Facelift Archives - Scott Mosser M.D.

Poet Kahlil Gibran may have once said that “beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” However, no matter how we look at it, the face will always be one of the determinants of beauty. In fact, several researchers have been made to define and measure physical attractiveness.

In this 2009 study for example, the researchers defined the golden ratio of female facial beauty. It turns out that beauty is not exactly in the eyes of the beholder but rather “when the vertical distance between their eyes and the mouth was approximately 36 percent of the face’s length, and the horizontal distance between their eyes was approximately 46 percent of the face’s width.”

You don’t have to go to great lengths in achieving the so-called golden ratio in order to appear naturally youthful. Here at our San Francisco cosmetic surgery practice, a face lift procedure can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles, folds, and sagging jowls and create a more youthful appearance. If you’ve been considering a face lift procedure for a while, it pays to carefully examine the details of surgery as well as contemplate on whether or not it is the procedure you’re looking for.

We answer the most common face lift questions that might help you make an informed decision below!

Am I too old to have a face lift?

On a whole, age is not a huge factor in influencing your candidacy for a face lift procedure. Instead, the specific determinants of whether or not you are an ideal candidate for a face lift include the severity of your wrinkles and facial sagging, skin elasticity, and the state of your general health. By and large, smokers are advised to quit smoking months before and after surgery as smoking can significantly delay healing and increase one’s risk of complications.

What if I don’t want to have a complete face lift procedure?

A traditional face lift procedure has 3 basic components: removal of fat, tightening of slackened facial muscles, and removal of excess facial skin. If you want to improve only a portion of the face or only reduce one aspect of facial aging (like removal of excess fat), a limited incision lift or a mid-face lift might be an alternative to the traditional face lift.

In addition, there are also facial rejuvenation procedures that may be done in conjunction with a face lift such as a brow lift, eyelid lift, and injectables.

How long will the results of a face lift last?

Generally, you can expect the results to last for a decade or so. However, this is just an estimation as there are certain factors that can influence how long the results will last such as your lifestyle (smoking habits, anyone), sun exposure, skin type, genetics, and overall health.

How do I find a good face lift surgeon?

A successful surgical outcome in a face lift procedure is largely influenced by your choice of plastic surgeon. First of all, it pays to find someone who has solid experience in performing the procedure. You can do this by personally asking for referrals from friends as well as checking the surgeon’s credentials. In addition, the surgeon should be able to answer all of your questions concerning the procedure. Moreover, you should be totally comfortable with the surgeon and the rest of his or her team during the consultation. Lastly, a good plastic surgeon should not force you to undergo a procedure unless you have made an informed decision.

Is it safe?

All types of cosmetic surgery, whether invasive or minimally invasive, have its own set of possible risks and complications. Bleeding, infection, and delayed healing are the most common risks associated with a face lift procedure. However, these complications can be easily prevented by sufficient preparation on your end and by choosing a highly experienced face lift surgeon who is adept in the procedure’s surgical technique and has excellent aesthetic sense.

Planning for Your Face Lift with Dr. Mosser

Dr. Mosser is a highly experienced plastic surgeon who has helped improve the lives and confidence of his patients through surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Moreover, he will help you come up with a personalized face lift surgery plan to help you achieve the look you’ve always wanted.

Call us at 415.398.7778 or fill out this contact form today to schedule an appointment. We look forward to helping you get the most of life through cosmetic surgery!
The hallmark attributes of youthful skin is similar across cultures and ethnicities: firm, elastic, smooth, and free of defects or blemishes. However, the human body changes over time and the skin is no exception. As the largest organ in the body, it undergoes a tremendous number of changes from infancy to childhood to adolescence to adulthood.

Every so often, loose, sagging skin is one of the noticeable changes that prompt men and women to seek Dr. Mosser’s expertise in providing cosmetic solutions. Read on below to learn more about ways to reduce and delay the appearance of sagging skin resulting from aging.

Factors with Major Influence on Sagging Skin

Generally, factors that influence the appearance of sagging skin include the following:
- Effects of gravity – This refers to the natural downward pull as we walk, sit, and move in an upward position
- Prolonged and consistent sun exposure
- Gradual loss of collagen and elastin in the skin – Both are types of protein that naturally occur in the body and are responsible for the taut appearance of youthful skin. However, as one ages, the collagen and elastin in the skin tend to dwindle. Collagen loss is partly responsible in the appearance of crow’s feet (wrinkles in the outermost corners of the eyes) and the progression of jowls along the jawline
- Dramatic weight loss – This could be a result to a change in lifestyle (diet and exercise), recovery from a long-term illness, or immediately after childbirth when the skin loses elasticity as it is stretched. Excess, loose skin is often noticeable in the arms, stomach, hips, and thighs. In addition, stretch marks may also appear as the skin is unable to adhere to the new body contour
- Influence of hormones such as in the case of menopause when production of estrogen has been depleted.
- Prolonged and consistent sun exposure
- Substantial loss of fat tissue in the subcutaneous layer of the skin
- Shrinking bones which result to lack of support for the skin
Other factors that may also influence the development of sagging skin include chronic lack of sleep, lack of exercise, poor diet, smoking, and alcohol.

