Short access facelift. Short scar lifting MACS-Lift and S-Lifting

S-lifting is a surgical technique for correcting age-related changes in the middle and lower third of the face and neck and general visual rejuvenation. The name of the method comes from Short Scar (short scar), so another term that is often used to define this method is short scar lifting.

What it is

The technique is one of three basic surgical techniques (lifting using minimal access), therefore S-lifting is often referred to by a similar term - MACS-lift.

Peculiarities

Short-scar facelift combines the advantages of a limited-length incision (that is, minimal tissue dissection) with the advantages of the method (PMAS) - lifting a flap of the deep layer, consisting of fibers of facial muscles and connective tissue. Correction using the S-lifting system allows you to achieve the best cosmetic results by tightening not only the skin, but also the tissue structures located under the fiber. Moreover, the rejuvenating effect is achieved without the “mask” effect.

The aesthetic result of short-scar lifting lasts for a long time (up to 8–10 years) due to the vertical fixation of the lifted “flaps” of deep tissues, and is comparable to the effect of SMAS lifting. The operation, after agreement with the surgeon and if there are indications, can be repeated.

Kinds

In addition to the S-lift, which is one of three options for the MACS lift, there are J and V-lifts. The letters S, V or J indicate the type of cuts made. The name S-lifting is due to the shape of the characteristic incision, similar to the Latin letter S.

Indications

It is believed that S-lifting is best performed on relatively young skin in patients from 35 to 50 years old with moderate facial and neck skin defects, with a preserved facial contour line and in the absence of very noticeable signs of sagging tissue.

But experts insist that the S-technique has a noticeable effect on more mature skin, if a certain degree of elasticity is maintained.

deformation of the contour of the lower jaw;
weakening of the muscles around the mouth and drooping corners of the lips;
sagging skin in the cheek-zygomatic area;
drooping of the outer corners of the eyes - pulling the eyelid towards the temples makes the look open and youthful.

In the case of deep, loose folds, it is advisable to combine the S-lifting technique with and.
To achieve complete rejuvenation in patients over 50 years of age, it is recommended to combine the S-procedure with lifting the forehead and forehead area.
In case of deep deformations of the contours, pronounced folding of the skin, nasolabial wrinkles, it is advisable to perform a SMAS lift or combine S-lifting with the Frac 3 3D technique.

Contraindications

Among the contraindications, there are a number of diseases and some conditions of the epidermis in which the procedure is prohibited:

diabetes mellitus in the insulin dependent stage;
diseases of internal organs in the active stage;
autoimmune pathologies, oncological processes;
severe dysfunction of the heart and blood vessels;
, pustular skin diseases in the treatment area;
low blood clotting;
kidney and liver failure;
allergic reactions$
long-term nicotine use (up to 20 cigarettes per day)

Comparison with other similar techniques

First of all, surgical intervention with S-plasty involves tightening not only the skin and subcutaneous tissue, as, for example, with rhytidectomy, but also the deep muscle-tissue layers. This ensures a pronounced S-lift effect with minimal tissue excision.

The main difference between the short-scar lift technique and the standard facelift procedure is the incision limited to the area in front of the auricle with vertical fixation of sagging facial tissues in the temporal zone. This allows you to avoid excessive skin tension and distortion of natural facial expressions when correcting age-related defects.

Advantages:

The method is aimed not just at superficial skin tightening, but also at lifting the subcutaneous facial structures (SMAS). The aesthetic result of rejuvenation is achieved while maintaining a lively facial expression.
Low invasiveness of the operation, avoidance of damage to the facial nerve and subsequent paresis due to non-standard tissue excision;
Minimum area of the skin to be peeled off, which reduces the likelihood of postoperative complications.
Limited incision length to hide the fact of surgical intervention;
Carrying out a micro-incision within the pre-auricular zone, without moving to the temple area. This eliminates focal hair loss along the growth line in the retroauricular area of the head and its displacement upward and backward (which often happens after classic surgical lifting).
Shortened period of surgical operation, use of light short-term anesthesia using intravenous injection.
Quick recovery after the procedure due to low blood loss and low trauma.

How is S-lifting performed?

Preparatory stage

Preparation for Short Scar lifting includes:

consultation with a surgeon and related specialists for possible contraindications;
necessary laboratory blood tests.

