The aging process involves all the tissues of the body. That not only means the skin, but all of the structures that lie underneath it will go through changes as well. Numerous factors cause a person to age rapidly or slowly: our genes, the way we live, and the type of food we eat. Environmental factors also play a major role in how we age. We have no control over the genes that we have inherited and we have little control over the environment we live in, but we have control over how we live and what we consume.

A healthy lifestyle is more likely to slow down the aging process. The idea of facial rejuvenation is to create a youthful look that is beautiful and natural. The new face has to be the same as it was 10, 15 or 20 years earlier. I always like to discuss the plan for surgery as well as preparation for surgery with my patients. I like for them to make changes in their lifestyle if their current lifestyle is not quite healthy. For example, if they need to stop smoking, use sun block and use a moisturizing cream on their face regularly.

The most important part of the surgical procedure for facial rejuvenation is for the surgeon to evaluate all the layers of the facial structure and decide the changes that have happened to the bones, muscles, facial fat and the skin of the face. The rejuvenation surgery of the face has to address these changes and improve them accordingly.
The most important and sensitive part of facial rejuvenation is reversing the aging changes involving the eyelids and adjacent tissues. In cosmetic facial surgery the surgeon must pay the utmost attention to the eyes and the tissues around them. We want the eyes to look normal, natural and the same as they did when the patient was much younger. As we all know, when we want to hide someone’s identity in a picture all we have to do is cover the eyes. A person who has had puffy eyes all his or her life will become a totally different person if that puffiness is taken away by removing all the excess fat and skin from the eyelids. That is what has happened to celebrities like Kenny Rogers and Renee Zellweger. After their cosmetic surgeries, although they looked good, no one could easily recognize them. Those were unacceptable results.

Plastic surgeons are true body sculptors. To get an excellent result, they need to use their artistic talent as well as surgical skills to create a beautiful and natural result while preserving the patient’s identity.