Possible Cosmetic Treatments for Excess Skin

Face and neck – If you choose the surgical route, a face lift and/or a neck lift can help remove excess skin in the area. In addition, a brow lift or an eyelid lift can help remove loose, sagging skin on the upper third of the face. The aforementioned surgical procedures remove excess skin while the remaining skin is pulled into place for a more tightened appearance.

Non-surgical alternatives include the use of dermal fillers that primarily add volume to the skin. These injectables can be injected near or around the eyes, nose, lips, and neckline.

Body – Surgical cosmetic procedures are done in a similar fashion as the aforementioned surgical techniques for the face and neck. These procedures may include a tummy tuck, buttock enhancement surgery via implants or fat transfer, or a lower body lift.

If you’ve been having sagging skin issues either in the face, body, or both, Dr. Mosser and the rest of the team would love to help you look and feel your best! Call us at 415.398.7778 or fill out this contact form today to schedule an appointment. We look forward to helping you improve your life through cosmetic surgery!
Although aging is inevitable, there are numerous cosmetic procedures to reduce the appearance of the hallmarks of physical aging — from sagging jowls to the dreaded crow’s feet. Whether you’re looking into restoring your natural beauty or wanting to make subtle changes for dramatic results, our San Francisco cosmetic surgery practice is committed to helping you discreetly erase years off your face and body.

By and large, the following signs of aging will almost always give away or real age (or make you look older than your real age!):

1. Turkey Neck

This refers to sagging skin just below the chin making you think twice about posting that bathroom selfie you just took. The appearance of turkey neck can be attributed to flaccid muscles and excess accumulation of fat. A neck lift may be done for those who wish to choose the surgical route. Unfortunately there are very few non-surgical methods that help to a significant degree with a sagging neck.

2. Crow’s Feet

Crow’s feet refers to fine lines and wrinkles on the outermost corners of your eyes. Generally, their appearance is a result of repeated muscle contractions in the area when you squint and blink. Since you can’t stop yourself from squinting or blinking as a means of preventing them from appearing, Botox is the perfect choice to subtly erase them for a more youthful appearance.

3. Sagging jowls

Have you heard about the Triangle of Youth? It actually refers to the three components of how a youthful face should look like — full cheeks, high cheekbones, and a well-defined jawline. However, once aging has taken its toll, the Triangle of Youth slowly becomes the Pyramid of Age — sunken cheeks, nasolabial folds or parentheses, and the appearance of jowls in the lower third of the face. A face lift, chin liposuction, and certain dermal fillers can help make sagging jowls less noticeable.

4. Sagging brows and upper eyelids

Both the upper eyelids and brows are located close to each other and one will most likely assume that it only takes one surgical cosmetic procedure to improve their appearance. However, sagging brows can actually be remedied with a brow lift while loose skin in the upper eyelids will benefit from an upper eyelid lift. If both concerns are present, an eyelid surgery and a brow lift can be done at the same time. Botox can also help improve horizontal lines between the eyes.

5. Spotted and/or wrinkled hands

Your face may be youthful and flawless but your hands may convey an entirely different story with the appearance of wrinkles and brown spots. Laser therapy can significantly reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation spots while collagen-based fillers will help smoothen out those wrinkles.

Let us help you put your naturally youthful face and body forward! Call us at 415.398.7778 or fill out this contact form to schedule an appointment. We look forward to helping you improve your life through cosmetic surgery!
A thread lift lasts 18-24 months, according to a panel of worldwide experts I saw in October 2009, at the national meeting for the American Society of Plastic Surgery.

It’s entirely possible that threads will need to be removed and a facelift performed anyway should you opt to pursue the route of a thread lift. In my book, the procedure is not recommended – the idea of permanent cable threads in the cheeks doesn’t sit well with me, combined with the fact that the procedure still costs nearly as much as a facelift and doesn’t last very long, .

It’s highly advised that you discuss all your options with your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, and discuss both invasive and non-invasive procedures thoroughly before you commit.
I do not recommend this procedure as it does not last, and leaves permanent ‘cable’ sutures in the face. Thread lifts were originally intended to repair the underlying saggy cheek and jaw line tissues. This was done by threading non-absorbable barbed sutures into the deeper soft tissues, to provide ongoing support.

