A mid-face lift, also known as a cheek lift, is a surgical procedure that lifts the middle third of the face, including the cheeks, under-eye area, and upper mouth.
It’s a great way to reverse early signs of ageing by rejuvenating the underlying facial muscles and removing extra tissue.
In your mid-age, the area under your eyes and cheeks becomes flatter and looks worn out. This is because the tissues underneath the skin gradually gravitate downwards, causing a detached pattern between the cheeks and lower lid and it can make you look older and worn out.
To get rid of these early signs of ageing, a mid-face lift and cheek lift can be your rescue. The process involves minimal incision and downtime of around two weeks.
When Should You Get a Mid-face Lift?
If you want to get a mid-face lift but you are not sure if you need one, here are some signs that motivate people to undergo the procedure.
Heavy and saggy cheeks and under eyes
If you see your cheeks have visibly lost volume or the under eyes feel hollow, then a mid-face lift can help you get rid of the saggy skin. It can also help you get rid of crow’s feet and shrunken skin.
The procedure involves firming the skin on cheeks by repositioning the tissues and fat pads. This gives the desired contour to the face and redistributes the volume evenly.
Deep nasolabial lines
If you have wrinkles and deep lines that run from your nose to your mouth, a midface and cheek lift can be highly beneficial.
Nasolabial lines are more clearly visible when you smile or laugh. If the cheeks become saggy, these creases become deeper. By lifting the cheeks up and adding more volume to them, the cheeks can look fuller and firmer.
Ill-defined cheeks
Over the years, fat and tissues in the mid-face area lose volume and gravitate downwards. This can make the cheeks look less defined and saggy. A mid-face lift helps fix the tissue placement which can give a more contoured appearance.
Flat cheek pads
A cheek lift elevates the cheek fat pads that can give high defined cheekbones, highlighting the high points of the face.
A cheek pad gives shape and fullness to the cheeks that gives a young look to the face. Due to gravity pulling the skin down over the years and less elasticity in skin, cheeks start looking flat and hollow.
During surgery, these malar fat pads are repositioned to make the skin firmer and tighter. This gives an elevated look to the cheeks.
Disproportionate face
Mid-face lifts or cheek lifts help give better proportions to your facial features. Along with cheeks and under eyes, it can make your jawline and nose look sharper.
With ageing, the cheeks loose volume and can make the lower and upper parts of the face look disproportionate. As a mid-face lift addresses the centre and main area of the face, few changes can redefine the whole face. It can give a smoother transition between cheeks and lower eyelids.
As discussed, the surgery can also make the face look less heavy with lighter nasolabial lines.
Need a natural lift without a full facelift
A mid-face lift only lifts up the middle third of the face which gives a subtle and natural change to the face. It works best if your signs of ageing are easy to reverse and don’t need any drastic change. These can be individuals in their 40s, 50s and early 60s.
A full face lift is for reshaping a full face and is recommended for people for whom mid-face lift can’t reverse ageing and all facial features need work.
Poor results from non-surgical options
If you’ve tried non-surgical options, like fillers, but don’t see any long lasting changes, then mid-face lift is the right choice for you.
Some more natural benefits of getting a mid-face lift
Small incision across the hairline
The process involves a small incision around the lower eye and within the hairline. This makes any scars look less visible.
High tech procedure
Some endoscopic methods insert a small camera through the incisions, allowing the surgeons to reposition the tissues with minimal cuts on the skin. This helps reduce tissue disruption.
Minimal downtime
The recovery time is shorter as the mid-face lift focuses on the mid part of the face. The swelling and pain can go in as little as 10 days. A patient can be back to any physical workout in around 3-4 weeks.
How is a mid-face lift performed?
The process involves repositioning the facial tissues and uplifting the cheek pads. After the anesthesia, small incisions are made around lower eyelids and the hairline. An incision along the lower eyelid helps in accessing the cheeks without a big cut. If the incision is made in the hairline, the surgery can be performed without disrupting the lower face or neck.
An alternative to these can be an endoscopic incision, which involves installing a small camera through a small incision in the scalp. These are usually used for face and brow lifts.
Once the incision is made, the surgeon examines the tissues that need to be repositioned and lifts them up along with the fat pads that can lift up the cheeks.
Other than tissues, the retaining ligaments also contribute to skin rejuvenation. These anatomic structures are present across the main facial features and surgeons release them to achieve the desired goals for the skin.
Surgeons also use sutures to lift the deep layered facial tissues. The whole process can take around 2-5 hours and the patient can go back home the same day as surgery.
Recovery Period for Mid-Face Lift
Most patients can return to light activities in 1-2 weeks with full recovery taking around 4-5 weeks. The final and actual shape of the face is fully developed only after 3 to 6 months when the face is fully settled to its redefined shape and all the swelling is gone. The scars should also be usually gone by this time.
There can be discomfort with facial pain, movement and speech for 2-3 days following your surgery. The pain is not unbearable and should subside soon after. All the medicines, including painkillers should be taken on time and as prescribed.
Frequent visits need to be made for changing dressings and improvements in swelling/bruises. Doctors may also use bandages to minimise swelling and support the new shape of the face. It’s advised to use cold compression for relief in swelling and bruising.
Once the face starts getting rid of bandages, it might look a bit artificial as the cheeks lifted up too high. This will soon start looking more natural as the face settles down and regains a less sharp shape.
Complications of Getting a Mid-Face Lift
Medical conditions
Mid-face and cheek lifts are not recommended to people having severe medical conditions, like high blood pressure, diabetes, skin allergies, etc. Consult our specialised surgeons at New Birkdale Clinic and get the best advice on the potential complications as per your health condition.
Smoking and tobacco
Smoking and tobacco consumption can make the process more complicated. Tobacco and nicotine products make the blood flow less to the skin, making less oxygen and nutrients supply. This can cause adverse effects on the skin when undergoing surgery. Smoking will also slow down the healing of tissues, scars and swelling.
Risk of infections
Sometimes, there’s also a risk of infections around the incision areas. Antibiotics and all the post-care instructions should be followed seriously. Our team of doctors help you sail smoothly through this journey with the best care possible.
Poor healing
Poor healing from surgery can lead to unhealed scars that can leave some marks. Using doctor-prescribed ointments and antibiotics should help.
Medications
Some blood-thinning medicines like aspirin, ibuprofen, nurofen, should be avoided for a few weeks before and after the surgery. Having these medicines could cause excessive bleeding, delayed healing, more bruising after the surgery.
Look younger today with New Birkdale Clinic
If you’ve reached here, mid-face lift is probably the right choice for you. Get your face that uplift that can make you feel more confident and feel good about yourself.
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