Suture Suspension Facelift in San Antonio
Once upon a time, the only way to reverse visible signs of aging was to undergo a full surgical facelift. Thankfully, that’s no longer true. Botox, dermal fillers, and a long list of skin rejuvenation treatments enable our team at Eterna Cosmetic Surgery to help you improve and maintain a smoother, firmer, younger-looking appearance.
However, if you are approaching middle age, a bit more lift is often required to achieve desired results. That’s where the Suture Suspension Facelift comes in. Brows, cheeks, jowls, and neck — one or all of these areas can benefit from this procedure, with 50-70% of the lift achievable via a surgical facelift.
What is a Suture Suspension Facelift?
You may have heard of a “thread lift,” a procedure created several years ago that was intended to lift sagging facial skin from below the surface using a thread-like material. This procedure is no longer used because it didn’t meet expectations. However, using a similar concept, the Suture Suspension Facelift procedure offers impressive (but natural-looking) results that can last for up to five years.
Performed by an experienced cosmetic surgeon like Dr. Hernandez, the Suture Suspension Facelift is safe and effective for all skin types and genders. There are few risks or possible complications.
Who is a good candidate?
Good candidates for a Suture Suspension Facelift are in their 40s and 50s who have loose skin on their face and/or neck and want a fast non-surgical solution to renew and energize their facial appearance. The best candidates are in good health, non-smokers, close to their optimal weight, and have realistic expectations about results.
Benefits of a Suture Suspension Facelift
This is an ideal mid-range procedure for those who want to give a visual lift to their brows, cheeks, jowls, and/or neck, but who are not ready, or don’t want, to undergo invasive surgery. The Suture Suspension Facelift is much faster than traditional surgery, recovery time is much shorter, there is a lower risk of complications, and the cost is much more affordable.
What happens during a Suture Suspension Facelift?
This is an outpatient procedure performed in-office here at Eterna Cosmetic Surgery. Patients receive local anesthetic plus Valium (given orally), with the option for ProNox, a gas that helps patients relax during the procedure.
Dr. Hernandez performs the Suture Suspension Facelift in two phases. For the first phase, she uses AccuTite radiofrequency technology and, in some cases, Renuvion J-Plasma (a different type of treatment that uses radiofrequency-heated helium gas), depending on the areas to be treated. AccuTite gently heats the skin and fat below the skin’s surface. Using different wands for different parts of the face, Dr. Hernandez can work precisely to achieve the smoothest, most lifted appearance. Renuvion’s “cool plasma” does not melt fat, but rather works to tighten skin by contracting collagens, proteins, and the septal fibrous network within the tissues.
For phase two, Dr. Hernandez inserts a cannula into the fat below the skin’s surface to gently detach the skin, then inserts sutures (the same threads used by cardiovascular surgeons) in strategic locations. The sutures lift the deeper layers because they have tiny “barbs” that grasp and lift, or suspend, the sub-surface fatty and soft tissues. The suture material is absorbable, used to provide initial support for the elevated skin, and then to gradually dissolve once healing is complete.
Your procedure will take about an hour for a single area, about two hours if Dr. Hernandez treats your brow, mid-face, and neck.
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