Objectives of the cervico-facial lift

The objective of a cervico-facial lift is to treat sagging and slackening of the skin and muscles of the face (cheeks, jowls, oval of the face) and neck. We can also correct, depending on the type of aging, an impasto of the features or on the contrary a hollow face by acting on the fatty component.

This intervention is not intended to transform or even modify the face but only to allow the patient to regain the appearance she had a few years earlier, in short to “recognize herself”.

Principle of cervico-facial lifting

To achieve such a natural rejuvenation , the modern facelift acts on all the anatomical structures: the muscles are put back in tension then the skin is redraped without pulling on the new curve. As for the fat, it is, depending on the case and the areas, either aspirated to treat an impasto ( liposuction ), or on the contrary injected into the areas hollowed out by the years ( lipostructure or lipofilling ).

Who is the LCF for?

The cervico-facial lift can be performed as soon as the clear signs of aging appear: sagging cheeks, neck, degradation of the contour and relief of the face, that is to say generally from the age of 40 or 45. If the sagging is moderate, we will discuss the alternative with a mini-facelift. Conversely, there is no upper age limit for such an intervention. Facelifts are frequently performed after the age of 70; only physiological age and general condition are taken into account.

What to expect from the LCF

The cervico-facial lift will thus restore the oval of the face, restructure a sagging face, raise the corners of the mouth, remove jowls, raise the cheekbones and cheeks, reshape the neck and restore a cervico-chin angle.

What the LCF does not correct

On the other hand, expression wrinkles, crow’s feet wrinkles or perioral wrinkles are not modified.

The quality of the skin is not modified either.

The appearance of the eyelids is not corrected by an isolated cervico-facial lift and the advisability of specific additional procedures can be discussed.

Consultation

Ameticulous examination of your face is carried out not only in rest but also in mimicry.

Photographs will be taken, sometimes even a video recording, in order to better understand the dynamics of your face. These shots are compared with photographs of you, portrait style, dating from different periods that you must bring to the consultation.

We will thus be able to appreciate the defects to be corrected because in the cervico-facial lifting it is not a question of transforming you but of allowing you to find, for you and your entourage, your youthful face.

All the information necessary to understand your intervention will be provided to you during this consultation. Documents will be given to you so that you can read the essential elements for your decision at home and be able to ask additional questions during the next consultation, which will be free of charge.

Aesthetic intervention, the lifting of the face and the neck cannot benefit from a support. An estimate of the cost of this intervention will be submitted to you. A preoperative anesthetic consultation is also scheduled and a biological assessment prescribed; the anesthesiologist will explain to you all the modalities of his gesture.

 A personalized file will be given to you, containing all the pre-operative recommendations in particular the cessation of smoking, details concerning the terms of your hospitalization, post-operative advice and prescriptions. It is recommended to have the hair colored before the intervention; likewise, a good cleansing of the skin is recommended. Smoking cessation is recommended 15 days before the procedure; any medication containing aspirin is prohibited. A preoperative homeopathic treatment based on arnica is prescribed in order to minimize edema and postoperative bruising. You will arrive at the clinic fasting for more than 6 hours.

The mode of anesthesia

The cervico-facial lift can be performed under general anesthesia or under local anesthesia deepened by tranquilizers administered intravenously (“vigil” anesthesia or neuroleptanalgesia).

Gestures

Doctor Sylvie ABRAHAM, cosmetic surgeon in Paris, adopts a technique that is unique to her and that she adapts to each case to obtain the best results. However, we can retain the basic principles common to any cervico-facial lift.

The incision is largely hidden in the hair and around the ear, so that the future scar is hidden and inconspicuous. Then a detachment under the skin, of variable importance according to each case, is performed allowing an appropriate re-tensioning of the musculo-aponeurotic plane.

These modern techniques, which act on the deep tissues and no longer exclusively on the skin as in the past, have revolutionized the quality of the results of cervicofacial facelifts, which are thus perfectly natural.

A precise analysis of the face made beforehand during the consultation will also have made it possible to determine if there was reason to consider additional gestures, in particular on the fat of the face. Sometimes it is necessary to restore a sunken face with emaciated features, by adding fat through lipostructure (lipofilling). Sometimes, on the contrary, it is advisable to correct a swollen face by liposuction of the cheeks and neck. Sometimes we practice both in different areas. This strategy will have been established in consultation with the patient. It is therefore a volumetric rejuvenation in three dimensions.