A facelift is one of the most effective cosmetic surgeries to improve the appearance of aging. This procedure reverses the sagging of the lower face and neck caused by gravity. One reason that a facelift is so effective is that it improves sagging over a large and visible area from the lower neck to the upper cheeks. Dr. Langdon’s ExpresS-Lift Face Lift has several advantages over traditional facelifts, including less bruising and swelling, a quicker recovery time, and longer-lasting, natural-looking results.

Modern facelift techniques all include a physical lifting of the fascia, a tough connective tissue layer beneath the skin. The superficial fascia layer (referred to as SMAS) lies just beneath the subcutaneous fat and is attached to the skin by strands of connective tissue. When the SMAS layer is lifted upward (suspended), the skin is shifted as well, resulting in smoothing of furrows and wrinkles. Sagging of skin and muscle layers in the central neck area (“platysmal bands”) is also significantly improved with a facelift.

Dr. Langdon’s version of a facelift is called the ExpresS-Lift because of the relatively quick recovery: most patients look good in one week or less. Through the use of local anesthesia, bruising and swelling are reduced, thus speeding patients’ recovery after the ExpresS-Lift.

Dr. Langdon’s surgical technique has developed over a period of nearly twenty years and includes several measures to optimize the results. One important feature of the ExpresS-Lift is Dr. Langdon’s method of increasing the mobility of the SMAS fascia. This fascia layer is attached to the underlying cheekbone beneath a structure known as the zygomatic ligament. By releasing this attachment, Dr. Langdon can achieve a greater amount of suspension (lift) of the SMAS, thus improving the rejuvenating effect of the facelift on the cheeks and mid-face area. The SMAS will shift to a greater extent and, with healing, will re-attach to underlying structures in the new position. This re-attachment holds the lifted fascia in place indefinitely, thus prolonging the result of the facelift. Dr. Langdon’s facelift patients can expect to look better 10 years after their surgery compared to their pre-operative appearance.

Dr. Langdon also takes extra measures to increase mobility of the SMAS in the neck area. The superficial fascia in the neck is also anchored to deeper structures via the cervical retaining ligaments. The SMAS of the neck, including sagging platysmal bands, will shift upward to a greater extent after Dr. Langdon releases these attachments. The result is a much-improved neck profile that will persist for a longer period as explained above.

The majority of facelift surgeons do not take these extra steps to increase the lift of the fascia; they simply use stitches to stretch the SMAS in an upward direction. The SMAS does not actually shift position but is simply stretched. The stretched fascia will not produce as much of a lift as will Dr. Langdon’s more sophisticated technique and will tend to stretch back relatively soon, limiting the duration of the results.

The “deep plane” approach of Dr. Langdon is a more demanding surgery. Care must be taken to avoid damage to the blood vessels and nerves that lie at this level. Because of this approach, Dr. Langdon’s facelifts take 4 to 5 hours to complete. Patients are kept comfortable and lie on a Tempure-pedic pad throughout the procedure.

Another major advantage of Dr. Langdon’s ExpresS-Lift is the increased upward vector (direction) of the lift. Gravity is the cause of sagging of the face and neck and is a vertical force. More natural-looking facelift results are achieved with a more upward direction of lift, unlike older facelifts that resulted in an unnatural “wind tunnel” or “swept back” appearance. Dr. Langdon’s facelift patients consistently report that their friends tell them how good they look but don’t seem to recognize that they have actually had surgery! Our patients’ comments confirm that their results are very natural in appearance.

Dr. Langdon’s sophisticated facelift technique, the ExpresS-Lift, affords the best combination of safety, rapid recovery, natural appearance, and long-lasting results. His technique has been refined over many years and consistently results in high patient satisfaction, as seen in many positive reviews by his actual patients. We look forward to seeing you in a consultation to review in more detail the benefits of the ExpresS-Lift.

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If you have further questions about dermal fillers, we encourage you to schedule a consultation at The Langdon Center in Guilford, CT. Call us at (203) 453-8625 or fill out our convenient online contact form.