Rejuvenecimiento Facial

How Is Natural Facial Rejuvenation Achieved?

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To achieve the best result in facial rejuvenation—also called a facelift or rhytidectomy—it is important to choose an experienced surgeon who can create or preserve a natural appearance in the neck and cheeks. This procedure involves lifting the cheek skin and repositioning facial and neck muscles that have descended over time.

When these muscles are lifted, excess skin remains. Only the excess skin should be removed, creating a smooth, more youthful appearance without the pulled or overly tight look associated with facelifts of the 1970s and 1980s.

Important considerations:

1. Removing too much skin can create a pulled appearance around the mouth and widened or noticeable scars in front of the ear. The best result is achieved when the muscles are repositioned higher and only the excess skin is removed, without placing tension on it. Although neck muscles can be joined in some patients, this may create a force that pulls tissues in the opposite direction to the desired lift—downward rather than upward. For this reason, we do not place sutures in the neck muscles, as they can pull the face downward and do not improve the result.

2. The best result is also achieved when facial rejuvenation leaves minimal visible scarring. Dr. Pavajeau’s procedures aim to leave the smallest possible scars, placed within and behind the ear. However, as with any surgery, each patient heals differently. Some patients develop barely visible scars, while others may have more noticeable ones. This depends on each patient’s individual healing process, not on the surgeon.

What should I do before a rhytidectomy or facelift?

Do not take aspirin or anti-inflammatory medications. Ideally, stop smoking several weeks before surgery. It is also important to understand your individual healing process and accept that the surgeon will do everything possible to achieve a good result, but healing varies from patient to patient and cannot be fully controlled by the surgeon.

For this reason, as with any surgical procedure, no surgeon can guarantee a specific result. The surgeon is the professional who helps make the best possible outcome achievable.

At what age can a rhytidectomy or facelift be performed?

Ideally, it should not be postponed until age 60; it may be considered from the age of 40. Patients

who undergo surgery at a younger age can maintain a more natural appearance, because their facial structure and tightened skin do not age at the same rate.

It may be preferable to have several smaller procedures every four or five years rather than one extensive procedure at age 60. It can be performed from the age of 40 onward, and up to the age of 70 if the patient is in good health. Keep in mind that aging continues, so this procedure may be performed more than once throughout life. Its effects gradually diminish after three to four years, and the patient may choose to undergo it again.

The excessive facelifts performed in the 1970s and 1980s are no longer done, because they aimed to make the surgery last at least ten years and therefore involved removing too much skin.

If I have already had surgery with another surgeon and I am not satisfied, can Dr. Pavajeau perform revision surgery?

A facelift is not a lifetime procedure. Neither Dr. Pavajeau nor any other surgeon can make its results last forever. Another procedure may be needed approximately every four to eight years.

How long does the surgery take?

This surgery can be performed in two ways. A mini facelift, or “weekend facelift,” is performed under local anesthesia. A more extensive procedure involving the muscular tissues and skin, with longer-lasting effects, is performed under general anesthesia and takes approximately three hours.

What skills are required for a good rhytidectomy or facelift?

The plastic surgeon must have extensive knowledge of facial anatomy and a strong artistic sense in order to preserve symmetry and avoid excessive skin tension. It is preferable to address additional neck wrinkles during a touch-up procedure rather than leave the patient with an open-mouth appearance caused by excessive skin pulling.

What is recovery like after a rhytidectomy or facelift?

The recovery period lasts approximately 5 to 10 days. Stitches are removed after 7 days, and most patients return to work after 10 days. Cold compresses and calendula may be used. Swelling lasts for several days and gradually resolves over the following 6 to 12 months.

Patience is especially important regarding the neck result, which may sometimes take longer to become apparent. Neck liposuction is often performed as part of the procedure, which can cause marks or irregularities that improve with massage over time.