Have you been considering facial plastic surgery like blepharoplasty or a facelift to rejuvenate your appearance? Do you have multiple areas of your face that you would like to improve? If so, you may be a great candidate for combining facial plastic surgeries to enhance your overall result. This strategy not only saves you the time and money of having to schedule multiple surgeries with multiple downtimes but also may lead to more balanced and harmonious results. Read on to learn about some of the best facial plastic surgery combinations performed at Edina Plastic Surgery.
What are the Benefits of Combining Facial Plastic Surgeries?
“A balanced face is an attractive face,” says Dr. Robert Wilke, a board-certified plastic surgeon, Mpls.St. Paul Magazine TOP DOC, and partner at Edina Plastic Surgery. “When we address multiple areas of the face that need rejuvenation in a single surgery, the final outcome looks more balanced and natural. For example, suppose your facelift helps you reclaim a tighter, smoother lower face, but you still have loose, excess skin hanging over your eyelids. In that case, the end result isn’t as impactful as if you had surgically lifted both areas in one surgery. This approach leads to more harmonious, dramatic results and saves patients time and money by not having to schedule two separate surgeries and take multiple weeks off work.”
6 of the Best Facial Plastic Surgery Combinations
#1 – Facelift & Neck Lift
Facelift surgery (rhytidectomy) is designed to correct facial aging and the associated structural changes while maintaining a natural and refreshed appearance. It repositions the underlying soft tissue layers to a more youthful anatomic position and tightens the skin. Incisions are placed along the hairline and around the contours of the ears to minimize the visibility of postsurgical scarring.
“Edina Plastic Surgery is unique in that our surgeons include a neck lift with all facelift procedures,” explains Dr. Wilke. “We do this because it is very unusual for a patient who requires contouring of the neck, because of a turkey neck, for example, not to also need contouring of the lower face. Many clinics charge patients for two separate surgeries when addressing the face and neck. At Edina Plastic Surgery, we know almost every patient will get a superior result by combining them, so we bundle facelift and neck lift together to ensure they get a result they’ll love.”
#2 – Facelift & Eyelid Lift
Eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, is a corrective procedure that addresses cosmetic and functional concerns related to the upper and lower eyelids, such as excess sagging skin and bags under the eyes. By removing excess fat and tightening the surrounding skin, blepharoplasty can restore a refreshed and “awake” appearance to your eye area.
“Facelift surgery focuses on lifting and tightening the skin of the lower face, but it does not address the eye area,” says Dr. Wilke. “Because the eyes are such a focal point of the face, removing excess skin and tightening the delicate skin in this area can dramatically impact how youthful you look. When combined with facelift surgery, an eyelid lift, or blepharoplasty can take ten years or more off a patient’s appearance.”
#3 – Facelift & Brow Lift
A brow lift procedure involves raising the forehead and brow to a more optimal position on the face. When a patient has a very heavy, drooping forehead or brow area, it can age them significantly and even make them appear angry or tired. The lifting action of brow lift surgery gives a more refreshed appearance to the upper face and can even open up the area around the eyes to reveal a more youthful and attractive appearance.
“If a patient has a very heavy brow area, only having facelift surgery will not completely rejuvenate their face,” advises Dr. Wilke. “In fact, having a drooping brow while the rest of the face is surgically lifted can look unnatural. That’s why I recommend a brow lift with facelift surgery if a patient has heavy, sagging skin throughout their upper and lower face. It just leads to a more natural-looking, balanced result.”
#4 – Facelift & Fat Transfer
Facelift surgery can smooth and tighten the skin on your lower face but does not restore volume. As our face ages, we lose collagen, fat, and bone – the very things that give our skin structure and youthful volume. This progression can lead to a deflated, gaunt facial appearance, especially in thinner patients. Fat transfer is a popular procedure to have in tandem with facelift surgery because it revitalizes your facial volume after the skin is tightened and lifted.
“One of the key drivers of facial aging is volume loss,” explains Dr. Wilke. “Over time, the fat that gives our face youthful fullness and definition slips away, and the collagen and elastin that support our skin diminishes. This overall loss of structure gives rise to wrinkles and sagging tissues. Facial fat grafting, or fat transfer, which harvests fat from a patient’s own body, can be combined with a facelift to restore volume and correct related concerns, such as deep nasolabial folds.”
#5 – Rhinoplasty & Chin Augmentation
Facial balancing has become an increasingly popular term in the world of dermal fillers, but it got its beginning in facial plastic surgery.
“There are certain ideal ratios between various features of your face,” explains Dr. Wilke. “It is proven that the human eye deems these ratios as visually more attractive. A great example is the measurement between your nose and chin. Ideally, the tip of your chin should align vertically through the philtrum, which is the junction between your nose and upper lip. When someone has a recessed chin or a nose that is disproportionately large or hooked, it can significantly obstruct this balance. In certain cases, a patient may struggle with both. In these cases, combining a chin implant with a rhinoplasty can provide an effective solution to achieving optimal facial balance and a beautiful profile.”
Have you considered facial plastic surgery and think you may benefit from one of the combination surgeries mentioned above? Schedule a complimentary consultation to discuss your options with Dr. Robert Wilke or another board-certified plastic surgeon at Edina Plastic Surgery by calling (612) 688-3177, texting (952) 925-1765, or CLICKING HERE.