If a patient is planning to lose excess fat, the weight loss process should be completed before surgery so that the excess sagging skin folds that often form after rapid weight loss can be removed during surgery.

10-14 days before the procedure, you need to give up alcohol and nicotine, which increases the likelihood of complications and delays the healing process of the dermis at the treatment site.

Progress of the operation

The surgical procedure lasts from 2 to 4 hours depending on the volume and complexity of the operation.

Subsequence:

Combined anesthesia is performed - local anesthesia and intravenous injection
Micro-incisions are made according to the selected pattern. Typically, during S-lifting in women, retrotragus incisions are made to maximize camouflage of the subsequent scar. In male patients, the tissue is cut in the area of the natural fold of the pre-auricular region.
The tightened skin and SMAS flap - a fragment of the deep muscle-fat layer (PMAS) - are fixed with hanging sutures to the periosteum of the zygomatic zone at a higher point. The tissues of the lower third of the face are lifted, the angle of the lower jaw is highlighted, the contour is aligned and sagging “jowls” are eliminated. To straighten the nasolabial folds and tighten the skin on the neck, additional sutures are applied
The excess skin flap is excised and the wounds are sutured with intradermal cosmetic sutures using a hypoallergenic non-absorbable thread.
The thread is removed from the suture after the tissue has healed - usually 8-12 days after surgery.

The first improvements become noticeable after 10–20 days, after bruises, swelling and induration resolve. The full cosmetic effect will become increasingly evident over 2 to 5 months.

Rehabilitation period

After the S-lift, patients go home for 1 or 2 days. Bruises disappear by 5–7 days. To make them less noticeable, dry cold (a cold heating pad wrapped in sterile gauze) should be applied to the areas around the incisions for 2–3 days. The pain is relieved by taking Analgin, Pentalgin, Ibuprofen. Swelling on the face subsides within 10 to 12 days.

Before the sutures are removed, the patient must wear a pressure bandage to support the tissues in the cheek-zygomatic and chin areas. If short-scar lifting was performed in combination with chin liposuction, the bandage continues to be put on before bedtime for another 3 to 4 weeks.

To speed up the healing process and prevent possible complications, you should adhere to some rules throughout the month:

do not expose the skin in the face and neck area to heat,
refuse hot baths, saunas, baths;
avoid sun exposure of the skin in the treatment area;
exclude solariums, swimming in open water and swimming pools;
avoid physical fatigue, eliminate heavy lifting and sports activities;
When sleeping and resting, use a high pillow and, if possible, lie on your back;
until the stitches are completely healed, avoid makeup and skincare products;
treat your face and neck only with the products recommended by the cosmetologist.

As for the physiotherapy procedures indicated after lifting, they are prescribed only by a doctor, based on an analysis of the condition of the skin and surgical sutures. Microcurrents, ozone therapy, special massage, carboxytherapy, procedures using restorative and regenerating masks, and magnetic therapy have an excellent effect.

Youth, as you know, is a state of mind. It’s wonderful when everything inside you sings and enjoys life. But if on your face, pardon the pun, all the signs of age are “present” in the form of wrinkles, folds, flaccidity and drooping tissue, it is difficult to maintain youthful enthusiasm and confidence in your attractiveness.

Fortunately, modern aesthetic medicine can offer many ways to give your face a second youth. The most effective methods include facial plastic surgery, namely a circular lift.

Circular facelift or facelift - one of the oldest and most popular surgical rejuvenation techniques. This operation involves removing excess skin and fatty tissue, returning soft tissues to their original position and giving the contours of the face their former clarity.

The natural result of a facelift is a visible rejuvenation of the face by ten years or more.

Indications for a circular lift

It is believed that this operation is intended for women and men (and men, although less often, also resort to facial plastic surgery) over 50 years of age. However, sometimes the age in the passport and the actual condition of a person’s skin do not correlate. Therefore, if the patient has indications and desires to undergo a facelift, the operation is also performed on people under 50 years of age. Such indications may include anatomical features, the condition of adipose tissue, excess skin, etc.

