Face Lift

Overview of Face Lift

When the term face lift is mentioned, many people think of a skin-tightening procedure. This used to be true up until about 10 years ago. At that time, plastic surgeons began serious evaluation of the causes of facial aging. What has been discovered is that skin stretching over time is only a small part of the aging process. Other factors have been found to be the major contributors. Facial rejuvenation requires that all the contributing factors be corrected in order to produce the most aesthetically pleasing, natural result. The fruit of this research is that face lifting is much more predictable and effective at recreating the youthful appearance we once had.

Youthful Face

Dr. Cruise has been actively involved in investigating the causes of facial aging. It is not enough to just tighten skin. This can create an unnatural look and certainly does not recreate the full, glowing look of youth. The easiest way to understand this is to think of the fat-filled cheeks of a baby. In today's society, fat is considered a bad thing, but this is not true in regard to facial rejuvenation. In fact, it is the descent and/or loss of facial fat primarily, and other factors secondarily, that cause the characteristic look of facial aging. See the aging woman below.

Aging Face

If you look at any model, male or female, you will see high cheeks that are full of fat. Now, look at an older person. You will see that this facial fat has fallen from the cheek area and now is located in the fold above the upper lip and in the jowl area at, or even below, the mandibular border. The results of facial aging are quite predictable but only a small part of it is because of skin stretching.

Youthful Face. Cheek fat is just below the eyes.

Notice how cheek fat descends with age. This gives a gaunt look to the eyes. It also enlarges the nasolabial folds just above the lips and creates jowls at the jawline. The once elegant triangular face has fallen, creating an aged rectangular look.

Aging Face

It is a very exciting time for plastic surgery because we are just beginning to solve the puzzle of facial aging. Even though facial aging affects the entire face and neck, sometimes a patient is really only concerned with a particular area such as the neck. In this situation, only that area needs to be addressed. This is an excellent way to approach facial rejuvenation. You should only have corrected what really bothers you. You can always come back and have other things done.

Dr. Cruise's technique for face lifting addresses all the causes of facial aging. It is not a skin-pulling procedure as is commonly practiced. Primarily, it involves elevating the facial fat that has fallen into the upper lip/cheek fold and into the jowl area. This fat is then suspended back up to the cheek area where it should be. The effect is threefold. It helps to reduce the prominent upper lip/cheek fold and also recreates a fuller cheek area similar to that of youth. In addition, elevating the fat from the jowls defines the mandibular border. This effectively widens the face at the cheek level and narrows it within the jaw area. By doing this, an elegant triangular shape is recreated. Look at an attractive young model and then at a person with obvious facial aging. The youthful model will have a triangular shape whereas the face of the older person will have a more rectangular shape. Dr. Cruise has developed sophisticated techniques to recreate this triangular shape without an operated look. This is done by resuspending the cheek fat and muscles, then redraping the skin gently so that it does not look tight or unnatural.

As far as the neck is concerned, Dr. Cruise has developed a unique technique utilizing suture suspension to elevate the tissues of the neck. This dramatically tightens the hanging skin and eliminates the banding under the chin that is so common with aging. This creates a neck with a high, sharp angle above the Adam's Apple like that of youth. This is discussed in more detail within the neck lifting section of this web site.

The results of face lifting and neck lifting are quite dramatic. They can easily take 10 to 20 years off of your apparent age. You must, however, understand that the aging process never stops. So, eventually the procedure may need to be repeated in 10 to 15 years. Some people wonder why you would bother. But for most people, if they can turn the clock back 10 to 20 years, it has a huge impact on their state of mind and subsequently on their quality of life.

Notice how the facial shape has changed from rectangular to a more youthful triangular appearance.

43-year-old woman. Notice improvement of jowling, jawline, and neck.

Testimonial

Dear Dr. Cruise,

I just had to let you know about my recent good fortune since my face lift. Everyone who sees me is losing it, they all think I look at least 15 years younger and at age 74, I'll take it. When you released me after a quick recovery, I went bowling on my league, my average was 135, I bowled a 181 & 189! Then the next morning I was up reading my morning paper and noticed I didn't have on my glasses that I've needed for the last 30 years and my vision was great!! So you get the credit for making me look 15 years younger, improving my bowling scores and my eyesight!! What a star you are!! You are now a true friend for life. Thanks to you and your crew for the professionalism, kindness and consideration shown to me and my daughter.
Sincerely,

Betty

Face Lift Cosmetic Surgery Information Resource for Southern California including Newport Beach, Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Beverly Hills.