“Facelift surgery is without a doubt the most transformative anti-aging procedure available,” says Dr. Philip Solomon, MD, FRCSC, Otolaryngologist Head and Neck Surgeon, practicing in Facial Plastic Surgery. “Facelifts have been around for many years, however previously, this surgery may have left tell-tale signs of an ‘overdone or operated’ appearance that may have turned people off.”
Dr. Solomon says there was a time when facelift surgeries were operations that were costly or assumed to only be available to the upper echelon of society and associated with
movie stars or the very wealthy. “Today facelifts are sought-out by people from a larger demographic and socio-economic background,” says Dr. Solomon.
The procedure itself has changed over the years as well, as has the age at which people are choosing to embrace this surgery. “We are now living in a time when facelift surgery is performed on a broad range of both men and women, ranging in age from their mid-40s to mid-70s,” and occasionally even older. Dr. Solomon continues, “Facelift surgery can provide a radical improvement to someone’s appearance, helping them look years younger by enhancing the contour of the jawline, middle face and neck.”
As we have seen in our parents and grandparents, as we age our skin begins to sag. “There has been a tremendous amount of time and resources spent in the ‘anti-aging’ world, help slow down the aging process, there hasn’t been anything close to replacing this procedure using a non-invasive approach. What has evolved over time is technique, skill and technology’.
“Throughout North America, Europe and parts of Asia, there has been a shift toward what’s known as a ‘Deep Plane’ Facelift, that addresses some of the deeper structures of the face,” Dr. Solomon says. “More specifically, the SMAS. It’s a deeper layer that covers the muscles of the face and when that is tightened in addition to just the skin, the results are far more natural appearing and longer lasting.”
There are different degrees of a Deep Plane Facelift, and in Canada there are only a handful of surgeons who are performing a composite lift or a true Deep Plane Facelift, but Dr. Solomon has chosen to incorporate the procedure into his practice in a significant way. “I have found that since I have added this technique, the results in my own practice have been more dramatic, more natural and longer lasting, thus resulting in happy patients.
There are differing degrees of a Deep Plane Facelift, and in Canada, there are only a handful of Doctors licensed to offer the procedure. Dr. Solomon is one of them.
According to Dr. Solomon, a Facelift is the gold standard of treatment for the aging face.
“That being said, it doesn’t fix everything. Some patients also benefit from adjunct procedures, such as laser resurfacing which is what is often necessary when dealing with changes to the skin’s texture and overall appearance caused by wrinkles and sun damage.
Dr. Solomon’s theory is, that one plus one plus one equals 10: Meaning one procedure alone isn’t going to be the only solution. “In combining multiple modalities we can often reach a 10”. It’s a formula. And it’s a formula that Dr. Solomon is very familiar with.
Photography by Alvaro Goveia