Good reasons for performing a circular facelift are:

skin creases in the cheek area;
pronounced expression wrinkles;
deep wrinkles in the area of the nasolabial triangle;
“swollen” oval of the face, “shaved”;
ptosis (drooping) of the cheek-zygomatic region;
loose skin, sagging skin;
the presence of excess fatty tissue on the face, chin, neck.

Contraindications to this rather radical surgical procedure are blood diseases, cancer, dermatological and infectious diseases, and other severe chronic illnesses in the stage of decompensation.

Types of circular lift

Classic face lift (rhytidectomy) . With this type of facial plastic surgery, the surgeon makes surgical incisions in the area of the scalp of the forehead, in the fold in front of the auricle and behind the ear. The technique involves manipulations to move, redistribute and give the desired position to tissues with subsequent tension of the skin. No work is done with the muscular frame during rhytidectomy, so the method is applicable mainly to patients with moderate age-related skin changes and without excess fatty tissue.

The operation is usually performed within 1-3 hours, under general or combined anesthesia.

The results of a facelift can last up to 5-7 years (if you follow all medical recommendations for facial care).

With a classic circular facelift, soft tissue and skin are plasticized, but the facial muscles are not involved. And after several years, the skin, under the weight of the muscles, is able to return to its previous (relaxed) state. Therefore, recently, surgeons are increasingly resorting to combined techniques that combine the techniques of classic facelift + SMAS lifting or endoscopic facelift and other techniques.

Deep circular lift (SMAS lift) . The technique combines elements of classic facelift and work with the deep layers of the face - muscles and tendons. (SMAS is an abbreviation for Superficial Musculo-Aponeurotic System, i.e. superficial muscular-aponeurotic system).

Manipulations with the SMAS layer make it possible not only to get rid of wrinkles and folds, but also to strengthen the muscular frame of the face and return it to its original relief.

The operation takes 3 hours (on average) and is performed mainly under general anesthesia.

The effect of a deep circular lift lasts much longer than that of a classic rhytidectomy - 8-10 years or longer.

Circular lift. Photo before surgery

Circular lift. Photo after surgery

Endoscopic facelift. With this type of facial plastic surgery, the surgeon works with the same tissues as with SMAS lifting. Only long incisions here replace miniature (1-2 cm) punctures, through which all manipulations are carried out using the finest endoscopic equipment and a video monitor. The doctor sequentially isolates the muscular aponeurotic layer and then tightens it along with the adjacent skin flaps.

The duration of the operation and the type of anesthesia depend on the scope of the intervention.

The advantages of endoscopic lifting are noticeable rejuvenation, invisible stitches and short rehabilitation. However, the technique is suitable mainly for people 35-45 years old. For older patients with pronounced deep wrinkles, more radical techniques are recommended that allow surgical excision of excess skin.

Combined facelift . When using a combined technique, it affects not only the superficial tissues near the outer edge of the masticatory muscle, but also the deep tissues up to the masticatory muscle.

The use of different techniques (tissue mobilization at the SMAS level, movement of muscle-fibrous structures in different directions, excision of excess skin, neck lift, etc.) allows you to correct deep and superficial tissues, stretching them in different directions.

The duration of the operation depends on the complexity of the chosen techniques and can be 2-6 hours. Anesthesia - general.

Photo before a circular lift

Photo after a circular lift

Methods of facial rejuvenation by zones

Often patients do not decide to undergo a full circular facelift or do not consider such an intervention necessary. “Is it possible to rejuvenate the face by zones?” - one of the most popular questions asked. Yes, modern techniques allow this.

Such manipulations include:

front lifting (lifting the upper part of the face);
check-lifting (mid-face lifting);
S-lifting and max-lifting (lifting the lower face and neck);
space lifting (lifting the middle and lower part of the face).

Front lifting. This aesthetic technique is used to eliminate the first signs of aging. Typically, patients aged about 40 years old with pronounced transverse wrinkles on the forehead, folds between the eyebrows, drooping eyebrows and lower eyelid resort to it.

During the operation, the surgeon tightens the tissues of the upper part of the face. After wrinkles on the forehead are smoothed out and eyebrows are raised, the patient's face becomes more youthful and open.

Photo after a circular facelift

Check-lifting . Used to combat signs of aging in the midface such as:

hernias (bags) under the eyes;
sagging cheeks, “shaved”;
pronounced nasolabial folds.

