Sydney, Australia Face Lifting

Understanding Facial Anatomy

To truly appreciate how a facelift can redefine your appearance, it’s essential to delve into the anatomy of the face. The face is composed of five critical layers, each playing a unique role in facial structure and aesthetics:

Layer 1 – Skin

The outermost layer the skin, is responsible for texture, tone, and elasticity and directly interacts with the environment. It is where visible signs of aging, such as wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging, first appear. The skin’s health and elasticity are influenced by factors like sun exposure, hydration, and genetics, making it a crucial focus in cosmetic procedures.

Layer 2 – Subcutaneous

Beneath the skin lies the fatty tissue, this layer provides shape and volume to the face. With ageing, the subcutaneous fat layer loses volume, particularly in the cheeks, temples, and under the eyes, leading to a hollow appearance as fat descends to the lower face. The loss of fat support makes wrinkles more pronounced and the skin appears looser and less elastic. Moreover, the depletion and movement of fat contribute to the deepening of nasolabial folds and marionette lines around the mouth.

Layer 3 – Musculo-Aponeurotic 

The Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System (SMAS) continues as the platysma into the neck and is a layer of muscle and connective tissue that is vital role in maintaining the facial structure. Tightening and repositioning this layer is often a key component in facelift procedures to achieve a more defined and lifted appearance.

Layer 4 – Retaining Ligaments and Spaces

Beneath the musculoaponeurotic layer lies a critical section of the face that includes essential muscles, nerves, salivary glands, and blood vessels, which are responsible for facial movement and expression. This area also contains specialized retaining ligaments help keep the skin tethered to the deeper fascia and periosteum. As we age, these ligaments loosen, which leads to sagging of the skin, SMAS and platysma. Between these retaining ligaments are dedicated facial spaces, which modern surgical treatments like deep plane facelifts utilise to lift the fascia to achieve more natural and longer-lasting results.

Layer 5 – Periosteum and Deep Fascia

At the deepest level, the facial skeleton provides foundational support for all the other layers. The bones shape the face’s overall framework and are crucial in defining features such as cheekbones, jawline, and eye sockets. Changes in bone structure projection over time can lead to changes in facial contours affect facial symmetry and aesthetics.

Understanding these layers and their interactions helps in appreciating how facelift procedures can effectively rejuvenate the face by addressing changes at multiple levels, from the surface to the deep structural foundation.

Outline of Facial Ageing Changes

Facial ageing is a gradual process that evolves over the decades, with each stage bringing distinct changes to the skin, fat, and underlying facial structures. By understanding these stages helps in choosing the right treatments at the appropriate age to maintain a fresh appearance.

In Your 20s:

Facial skin is at its peak, smooth with a plump and firm texture with good elasticity. However, lifestyle factors such as sun exposure and smoking can begin to affect skin quality, potentially leading to early signs of ageing like fine lines and skin texture changes.

In Your 30s:

Early signs of aging appear as fine lines, often around the eyes and mouth, primarily due to repeated expressions such as smiling, frowning, or squinting. The skin begins to lose its firmness, and fine lines can become more pronounced over time. This results from the natural decline in collagen and elastin production, essential to provide structural support to the skin. Combined with minor volume loss around the cheeks and under the eyes, leading to a hollow appearance in the face.

In Your 40s:

This is the decade where more noticeable changes in facial structure occur. The fat pads in the midface begin to descend, creating deeper nasolabial folds and hollowing around the eyes. Over time, facial expressions and exposure to environmental factors like sun contribute to this process, making lines more visible and deeper. As elasticity and collagen formation continues to decrease in both the skin and fascial layers (SMAS), leads to noticeable sagging, particularly along the jawline and neck. Wrinkles become deeper and permanent, especially on the forehead and around the eyes, as skin loses its firmness.

In Your 50s:

Deep rhytids (wrinkles) form, especially around the mouth and nose, as the skin continues to lose further elasticity and moisture over time. This results in prominent lines that can make the face appear aged, particularly in the forehead, nasolabial area and jowls (marionette area), where the folds can become more pronounced. Further volume loss occurs as the fat layers beneath the skin, particularly in the midface, temples and prejowl diminish, leading to a more hollow and aged appearance. The neck often shows increased laxity and bands of muscle, contributing to the “turkey neck” appearance.

In Your 60s:

Significant facial laxity and loss of muscle tone occur as we age, combined with a dramatic change in skin elasticity and collagen in the skin all contribute to the noticeable facial changes. By this age, most individuals experience deep wrinkles, significant skin sagging, and volume loss. The face may appear more sunken, with pronounced jowls, deep nasolabial folds, and loose skin in the neck area. Bone resorption can also contribute to a weaker facial support structure, exacerbating the signs of ageing.