All faces age differently, and The Gillian Institute’s philosophy is to restore a more youthful appearance in a natural way that is appropriate to the individual. As the face ages; you lose volume and fullness, the skin loses elasticity and begins to sag, and descent of the underlying tissues develops with the aging process. The Gillian Institute can evaluate how your tissues and skin has aged over the years, discuss recommendations with you to achieve a more youthful, less tired appearance using surgical, non-surgical, and combination techniques. We recommend you bring a picture of yourself during your 20’s to illustrate the aging process.

With surgical options, a facelift surgery in combination with fat grafting to the full face to restore a more youthful appearance can be performed vs fat grafting to the full face in combination with a skin tightening procedure such as laser resurfacing or SkinTyte vs a non-surgical liquid facelift using dermal injectable filler and botox injections for a temporary result.

About Facial Rejuvenation

Facial aging presents as many symptoms such as jowling that breaks the jawline, sagging skin under the chin and neck, nasolabial folds, deep creases and depressions in the cheeks. There is no “perfect” treatment that will appropriately address all symptoms of aging for all individuals. Rather, every facial rejuvenation treatment performed by Dr. Short is carefully tailored to address the unique presenting symptoms of the patient’s case.

Aging symptoms present primarily as a result of the loss of skin elasticity. Skin elasticity naturally declines over time, which means your skin loses its ability to resist the effects of gravity and bounce back from repetitive facial muscle contractions involved in smiling, chewing and expressing emotions. Chronic overexposure to the sun without appropriate sun protection increases the severity of aging symptoms and speeds the decline of skin elasticity. Facelifts and fat grafting surgery offer adult women and men of all walks of life an effective answer to facial aging.

When to Consider a Facelift or Fat Grafting Surgery

The facelift and fat grafting surgery represent two approaches to facial rejuvenation to address the full complement of facial aging symptoms.

  • Loss of skin elasticity to the full face.
  • Excess skin around the mouth, jowl areas, earlobes, brows, neck area.
  • Loss of muscle tone and sagging to the underlying tissues.
  • Signs of aging: loss of volume to full face including cheeks, brows, lips, jawline, lips, chin, the tip of nose, eyelids, hands.
  • Deep facial folds (smile and nasolabial folds); between brows.
  • Localized fatty tissue deposits under chin and neck.
  • Loss of volume with the aging process.
  • Facelift and Fat Grafting Information

Facelift

Our facelift technique is a special technique using a SMAS technique instead of a skin only facelift approach. The SMAS facelift technique will lift and reposition the underlying tissues in a vertical vector and minimally tighten the skin envelope for a natural, lifted contour improvement.

The SMAS technique will create the desired cheek contour and lift the tissues around the mouth including the “jowls” with restoring the neck contour. A skin only facelift requires fewer incisions, less time in surgery, and less recovery period; but also achieves an artificial or “pulled tight” appearance resulting in cheek flatness and loss of curvature and volume.

With a skin-only facelift, the longevity is typically 2-3 years because the skin itself will re- stretch again. The SMAS technique is long lasting and permanent because she is re-positioning the underlying tissues under the skin envelope; the skin envelope is not tightened to improve the facial contours. We will commonly combine a brow lift procedure at the same to address the upper portion of the face, and create harmony of the full face. Our doctors will also combine fat grafting to the full face to restore the volume loss with the aging process. Our fat grafting procedure is essential for the desired outcome and understanding the aging process.

Fat Grafts

Fat graft procedures are performed to inject volume and fullness in areas that are sunken or deflated due to age. Modern fat grafting techniques can be ideal for many patients because they offer a low-to-zero risk of allergic reaction, provide natural-looking results and are long-lasting. In layman’s terms, the fat grafting is a low-risk, proven technique where you a borrowing from your own sources of fat in other areas of the body to restore a perkier, youthful appearance.

The fat grafts are commonly placed on the cheeks, upper brows, upper and lower eyelids, jawline, facial creases such as the nasolabial creases and perioral creases, and lip augmentation.

The Gillian Institute uses the “Coleman” technique and the special facial instruments designed to produce less trauma to the fat grafts to increase survivability and the use of the blunt injecting cannula tips allow for less bruising and swelling to the facial area. Fat grafts are placed in tiny aliquots using a special layering technique to create a smooth result. The fat graft can easily be harvested from the neck or abdomen. The fat grafting is an all natural, permanent result used routinely for predictable facial contouring improvements. We can also perform skin resurfacing procedures with the use of an acid such as 35 % TCA or a laser to improve the skin texture, repair sun damage and fine lines/wrinkles, acne scarring, and promote skin contraction.

Preparing for Surgery

A facial rejuvenation procedure is typically performed on an outpatient basis, meaning you will be able to return home the evening of your treatment. We recommend patients arrange for transportation and assistance during the first 24 hours and the following days after treatment.

Patients who smoke will be required to stop at least two weeks before their procedure date to avoid complications. Any anti-inflammatory medications must also be stopped two weeks before treatments and be sure to discuss any currently prescribed medication during your consultation.

The Day of Surgery

A facelift procedure is performed under general or twilight anesthesia on an outpatient basis. The full facelift/neck lift procedure takes approximately 6 hours. The facelift/neck lift procedure is commonly combined with a brow lift procedure, eyelid surgery, fat grafting and other facial fillers to provide the best result possible under one recovery period. A modified or mini facelift/neck lift procedure typically takes 4 hours.

After Surgery

You return home with your head wrapped in a dressing, which is usually removed the next day. It is recommended that you take 14 days off work. Although the discomfort has completely subsided by this time, some residual bruising and swelling may still be apparent. For a modified or mini facelift/neck lift procedure, 7-10 days is recommended. You must have a caregiver with you for the first 24-36 hours postoperatively. If you do not have someone to take care of you, a nurse can be provided at a minimal fee.

Bruising and swelling will be the most noticeable within the first few days after surgery.

If drain tubes are placed, they are typically removed the day following surgery. Minimal initial discomfort is easily controlled with oral medications. Sutures are removed within 5-7 days.

Residual swelling in the face and neck region may be apparent between 2-4 weeks with the final result being evident at about 4-6 weeks and continued improvement in the months thereafter. It is important to limit sun exposure in the months following facial surgery because increased pigmentation of the incision sites from the sun will cause the scars to be more visible. Straining, bending, and lifting should be avoided during the early postoperative period. Most normal activities can be resumed within two weeks and you can begin exercising within three to four weeks after surgery.

Anticipated Results

  • More youthful, restful (natural appearance maintained.)
  • Correction of jowls and facial sagging.
  • Cheek curvature restored.
  • 90-degree angle of neckline restored.
  • Softening of facial creases; lines & wrinkles.
  • Improved neck, chin profile, and jawline.
  • Reducing the signs of aging to the full face, hands (all areas of fat grafting).
  • Restore the loss of volume for a more youthful appearance.

Consultation

Schedule a consultation to learn more about the incredible results you can achieve with a facial rejuvenation treatment. During your consultation, you will meet personally with Dr. Short and discuss the full scope of your aesthetic goals and point out the areas that concern you the most. Drawing from her extensive experience and training, Dr. Short designs a personalized treatment plan and walks you through each step of the treatment.

Note: It is important to address any concerns with The Gillian Institute at the time of your consultation. There is some risk, as with any surgical procedure. To prevent postoperative complications with this technique, no smoking is a requirement prior to surgery. If a significant smoking history is present, a modification of this technique must be made to prevent complications. Our doctors can explain the procedure and potential complications to you in detail, and she can assist you in determining if a facelift/neck-lift is right for you.