The technique helps remove small and medium wrinkles, eliminate sagging skin and swelling of the face. It is advisable to carry out check-lifting in combination with, since the incisions lie along the ciliary edge of the lower eyelid.

During the operation, the muscle tissue is fixed in the required position using special endotin plates (3.5-4.5 mm in size). Resorption of endotins occurs within a year, during which time connective tissue has time to form.

The intervention is performed under general anesthesia and lasts up to 1.5 hours. The result of such a lift lasts 6-7 years.

S-lifting. This operation is also called a short-scar or short-flap lift. S-lifting allows you to lift the lower part of the face, get rid of jowls and double chins, and make the lower contour of the face noticeably clearer.

The operation begins with an incision behind the ears or in front of the ear. Next, the surgeon isolates and tightens the tissues of the SMAS layer, which are attached with hanging sutures to the periosteum of the zygomatic bone.

The advantages of the S-lift: despite its low invasiveness, it is almost as effective as the SMAS lift. Disadvantage: the technique is not suitable for older patients with pronounced wrinkles.

Max-lifting . This is a variant of the S-lift, a facelift through minimal access. This technique is a kind of “compromise” between conventional rhytidectomy and SMAS lift.

During max-lifting, excess skin is excised and the deep structures of the face are tightened. The main advantage of this technique is the ability to perform a full facelift through small skin incisions.

Space lifting (or spatial lifting) . A relatively new type of facelift, a minimally invasive lift of the middle and lower parts of the face (cheekbones, cheeks, nasolabial triangle, lower jaw area, neck).

The movement of tissues during space lifting is carried out strictly along the spaces - the physiological spaces under the facial muscles in the cheek area, the area of the zygomatic bone and the lower jaw. Using endoscopic equipment, the surgeon identifies the spacers, then moves them and secures them in the desired position.

The operation is performed under intravenous anesthesia and lasts on average 2 hours. Space lifting is characterized by a short rehabilitation period (3-7 days).

Photo before a circular facelift

Photo after a circular lift

Rehabilitation after facelift

Sutures are removed approximately 10-14 days later, full recovery may take 3-5 weeks.

During rehabilitation, the patient must follow all the doctor’s instructions - take prescribed medications, not smoke, adhere to a regimen, avoid physical activity, sudden heating or cooling of the body, and prolonged exposure to sunlight.

Cost of facelift surgery

One of the main questions asked in Internet search engines is: “Circular lift. Price". And the Network gives out very different prices: from tens to many hundreds of thousands of rubles. Why such a spread?

The fact is that the cost of a facelift operation consists of a variety of factors: the initial data and aesthetic expectations of the patient, the labor intensity of the surgical intervention, the skill and professional demand of the doctor, the reputation of the clinic, etc. It should be borne in mind that the price of a combined operation is always higher than the price classic circular lift, however, the result of facelift lasts for a longer period.

Prices for a circular lift and other services at the plastic surgery department are presented.

If you decide that it’s time to think about a facelift, we invite you to a consultation with MedicCity. Our highly professional and attentive doctors have extensive experience in performing circumferential lifting and other types of facial plastic surgery. You can look at reviews about facelift and other plastic surgeries.

With the advent of numerous gentle procedures aimed at skin rejuvenation, minimally invasive interventions have become the most in demand in aesthetic medicine. The classic circular lift has been replaced by the use of contour plastic surgery, threads, hardware cosmetology procedures and low-traumatic surgical intervention.

S-lifting is a modern skin rejuvenation technique, the name of which comes from the English phrase “Short Scar”, which means “short scar”. Despite the minimal invasiveness of the surgical intervention, the S-lift includes elements of the SMAS lift, designed for complete reconstruction of the oval of the face by fixing the muscular aponeurotic system.

Characteristics and features of S-lifting

Short-scar facelift is a surgical rejuvenation technique aimed at tightening the internal structures of the face and excision of excess skin. The main feature of the operation is minimal trauma and small scars located behind the tragus of the ear. Thus, the small seam remains invisible to others. At the same time, S-lifting is not a procedure aimed only at tightening the upper layer of skin. The operation affects the deep structures of the face, resulting in global rejuvenation and improved appearance without the effect of a stretched mask.

