Fusion Facelift in Louisville, Lexington, Kentucky
What is a Fusion Facelift?
The fusion facelift is a modern facial rejuvenation technique designed to address all of the facets of facial aging in one procedure. As we age, our skin loses collagen and the cumulative effects of sun exposure gives our skin loss of elasticity, a brownish discoloration and an increase in the amount of blood vessels leading to a reddish hue to the skin. In youth, our fat filled out our cheeks, brows and chin area. This fat tends to thin out with aging allowing the skin of the face to settle downward. The youthful triangular shape of our face is replaced by a more rectangular shape with a flattening of the cheekbone, a deepening of the nasolabial and marionette groove and downward migration of the neck skin and muscles obscuring the sharp angle of the jawline.
What Makes a Fusion Facelift Different Than a Traditional Facelift?
The modern facelift addresses all of these effects of facial aging. The implementation of combinations of techniques in facial rejuvenation have led to the Fusion Facelift. In Dr. Salzman’s Fusion Facelift, the face is reshaped to a more youthful configuration with fullness restored around the cheek, brow, eye socket and chin. The skin redundancy is reduced leading to a more angular jawline and a sharp chin and neckline. The skin quality is improved as sun damaged and collagen depleted skin is rejuvenated with more elastic and color homogeneous skin with decrease in wrinkles and a new shiny appearance that reflects light.
Am I A Candidate For Fusion Facelift?
At your consultation, Dr. Salzman will examine you, question you about your goals and make suggestions about what course of action would best fit into your goals, time frame, and costs. We use a 3D image of your face and can show you what the intended results are at the time of your consultation. The Fusion Facelift is totally customized for each patient’s needs.
How Does Dr. Salzman Perform A Fusion Facelift?
The Fusion Facelift lifts the skin of the face with hidden incisions that surround the ear and extend into the hairline both in front of and behind the ear. Unlike older facelift methods, the Fusion Facelift does not alter the hairline. The incisions are zig zagged in front of the ear keeping the temporal hairline intact. No bald spot is created near the top of the ear. Behind the ear, the incision is often times zig zagged as well to be more hidden between the hairs and not leave a bald area behind the ear.
The Fusion Facelift is done under a general anesthetic in our AAAASF nationally certified operating room. In addition to medications in the veins and anesthetic gases being given, a dilute solution of numbing medicine is placed with a blunt tube to separate the skin from the underlying muscles with a gentle water infusion. A medication is added to the mixture that causes the blood vessels to contract leading to less bruising.
Once the skin is lifted away, a double needle suture with porcupine quills is placed into the tissue where the muscles and overlying fat are moved upward and backward to a more youthful location by a progressive suturing of this tissue to the more non movable tissues in front of the ear. Tissue glue is then sprayed into the space between the muscle layer and skin to affix the skin back down to its new tighter location. Pressure is held for a few minutes to allow the skin to be glued back down and potential space for fluid and blood to accumulate is obliterated. Extra skin is then trimmed, and the sutures are placed to close the skin back to its original zig zag incisions.
When necessary, excess fat is removed from the chin, jawline and jowls. Fat is sometimes needed to augment missing fat from the cheek, eyebrow and chin areas. Using small fat grafting cannulas with fat removed from around the belly button, fat is replaced to the areas of the cheek, chin, lips and brow regions.
Once everything is closed back to the original incisions, a laser resurfacing of the skin is begun. A modern erbium laser that allows for the control of heat deposition into the skin is used to remove layers of skin until the brown color is removed as well as wrinkles that are intrinsic to the skin and are not able to be pulled out by the facelift. We then optimize your results by accelerating healing using your body's own materials to increase the amount of new collagen that is made.
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Recovery After Fusion Facelift
In the absence of the necessity for laser resurfacing, the vast majority of fusion facelift patients are presentable with a little cover up make-up at 1-week post-surgery. The face never looks over pulled like coming out of a wind tunnel. The scars begin to fade after a few weeks and by 6 weeks or so are barely visible. In the event that laser resurfacing is done as well, most patients can be in cover up make-up by 10 days.
How Long Will My Facelift Results Last?
The effects of a Fusion Facelift last or 7-10 years. Gravity in unrelenting and the skin continues to lose collagen. There are few things that we do to keep up the look of the rejuvenation of the facelift. Radiofrequency (RF) devices can add heat to the skin to incite more collagen production. Fat grafting, Stromal vascular fraction grafts (made from fat) and fillers such as Sculptra can plump up the structure of the face thereby maintaining a more youthful shape.
What People Say About Us!
"Dr. Salzman is very patient and takes great care to understand what your concerns are. He explains fully how he thinks he can help you achieve your desired look, and he also explains the surgery and recovery process. He and his staff does a great job of reassuring you and helping you feel comfortable with the procedure."
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Schedule A Consultation
If you are interested in a consultation for Dr. Salzman's Fusion Facelift, please contact our Louisville office today! Call us at 502-425-5200 to schedule your consultation at Salzman Cosmetic Surgery and Spa.