It’s fairly common for patients to combine other procedures with a facelift (rhytidectomy), especially if signs of ageing are present in more than one area of the face or neck.
A facelift is designed to address skin laxity in the mid to lower face and jawline. It is not designed to address specific areas (like the delicate skin around the eyes or the skin on the brows), the neck, volume loss or more surface-related skin concerns like skin texture.
In this blog, we’ll consider the surgical procedures that can be combined with a facelift, as well as the non-surgical facial treatments that may be helpful in the longer term after a facelift.
Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty)
Focusing on the skin on the upper and lower eyelids (or sometimes just the upper or lower area alone), a blepharoplasty can remove excess tissue or help to smooth fine lines around the eyes.
Since a facelift isn’t designed to focus on the eye area, combining the procedure with a blepharoplasty can help all areas be addressed comprehensively, at the same time.
Eyelid surgery can also be performed on its own, to simply target heavier upper eyelids or puffiness on the lower eyelids.
Brow lift (browplasty or forehead lift)
A brow lift or forehead lift focuses on the skin around the brows, which can show signs of skin laxity as we age.
While a facelift focuses on the mid to lower face, sometimes, patients may want to extend the targeted area upwards to include the forehead, if the tissue laxity has extended to this area.
The goal when combining a brow lift with a facelift is to comprehensively address the tissue laxity, and/or excess skin, in all of these areas simultaneously. In this case, a combined approach can help to achieve a more comprehensive result and prevent inconsistency or asymmetry on the face.
As with eyelid surgery, a brow lift can also be performed as a single procedure, but this is only done when the area around the brows is significantly more affected than the mid or lower face.
Neck lift (platysmaplasty)
Technically, most facelifts already include some degree of work on the neck, but in cases where neck laxity is more pronounced, a separate neck lift may be needed.
This might involve tightening the platysma muscle, removing excess fat under the chin, or removing loose skin around the front and sides of the neck.
Depending on the level of skin laxity across the face and neck, it may be quite necessary to combine a neck lift with a facelift to prevent leaving a noticeably inconsistent result. However, it will always come down to each candidate’s individual features and personal preferences.
A neck lift can also be performed by itself, but it is fairly common for skin laxity on the neck to also be present on the lower face and often also the mid face. Every candidate is different, and it will always depend on unique features.
Skin treatments (laser resurfacing, facial volume treatments, chemical peels and more)
While additional skin treatments cannot necessarily be combined with a surgical facelift at the same time, they may be part of your longer term treatment plan to address other aspects of the face.
Facelift surgery can tighten and reposition tissue, but it doesn’t add volume or address the surface quality of the skin. Common skin concerns that can also begin to show, along with skin laxity, like sun damage, pigmentation, and uneven texture, can also be treated with non-surgical methods.
This is where options like non-surgical facial volume treatments or resurfacing treatments may be considered. Typically, you would need to wait until your face has healed after your facelift surgery before undergoing any additional treatments, but the treatments can still contribute to your results.
Some surgeons, like Dr Hunt, can also offer some of these types of treatments. It may be worth discussing these options with your surgeon to get a better idea of what a longer term treatment plan could look like, which can be designed to address multiple concerns.
These treatments can include laser skin treatments, volume-adding treatments, chemical peels, wrinkle-reducing treatments, scar treatments and more.
Deciding if a combined surgical approach is right for you
The decision to combine other procedures with a facelift is usually based on a combination of personal features, preferences, and general health factors.
When it comes to personal preferences and features, it really comes down to the patient’s personal choice. It will also come down to the level of skin laxity in each area (the mid to lower face, the skin around the eyes, the tissue around the brows and the neck tissue). A surgeon would need to assess each area and provide advice based on what they believe would be possible.
As for health factors, it’s highly important to ensure that you are suitable for a combined approach – just as it is to ensure your suitability for any type of surgical procedure (or even non-surgical treatment). During a consultation, your surgeon will ask you questions to gather all of the necessary information about your current health, which will help to determine if you are a suitable candidate.
Ultimately, the best way to decide if a combined approach is right for you is to have an in-depth consultation. Once you have all the important information and a surgeon has assessed your needs, you will be able to make an informed decision.
Book a consultation for facelift surgery and discuss your options with Dr Hunt in Sydney
If you’re considering undergoing a facelift and are wondering if you may be suitable for a combined approach, we recommend booking a consultation with Dr Hunt in Sydney to discuss your options.
Dr Hunt will explain how a facelift and any possible combined procedures (such as a blepharoplasty or brow lift) can be performed. You will also be able to ask any questions you have about the procedure process, including what you can expect regarding recovery and your results.
Please feel free to get in touch with our team to ask any questions or to book your consultation.