The incision is made in the parotid area and can be extended to the temporal region. The short-scar lifting technique allows you to achieve tightening and rejuvenation of the lower third of the face and neck, eliminate age-related jowls, nasolabial folds and ptosis in the lower part of the face. The effect lasts for a long time due to reliable, stable fixation of deep soft tissues.

Advantages and disadvantages of the operation

The main advantages of S-lifting include the following factors:

Fundamental limitation of the incision, allowing to hide the fact of the operation;
Strictly vertical fixation of drooping facial tissues. Unlike the classic facelift, in which the tissues are fixed upward and backward, this technique avoids the effect of skin tension and also preserves the duration of the achieved result;
No risk of damage to the facial nerve due to non-standard tissue excision;
Low invasiveness of the operation. The intervention lasts for a short period of time, gentle local anesthesia is used with mild intravenous sedation;
SMAS lift. Lifting is aimed at tightening and strengthening the muscular aponeurotic system, which ensures natural permanent rejuvenation;
Low incidence of complications;
Relatively low cost;
Accelerated rehabilitation. Minor blood loss significantly reduces the patient’s rehabilitation time after surgery. Strictly limiting the incision reduces the risk of patchy hair loss that often occurs after standard surgical lifting.

Disadvantages of short scar facelift:

S-lifting is not always effective for deep, loose wrinkles in the lower third of the face and neck area. Patients with this problem are recommended to combine surgery with other hardware and therapeutic cosmetology procedures;
After surgery, patients experience moderate to low intensity pain when chewing. The pain is localized in the cheekbones, where the fixing subcutaneous sutures are located.

Indications for surgery

Mild or moderate ptosis of the lower third of the face and neck;
Formation of age-related jowls;
Pronounced deepening of the nasolabial folds;
Excess lipid tissue in the chin area;
Dropping of the contour of soft tissues and skin in the lower jaw area;
Neck laxity;
Ptosis of cheek tissue, partial deformation of adipose tissue;
Weakening of the muscles of the mouth.

Short-scar lifting is an alternative to the classic circular facelift for those wishing to correct gravitational age-related changes in the lower part of the face. If the patient has particularly deep, loose folds in the area of the mouth and neck, it is better to combine the S-lifting procedure with contour plastic surgery. A positive result is achieved in almost all cases, excluding patients with pronounced excess loose skin in the neck area. The most acceptable age for short-scar lifting is between 38 and 50 years. To achieve comprehensive rejuvenation, it is recommended to combine a lift with a forehead lift and circumferential blepharoplasty.

Contraindications

Absolute contraindications include a number of diseases and some aspects of the patient’s lifestyle. Relative contraindications include aesthetic factors.

The operation is contraindicated in the following cases:

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus;
Chronic diseases of internal organs in the acute stage;
Severe skin diseases;
Autoimmune disorders;
Diseases and dysfunctions of the cardiovascular system;
Long history of smoking;
Tendency to form keloid scars.

Surgeons do not recommend surgery for people with excess skin accumulation in the lower third of the face and chin area. Also, S-lifting is not recommended for people whose age-related facial changes are concentrated in the temporal and frontal areas.

How is the operation performed?

Stage 1. Preparing the patient for surgery; premedication is possible, depending on the anesthesia chosen.

Stage 2. Introduction of combined anesthesia. In the classic version, local anesthesia and intravenous sedation are used for such an intervention.

Stage 3. The surgeon makes the main incisions (in the retrotragus zone in women and preauricular in men).

Stage 4. Fixation of soft tissues in a new position and application of suspension sutures into the periosteal tissue of the zygomatic area.

Stage 5. Application of additional internal sutures.

Stage 6. Gentle excision of excess skin flap after SMAS lifting, application of intradermal sutures.

Removal of subcutaneous sutures is performed by a surgeon 7-10 days after surgery.

Rehabilitation period after S-lifting

Inpatient observation in the clinic is observed for 1-2 days from the moment of the manipulation. The patient must be given a compression bandage, which must permanently fix the zygomatic and chin areas until the sutures are removed. After this, a compression bandage may be recommended by your doctor at night if the operation was preceded by liposuction of the cheeks and chin. Bruising and swelling disappear within 5-7 days. Often they do not occur at all. During the rehabilitation period, it is recommended to switch to liquid and ground food due to painful sensations when chewing. After a week, the discomfort usually disappears.

