific discussion with your
doctor about your expectations and what areas are bothering you is essential. A
face lift won’t change your brow or your neck (although many surgeons will
perform a neck lift with every face lift). A brow lift doesn’t mean the doctor will
work on that extra skin that some people get on their upper eyelids or on the
bags beneath the eye.

People often get confused about the terminology involved, so it is important to be specific about exactly what is bothering you by pointing to the areas in a mirror while you and your surgeon are discussing these various areas of concern. Learn more about each of these procedures and what to expect by getting your copy of, “Making the Cut” available for purchase on Amazon.

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