Facial appearance
The most commonly performed procedures in purely aesthetic facial surgery
- rhytidectomy (face lift, of which there are many different varieties);
- blepharoplasty (addressing puffy or sagging upper and/or lower eye lids, related: brow lift);
- otoplasty (improving the appearance of prominent ears (‘bat ears’));
- rhinoplasty (a range of corrections to the nose);
- genioplasty (movement or reshaping of the chin)
follow a number of strategies in order to achieve a rejuvenated, or otherwise, improved facial appearance.
Broadly speaking, rhytidectomy, upper lid blepharoplasty and brow lifts rely on the removal of excess skin. Lower lid blepharoplasty deals with a remodelling of the fat pads under the eyes.
Various otoplasty, rhinoplasty and genioplasty procedures generally rely on remodelling of different tissues. This includes re-sculpting of hard tissue (bones) and modifications applied to connective (cartilage) and soft tissues.
An important issue about facial aesthetic surgery is that the techniques can be used with other approaches in treating disease as well as what will always be a subjective indication for surgery; aesthetics.
There will always be an air of controversy over the use of invasive (and minimally invasive) surgical techniques in the area of aesthetics, we do not judge this but simply aim to provide factual accurate information where possible.