Evaluation of the Facelift Patient

Abstract

In the public's view, there is no procedure more synonymous with plastic surgery than the facelift. The ultimate goal of a facelift is to provide patients with a natural, unoperated appearance that results in a younger, refreshed version of himself or herself. While individuals vary in the onset and rate at which they age, there is a fundamental pattern and sequence to changes in facial appearance that occurs throughout the decades of life. The surgeon must appreciate the anatomic pathogenesis of facial aging in order to address the signs of aging in a natural way. Overall, the main principle of overriding importance in facelift is to restore harmony among the areas of the face with smooth transitions from the brow to the periorbital region to the midface to the jaw and to the neck. In consultation, it is important in the assessment to identify what areas need to be addressed and to understand the underlying pathogenesis that occurs with aging in order to restore this harmony.