The facelift seduces women from 40 years old, with the promise of better aging
Lady Figaro. - Why this renewed interest in the facelift?Doctor Benjamin Pulvermacker. - We cannot oppose medicine and cosmetic surgery because many acts are complementary but from a certain degree of relaxation, surgery well done at the right time gives a more natural and harmonious result than an excess of injections. But it is true that a very heavy forehead lift has lost 90% of its indications thanks to botulinum toxin, a much lighter and just as effective procedure.
What do women want? They come much earlier than before. Not to find the head of their 20 years but just to feel in agreement with themselves. They are very active, dynamic, with a young mentality and they want others to see them as they feel. They do not seek eternal youth. They just want to age well. There are also fewer and fewer taboos. They talk about it a lot with each other. Surgery is not superficial medicine. It is not easy to have surgery. You have to be brave. It remains an adventure, never trivial. It is the companions (and sons) who are the most reluctant. They are afraid that their wife (or their mother) will become a caricature. We often have to reassure them!
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When is the ideal time to get a lift? It is different for everyone. On average around fifty but I see more and more women from 40 years old. Many prefer not to wait until the relaxation is too great to act. They don't want too glaring difference between before and after. Just a sweet continuity. That's how you get the best results. Often, the click comes from the neck whereas the men, them, start with the eyes.
And an age limit? It depends above all on the general condition of the person and the contraindications to anesthesia. Otherwise, nothing prevents you from doing two or three facelifts in your life...
Has the technique evolved a lot? We work on the skin, the muscles and what are called the soft parts, the subcutaneous fatty tissue. Above all, we adapt on a case-by-case basis. Today, we can really talk about a tailor-made facelift. We don't reinvent surgery for each patient, but we put a little more tension on one side than the other, we play a little more on the skin, the muscles... for another, we do neck liposuction... All faces are asymmetrical and this becomes more pronounced with age… Harmony is also restored by adding a little fat. This is called lipofilling.
Where does this fat come from? It is taken from the thighs, hips or knees, purified, centrifuged and injected with syringes and ultra-thin cannulas. It is really of the order of the micro or nano graft. It is more natural than hyaluronic acid and without the risk of an adverse reaction. It can also be injected into hollow eyelids or a valley of tears that is a little too marked. Sometimes the eyelids are also operated on at the same time. Do not create disharmony. If you have a nice well-defined oval and puffiness or a very tired look, it's a shame. Blepharoplasty is also increasingly light and conservative. We remove as little skin as possible to avoid the round eye. The goal is above all not to transform the person or make everyone look alike, but to give the best version of themselves. We try to be the most effective by being the least invasive. It is also the guarantee of having simpler post-operative follow-ups.
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Precisely, these suites? The scars? Most of my patients work a lot and give me a fortnight for everything to be finished. The scars are more and more discreet, hidden in the hairy places or in the tragus, the cartilage relief of the ear (in front or behind).
How does it work in practice? We stay one night in the clinic. The next day, we remove the bandage and we go out with care to do at home (oily ointment). The removal of the threads takes place between 8 and 10 days after the intervention. Of course, there are always bruises and edemas that often go down to the décolleté up to 8/10 days later, but everything is camouflaged after two to three weeks. What marks the most is when you do the eyelids at the same time. Postoperative hematomas and infections are increasingly rare and healing disorders can be corrected a few months later under local anesthesia. In any case, quitting smoking is strongly recommended four weeks before and after. Many take advantage of it to quit smoking. Nicotine not only impairs healing but influences the long-term result.
How long does it last? Overall, we are shifting the aging cursor by ten years. Afterwards, it depends on the lifestyle, the care… The thinner the skin, the more the scars will be discreet and the result impressive. We always do less on slightly plump women whose face relaxes less, but on thick, less plastic skin, the scars are more visible.
How to choose your surgeon? Nothing replaces word of mouth. In any case, we always do several consultations before the intervention to ensure that the patient's expectations are in line with what we can offer her. It is generally advisable to consult two reputable practitioners but to avoid medical nomadism. What makes the difference is the feeling. You have to feel understood, confident, safe. And make sure that if something goes wrong, he will be there.