To speed up the healing process, some surgeons recommend physical therapy and chiropractic procedures. Special microcurrents, magnetic therapy, and caring procedures using healing masks show excellent results.

Maintaining the result and possible complications

The risk of complications associated with the S-lift procedure is minimal. Most often it is associated with improper implementation of doctor’s recommendations, as well as the choice of an unqualified specialist. In these cases, blood loss and prolonged healing are possible (if the patient uses anticoagulants, antibiotics and active smoking), infection in the area of resection of the skin flap, persistent hematomas and edema due to neglect of wearing a compression bandage.

The effect of the operation lasts for a long time and is comparable to the results of complex surgery. Thus, noticeable skin rejuvenation is achieved, and the result lasts for 10 years or more. The technique can be repeated if there are indications for this, after agreement with the plastic surgeon.

s-lifting plus blepharoplasty

Short-scar face lift MACS-lift and S-lift

The average cost of the operation is 52,500 rubles.

The MACS-lifting technique (Minimal Access Cranial Suspension Lift) was invented and first used by Colombian plastic surgeon Patrick Tonnarde more than 10 years ago. The S-Lift (Short-Scar Lift) is one of the modifications of the MACS lift, which received this name because of the S-shaped incision.

These facial plastic surgeries are designed to lift the midface and lower third through small incisions in the ear area. The specificity of a short-scar facelift is that it has an inconspicuous small scar, a shortened rehabilitation period, and is highly effective. The size of the incisions is much smaller than with a classic facelift.

MACS-Lift and S-Lifting. Indications

loss of clear contours of the oval face;
manifestation of moderately pronounced or deep nasolabial folds;
drooping corners of the mouth;
moderate decrease in neck skin turgor;
deterioration of facial skin turgor, gravitational ptosis of tissue in the cheek area.

MACS-Lift and S-Lifting. Contraindications

blood clotting disorder;
collagen vascular diseases;
exacerbation of inflammatory processes in the body;
predisposition of skin tissue to the formation of keloid scars;
smoking as a factor that increases the risk of postoperative complications (must be stopped at least 2 weeks before surgery);
taking anticoagulants (must also be stopped at least 2 weeks before surgery);
oncological diseases.

MACS-Lift and S-Lifting. How is the operation performed?

The MAX lifting operation is performed under general anesthesia. The surgeon begins the incision from the lower lower edge of the lobe, continues it in front of the ear (behind the tragus) and slightly covers the temporal region along the border of hair growth. Then the doctor performs a gentle, limited detachment of the skin flap. Effective tissue lifting is achieved by placing purse-string suspension sutures on the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS). These sutures are securely fixed to a strong structure - the deep temporal fascia. A vertical vector of tissue lifting is provided. In this way, the doctor tightens the deep structures of the cheek area, thereby improving the contour of the oval of the face. The surgeon then tightens and redistributes the skin flap, removes excess and applies a cosmetic suture.

With the S-Lift (Short-Scar Lift), excess skin is removed using an S-shaped incision, which, unlike the MAX-lifting, starts behind the ear and ends in front of the ears, and the lifting method is similar to the MACS-lifting. Of all the existing lifts, S-Lift (along with MACS-Lift) is the most gentle for the patient. More than half of the operations are performed under local anesthesia. The duration of operations is 1.5 - 2 hours.

MACS-Lift and S-Lifting. Rehabilitation

The patient is discharged 1-2 days after surgery. After the operation, you must wear a compression bandage for a week and a half, which provides pressure on the chin and cheek-zygomatic area. On average, major hemorrhages and swelling disappear within 12-14 days. The stitches are removed on days 9-11. The final effect can be observed 6 weeks after surgery.

MACS-Lift and S-Lifting. Photos before and after

Currently, this type of operation is included in the daily practice of most foreign specialists and some surgeons in Russia. You can see the results before and after short-scar lifting in the plastic surgeon’s portfolio on his website. Additionally, you can visit the “Before and After Photos” section on our portal.

MACS-Lift and S-Lifting. Prices

The cost of the operation is in a wide range from 50,000 to 140,000 thousand rubles. The average price for this type of lifting in Moscow is 110,000 rubles.

Where to do short-scar lifting MACS-Lift and S-Lifting?

