Crafting The Perfect Facelift: A Detailed Operative Plan
A proper facelift requires a detailed operative plan, akin to an architect designing a home. Attention must be given not only to the aesthetic components but also to the areas needing specific correction and the underlying anatomy during surgery. These photos illustrate the surgical plan.
In the profile view, the blue lines indicate the location of the incisions. The skin between these lines will need to be removed to achieve the desired correction. The green line demonstrates the extent of the dissection in the cheeks, allowing for the suspension of the deep structures beneath the skin. The red line shows the path of one of the five major branches of the facial nerve.
In the front view, one can observe the need for skin removal in the lower eyelid and the marking of the incisions in both the upper and lower eyelids. The area between the eyebrows marks the lines that will be corrected with Botulinum toxin, while the dots on the forehead indicate the lines that will be filled with hyaluronic acid.
The postoperative photos were taken three weeks after the surgery. Although there is still some swelling, there is significant improvement. The redness of the scars will peak at six weeks post-surgery and will gradually fade over time.