Elastic Face Lift: The minimally invasive approach

Why get an elastic face lift? As we age we lose elastin and collagen in the skin causing loss of volume and sagging. Natural suspensory ligaments become lax leading to gravitational drooping of the face. This leads to deep naso-labial grooves, jowls and marionette wrinkles which are common concerns for many patients.

If the patient is laid flat and asked to look in a mirror then immediately these features are softened as the face falls back into is youthful contour.

Traditionally the facelift would involve significant dissection and trauma with scarring around the ear.

At Restoration Medicine we perform minimally invasive elastic face lift surgery combining minimal trauma with maximal results. We use a specialized Elasticum suture which lifts the tissues and restores the natural youthful contours of the face without the need for major surgery and leaving no visible scar.

The Elasticum suture used in the elastic face lift can be used to lift the lower face, cheeks and jowls which has a five-fold effect.

• Softens the naso-labial lines
• Eliminates marionette wrinkles
• Lessens jowels
• Defines the jaw line
• Helps to restore cervico-mandibular angle

The Elastic Face Lift Procedure: what to expect

During your consultation, your doctor will evaluate the mid and lower face to assess the direction the sutures need to travel (vectors) and how many passes the sutures would need to make to achieve the best results. This tailored approach takes into consideration the anatomy of each individual patient in order to achieve a rejuvenated appearance and avoid an ‘overdone’ or unnatural look.

Once the vector lines are marked you will receive twilight sedation and local anaesthesia so you feel relaxed throughout.

The elastic face lift involves a small incision behind the ear lobe and insertion of the two-tipped needle with elasticum suture towards the angle of the mouth then tensioning it in the form of a loop before it is tied. The suture is anchored to tough, fibrous Lorre’s fascia so will not move and over time it will transform into a natural suspensory ligament of the face making the results permanent.

The whole elastic face lift procedure will take roughly 1.5 hours and the downtime is usually just one day, leaving no visible scar. You may experience some minor discomfort on chewing for about a week following the procedure however this settles down quickly as the body accepts the new ligament.