Facelift Revision

Correcting Typical Problems Associated with Traditional Rhytidectomy Surgery

A secondary facelift, or facelift revision, can correct most common problems associated with traditional facelift methods and help patients avoid problems in the future.

PROBLEM 1: LATERAL SWEEP

The most obvious problem associated with the traditional facelift is a “swept-back” look or “lateral sweep” of the lower face. The direction of pull for traditional facelifts is in one direction only: toward the ear. As time goes by, the lower face stays “up” but the unlifted deep structures of the upper cheek continue to fall “down,” thus creating a sweep toward the ear that gets progressively worse. This is more obvious in patients with dry, sun-damaged skin, since the natural lines of the face are redirected into an unnatural pattern.

A secondary facelift and cheeklift revision by Dr. Hamra corrects this imbalance by reversing the progressive movement of the cheek, fat, and muscle. Repositioning this anatomy to its original position gives a stunning youthful look as the sweep is eliminated.

PROBLEM 2: UNDONE FOREHEAD

For years, surgeons have performed the “face and eyes,” or rhytidectomy and blepharoplasty surgery, without appreciating the value of a forehead lift. A rejuvenated lower face created by this type of surgery, combined with an aging forehead, could result in facial imbalance.

To achieve a balanced natural look, Dr. Hamra performs a forehead lift so that the forehead is compatible with the rejuvenated face. It is also possible for patients with a high forehead to have their hairline lowered to a more natural level while undergoing rhytidectomy surgery.

PROBLEM 3: MALAR CRESCENT

The malar crescent is a subtle yet distinctly telling characteristic impossible to correct with a traditional facelift. This crescent-shaped fullness corresponds to the lower-eyelid muscle (orbicularis muscle) and occurs along the upper cheek area. Because the orbicularis muscle is not addressed in a traditional facelift, it appears more pronounced next to the hollowness created by the traditional lower-eyelid lift and the pull of the traditional facelift.

A corrective facelift, performed by Dr. Hamra, can eliminate this problem by lifting and moving the complete orbicularis muscle toward the eye and replenishing the fat under the eye. Correcting the bulge of the malar crescent will restore a youthful smooth contour.

This is a before and after photo of the right side before surgery with a right side following a composite face-lift. The arrows demonstrate the Malar Crescent and wide aging eyelid. The question mark signifies the correction of the Malar Crescent and the rejuvenated youthful eye-lid-cheek following a composite face-lift.

PROBLEM 4: PULLED DOWN earlobe

>Frequently following traditional rhytidectomy surgery, the earlobes appear to be pulled down too far (pixie ears) or pulled too far forward. The appearance can easily be corrected with revision facelift surgery.

PROBLEM 5: HOLLOW EYES

Since 1924, lower-eyelid fat has been removed during lower-eyelid rejuvenation procedures. This is especially true today with the advent of laser blepharoplasty, where surgeons often remove eyelid fat by using a hidden incision inside the eyelid and then lasering the surface of the skin. Whether traditional or laser, the results are the same when the fat is removed – an abrupt transition is created between the soft under-eye tissue and the cheekbone. The area beneath the eye will then appear more concave, or hollow, than before. From the front, the eye socket is more pronounced.

The youthful appearance of the eye depends on a smooth, soft transition. This is created by a special blepharoplasty revision technique performed by Dr. Hamra at his Dallas practice. Even when it appears that all of the fat beneath the eye has been removed, the “hollow eye” created by a previous surgery can almost always be corrected utilizing the orbital fat that remains. Fat injections are never used in conjunction with corrective blepharoplasty.

Contact Dr. Hamra if you are interested in the revolutionary rhytidectomy and blepharoplasty techniques he utilizes when performing a secondary, or corrective, facelift.

Secondary Facelift