My mid-face and cheeks have fallen. What can I do to lift them?
A mid-facelift can be a simple procedure, performed under a local anesthesia to lift the cheeks, and, only if done properly by an experienced surgeon, can lift the cheeks naturally for a long period of time. Below is pictured a mid-facelift alone in a younger patient.
What happens to the mid-face to cause it to fall?
The mid-face is an area of the central face that lies immediately under and around the outside of the eyes. It is often referred to as “the cheek”. In youth, the cheek fat sits high upon the cheek bone and is held up by ligaments. These ligaments “stretch out”, much like shoulder ligaments, and, with age, the cheek falls. This falling, called “gravitational descent” contributes to the “mad, sad, tired” look that is a hallmark of aging. This aging can occur early or later in life. Often the fat sags over the folds that go from the mouth to the nose (nasolabial folds) and accentuates them.
Will my mid-face be lifted with a deep plane facelift?
No facelift is complete, long lasting, and natural without lifting the mid-face. Facelifts, even deep plane facelifts, cannot lift the mid-face over the longer term. While the mid-face may look elevated initially, over the longer term- -one to two years (as reported by many deep plane facelift surgeons who originated the deep plane procedure) the mid-face will fall. Can fat injected during a facelift surgery, lift my mid-face? Fat injected into the mid-face during surgery or as an isolated procedure, dissolves within a year in 2/3 of patients. A reinjection of fat is possible, but the procedure requires recovery time and bruising. It can also appear unnatural with overfilling, uneven resorption, and lumps.
Can a Mid-face or cheek lift be performed with a facelift?
Yes, both younger or older patients can benefit from a mid-facelift at the time of facelift surgery.
If I’ve had a facelift, and I still have a sagging mid-face, can I just do a mid-facelift?
Yes, frequently we see patients with good facelifts, but still sagging in the mid-face. We can simply do an isolated mid-facelift under local or general anesthesia to bring the face into a natural, artistic symmetry.
Dr. Keller is an expert in this type of surgery and has pioneered and developed the procedure, performing it thousands of times. If you are interested in a mid-facelift, please call us at 1-800-423-8627.
