In the traditional facelift (also called a rhytidectomy), a surgeon makes incisions near the hairline behind or above the ear. Researchers took hairline strips from the temples of 16 fresh cadavers and studied 227 hair follicles for the direction and angle of growth. They found making an incision at a certain angle (30 to 45 degrees) into the skin allowed the hair to grow through the scar and reduce visibility of the scar. They noted that women can wear their hair pulled back and men can grow sideburns without feeling self-conscious about showing a scar or missing hair.
"With the youngest Baby Boomer turning 42 and the oldest turning 60 this year, the demand for surgical procedures that produce results without tell-tale signs of having had a facelift are going to continue to increase," Dr. Bahman Guyuron, the study's co-author, said in a press release.
ASPS President-elect Dr. Richard D'Amico noted that new laser treatments and injectable wrinkle fillers such as Botox may have prompted many 45 and older potential facelift patients to delay having surgery. The injectables may be less expensive and carry fewer risks than plastic surgery. "However, as we get older our brow lines, jowls and wrinkles can become too deep for an injectable to smooth out. When a patient's degree of facial aging is such that an injectable can not achieve the desired result, surgery is the next natural progression," D'Amico added.
Copyright 2007 iVillage Total Health.
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