It’s no longer the best option available to correct these issues, and comes with its own set of risks, despite being referred to as less invasive than a typical facelift. I urge you to consult with an experienced Board Certified Plastic Surgeon to go over alternate options that may be suitable for your goals.
Looking in a mirror one day and saying to oneself, “My face looks so much older than I feel. How can I do something about it?” triggers a process of self analysis, investigation of (many) surgical and non-surgical options, and several difficult decisions. Not the least of these is deciding how best to spend your resources to best effect. It’s important to determine which of your facial features currently draw the most attention to your face and how those features could be improved.

Ask yourself:
- Were your eyes once your most attractive feature but now they appear tired or drawn?
- Were your cheeks once firm and rosy but now sag and appear hollow?
- When once your smile lifted at the corners, does it now struggle against folds of skin at each side of your mouth?
- Does your once smooth and defined jawline appear soft and droopy?
Pull out the family albums and examine photographs of your face over the past ten years (or more) to help you decide what you can gracefully accept in the aging process and what bothers you the most.

Set Goals and Find a Partner

Whether you decide it’s your facial lines and wrinkles, forehead and brow, eyes, nose, jaw or chin, set some priorities or goals before you schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon. That will enable you to target your questions and make the best use of the information your surgeon will give you. Take your photographs with you.

Be prepared to learn about an amazing array of surgical and non-surgical procedures and products to choose from. Make your surgeon your partner in deciding what would best achieve your objectives.
Originally the theory on the major cause of facial aging was the looseness of the skin, which led to sagging and wrinkles. Then, it was discovered that the skin is not the primary problem in a mature facial appearance, but instead it was centered around a gradual descent downward of the tissues beneath the skin. Therefore, procedures (such as the SMAS facelift) that addressed this downward movement have resulted in a much more natural rejuvenation through facelift surgery.

More recently, however, my discipline has been realizing that there is a loss of overall facial volume as we age, and to get a truly rejuvenated appearance in some patients will require a natural replacement of that volume. For some patients fat grafting at the time of surgery is the best option, but for others facial volumizing agents such as Sculptra are best administered either before or after facelift surgery. The goal is a balanced, natural result that looks and is a subtle rejuvenation. Now specialists realize that skin, structures beneath the skin (such as the SMAS) and the overall facial volume play an important role.
Everyone has a chronological age based on their date of birth. But you also have a biological age based on a combination of up to 130 physiological biomarkers such as blood, urine, cognitive tests, muscle tone, lung capacity, etc., and that age may be ‘younger’ or ‘older’ than your chronological age.

A woman who has her biological age tested may be pleased to find that because she follows a healthy diet and active lifestyle she is ‘younger’ than her chronological age. But she may be less pleased if her face appears ‘older’ than her biological age, even though it may be in keeping with her chronological age.

Your face is more exposed to sunlight, weather conditions, soaps and cosmetics than any other part of your body so it may be aging faster than the rest of you. Sunlight induces clinical, histological and physiological changes in the skin known as photoaging.

If you feel that your face does not reflect your true biological age, there are many remedies available, both surgical and non-surgical. The effects of photoaging can be slowed down and even reversed. A consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon or qualified dermatologist is a first step in achieving a ‘younger’ facial age.
The thread lift has been touted as a minimal down-time facelift substitute. It’s a procedure where permanent plastic suture cables are placed beneath the facial skin. These sutures have little barbs on them, which are designed to grab on to facial tissue and pull it upward.

Even if the procedure lasted a long time I would have a problem with permanent sutures being left stringing across the face for years. However, in addition to this at a recent American Society of Plastic Surgery meeting I saw 3 world experts in the thread lift admit (to varying degrees) that this procedure lasts from 18-24 months at best. I suppose if that makes sense to some patients then they might be good candidates, but I find that all of my patients are looking for a true ‘rolling back’ of the clock, with a final result that lasts for years to come.
Especially in the San Francisco Bay Area, facelift patients prioritize a natural non-operated appearance. And there is no procedure where plastic surgery can be more apparent than a facelift.In the 70’s and 80’s the popular technique was to just pull on the skin to tighten things up, but we all know where that got patients: straight to a wind-blown appearance.

The secret to a balanced, non-operated look, is for the surgeon to utilize one of many techniques that are available to lift the structures (called the SMAS) deep to the surface of the skin, while closing the skin incision under minimal tension.Only by emphasizing a SMAS-based procedure can a surgeon treat the skin kindly and therefore avoid the tension being placed on the skin, with the abnormal facial appearance that this causes. All of my facelift and partial facelift procedures are performed with a SMAS lift because, quite simply, it’s the most natural result available.