As I listen to my patients tell me their stories about their friends, I wonder why they continue to have facelifts that are not favorable. They complain that their friend looks 'pulled' or 'tight' or just plain weird. I explain to them that it all depends on the vector of the lift. That is, the result depends on the direction and magnitude of the lift. In short, a facelift is about the the vision and technical artistry of the surgeon. For instance, a patient may request that their facelift look 'natural.' Well, what does that mean? Does that mean that the jowl is not completely eliminated? Or does that mean that the jaw line is tight, neck is clean, but there are no stigmata of a facelift? To me, that is the most important part of the result - clean jawline, incisions well healed and hidden, and a neck that looks great.
This patient clearly had excess skin and jowls with prominent nasolabial folds and marionette lines. Without making her look like she had a facelift, she got her jawline cleaned up, neck deepened, and has a fresher look. This is a good example of what effect proper vectors can have on a person's face.
