The ALIA CLINIC LIFT

As people grow older, they often become concerned by how heavy their face looks, the formation of jowls, a heavy or "turkey " neck and fullness benath the jawline. One option is the 3 day facelift ( please see below). Sometimes this may not be enough and it is necessary to remove some excess skin and tighten the tissues underneath in order to substantially improve the definition of the lower third of the face.

At the Alia Clinic, Dr. Goyen has studied the numerous advances in facelift surgery that have become popular in the last decade and the clinic offers the latest in minimally invasive facelift surgery, the Alia Clinic Lift and the Alia Clinic PLUS Lift. In the Alia Clinic lift, a fine incision is made from within the hairline just above the ear and continued in front of the ear to just behind the earlobe. An area of the skin over this incision is gently undermined, creating a flap of skin. Following this, a strong sutrure ( which is reabsorbed after 6 monbths ) is used to tighten the tissue below the skin and above the facial muscles ( this is called the SMAS or superficial muscular aponeurotic system). The net result is a tightening of this deep tissue. Importantly, the majority of this lift is a vertical lift, avoiding the old-fashioned "wind-blown" look.

Once the tissue is tightened, the excess skin is carefully removed and the skin sutured neatly together. ( These sutures stay in place for about 10 days.) The net result is a tightening of the lower third of the face and upper neck, reducing the jowls, taking many years off the facial appearrance.

Sometimes the Alia Clinic Lift is combined with liposuclpture to the neck and jowls, reduction of upper eyelid skin, fat transfer to the cheeks and face, tightening of the neck muscles and quite commonly an added reduction to the skin on the neck. This lift itself takes just over two hours and requires local anaesthesia and twightlight sedation, no general anaesthetic is needed. All of these are performed in the Crows Nest surgicentre. Most people take about 10 days off work following this procedure.

When added skin from the neck is removed the procedure is called the Alia Clinic PLUS Lift, This is particularly helpful for people with very loose neck skin as an extra 3 or so centimetres of skin is removed in front of the hairline via incsions made at the border of the hairline itself. This takes an extra 40 minutes or so and again no general anaesthetic is needed.

For more information on both of these procedures please call the clinic on 99061555 or complete the online consultation. Please read the information on the 3 day facelift below. Just which procedure is right for you depends on the severity of the problem, what you would like to achieve and how long you would prefer to have off work.

3 Day Facelift

Many people want a younger looking face and are not interested in taking substantial time off work or out of their busy schedule. Most conventional facial surgery is just that, time intensive. At the ALIA Clinic there is a simple technique to make that transformation, to improve your appearance by 8-10 years, without long cuts and without the need for more than a long-weekend off work.

The "three day facelift alternative" is designed for people from 30-60 who want subtle but substantial changes to their features, a reduction to the age of their face without a change to their personality which harsh facelifts may cause.

Consider the example here. This procedure was performed without any scars and required only 3 days off work. There has been a great improvement in the neck line, with markedly increased definition of the angle of the neck. The jowls have disappeared and the face appears finer and younger.

Examples

From the front, the changes are just as dramatic with a clean line to the jaw and retraction of all that loose skin.

Common questions about the 'three day facelift'

How are these changes achieved with the 'three day facelift alternative'?

There are a number of components to the treatment. Central to the procedure is careful, diligent and complete liposculpture, not only to the neck and jowls, but also to the lower face as well. It may be that the muscle at the top of the neck may also need to be tightened ( from a small 2 1/2 cm. incision in the neck ) or the bands in the neck muscle inactivated by anti-wrinkle injections. Suture lifts, and Contour threads are also sometimes used to enhance the effect. Sometimes also some of the body fat is transferred to the lips and cheeks. Each treatment is individual, based on specific needs to give the best individual results.

Is a general anaesthetic required ?

No, all of these techniques are performed under local anaesthetic.

Who is a candidate for the "three day facelift" alternative ?

Many women and men are unhappy with the shape of their face. It may be too full, there may be a looseness of the skin over the jaw, they may have jowls or a double chin, or a sunken look in their cheeks or below their eyes. All these people can benefit. If you are consulting online you are welcome to attach photos of your face which will help in assessing your particular needs.

How long will the improvement last ?

The improvement to the shape of your face will be long-term as the fatty tissue removed will not come back. If a fat transfer is required, some of the fat is frozen and stored and this may be needed on a second occasion after a few months. ( If so, this is a 20-30 minute treatment.)

Are there any scars ?

For most treatments, there are generally 3-4 small 2mm wide access points used in this treatment. These are usually solely under the jaw and not noticeable. These are not sutured after the procedure and essentially are invisible after a couple of weeks.

What support garments are required ?

A special elastic neck strap is used for 3 days after the procedure and then used at night for a further 3 nights.

Is there much bruising?

If there is bruising, this is usually minor, yellow in colour and limited to the base of the neck.

How long does the procedure take ?

Most of procedures take from between 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours .

How much time will I need off...?

In general you should plan on taking 2-3 days off work. It would be about 3 weeks before normal gym activities or jogging should be restarted.

And the cost ?

The cost of this procedure varies according to just what is required to achieve the best result. For an accurate costing, please use the online consultation or make an appointment by phoning (02) 99061555.

All of the " before and after" images used on this page have not been manipulated or enhanced in any way. The treatment stated was the only treatment performed. There is no guarantee that other people will experience similar results to those shown here.