Like other plastic surgeons, I have focused on lifting the muscle and skin of my aging patients when performing a face lift in my Delaware plastic surgery office. Fat is often moved, as well—specifically the fat pad of the cheek—to a higher position to eliminate the flat look of the aging face. Sometimes, fat is injected to plump up that part of that face in need, such as around the temples, and between the mouth and nose, called the nasolabial folds.
However, researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center, joined by colleagues from Harvard and Stanford, have discovered, through an evaluation of 120 individuals’ CT scans, that beauty may indeed be bone deep, and this research may change the way plastic surgeons perform face lifts.
The 120 participants were divided into three groups by age: 20-36, 41-64 and 65+. Measurements of the facial bones were taken to evaluate whether or not the facial bone structure becomes smaller with age. Scientists know that most of us will shrink as we age, and these researchers discovered that a similar phenomenon occurs in the face: the jaw bone, especially, will shrink in size, causing sagging in the lower face and a jawline that seems to disappear with the years. Their research suggests that future face lift procedures may include bone grafting or the use of plastic prosthetics to “beef up” the lower face and allow the face lift to be just that much better.
No comments:
Post a Comment