Choose a certified specialist. To avoid making a mistake with your choice, study the rating of the best plastic surgeons in Russia. In addition, you can seek advice from the forums of Internet sites specializing in aesthetic plastic surgery.

According to experts, rejuvenation requires certain sacrifices, so not all plastic surgeons share the opinion that youth necessarily requires minimally invasive manipulations. On the contrary, only a comprehensive radical intervention will achieve results. However, one of the recent inventions - S-lifting - has already proven itself to be an effective and relatively non-traumatic intervention. It is a limited intervention combined with lifting and lifting of the skin and subcutaneous structures.

Currently, people seeking surgical rejuvenation of facial skin want to get the maximum effect with a minimum of risks and disadvantages. They would like to see a natural appearance combined with a minimum of complications and a short recovery period as the result of anti-aging plastic surgery.

Indications

The presence of saggy skin areas in the lower half of the face and neck;
Skin laxity;
Violation of the correct contours of the face;
Deformation of adipose tissue under the skin;
Excessive fatty tissue in the chin and cheek area;
Disorder of facial muscle tissue;
Strong age-related changes.

Contraindications

Smoking abuse;
Presence of chronic diseases;
Irreversible dermatological diseases;
Diseases of the cardiovascular system;
Weakening of the immune system;
Blood clotting disorder;
Tendency to form keloid scars.

In this case, surgical intervention is carried out in stages:

Preparing the patient for surgical procedures and administration of anesthesia;
Pain relief for the patient. Basically, a combination of local anesthesia and sedation (intravenously) is used to perform the S-lift;
The doctor makes the necessary incisions for the work (behind the tragus or in front of the ear);
Fixing soft tissues in the required position, applying special lifting sutures in the cheekbone area to the periosteum tissue;
Internal sutures (optional);
Excision of excess skin after tissue lifting, application of intradermal sutures.

IMPORTANT: Subcutaneous sutures are removed by a specialist approximately a week after completion of the operation.

Advantages

Gentle tissue excision ensures that there is no chance of damage to the facial nerve;
Limited incisions, due to which the fact of the intervention is not obvious;
Only vertical fixation of ptosis of facial tissues. For comparison: during a facelift, the tissues are fixed backwards and upwards, which is why the skin appears stretched;
Minimally invasive manipulations. The intervention does not take much time and the methods of pain relief used do not require a long recovery;
Noticeable skin tightening effect. Natural rejuvenation is achieved through lifting muscle and skin tissue;
Minimal risk and number of possible complications;
Affordability;
Short recovery period and minimal blood loss, no risk of hair loss (as happens after surgical lifting).

Flaws

Painful sensations when performing chewing movements (sometimes the patient feels severe pain) in the area where the sutures are located for fixation (cheekbones);
Insufficient effectiveness in the presence of skin looseness and depth of wrinkles on the neck and lower facial half. In this case, a combination of S-lifting with hardware and other procedures is required.

Rehabilitation period

After S-lifting, the patient remains in hospital for about 2 days; if there are no problems, he is sent home the next day. At this time, it is necessary to wear a compression bandage to create and maintain guiding pressure on the chin and cheek-zygomatic area.

After 10 days, the bandage will need to be worn only while you sleep (about a week, sometimes longer), especially if liposuction of the chin area was performed. After surgery, hematomas sometimes appear, which go away on their own after 5-7 days.

IMPORTANT: For the first time after the procedure, it is necessary to avoid solid foods, otherwise severe pain may occur. After a week, the pain goes away if no complications arise.

Magnetotherapy;
Lymphatic drainage massage;
Masks for skin restoration;
Microcurrent therapy;
Ozone therapy.

Result and possible complications

The skin after surgery is noticeably rejuvenated, the effect lasts for a decade, sometimes longer. The results are especially noticeable after the tissue has healed.

The risk of complications after the procedure is minimized; it is high only when an inexperienced doctor without a sufficient level of qualification takes on the matter, or if the patient does not comply with the surgeon’s recommendations. In this case, the wound will take longer to heal, and during manipulations severe blood loss may occur (especially if the patient takes antibiotics and smokes), infection of the wound surface, persistent hematomas and swelling.

It is possible to repeat a similar procedure in agreement with specialists.

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