Micro-lifting actually means a soft tightening. Today's aesthetic surgery has a wide range of lifting techniques, each with its specific prescriptions, according to the patient's concrete case. This specific technique (micro-lifting) is commonly meant to remove a moderate skin excess, correct the facial ptosis caused by weight loss or ageing or reposition the skin around the bones without influencing the fine wrinkles on the forehead and around the eyelids and lips. This surgery allows smoothing of the wrinkles around jaws and improving the tone of muscles. It allows moderate cosmetic results without the risks of a full facelift. It is a suitable operation for those patients who want to look better for occasions or special events in their life or just to give a fresh look to their face. The patient can expect a refreshment of the face; they look younger, revitalised and more cheerful.
You will be asked for a general medical history, with details of any previous surgery and you will be asked about thyroid or kidney disease as these can cause swelling of the face. Slight differences in facial symmetry are normal and will be pointed out as they are often unnoticed by the patient. The surgeon will then describe the positioning of the scars and indicate the likely post-operative results.
The operation
Microlifting is carried out under a local anaesthetic.
The incision is shorter than the incision used in a full face lift and is made in a natural line in front of the ear and may sometimescontinue around the ear lobe. The skin is dissected for an extension of 3-4cm forward in the face following the separation of the underlining plastisma muscle. Optionally the platisma muscle could be sutured to the cheekbone to lift it up. A moderate amount of skin is cut and sutured. The skin is then lifted upwards and backwards, gently tensioning the area, removing the overlapping skin and suturing with one single continuous stitch.
