Some parts of the face tend to sag over the years, due to volume loss of bone, fat, connective and muscle tissue and because of loss of elasticity.
While the skin of the nose, the lips, the chin, and the parts of the cheeks closest to the ear are well-attached to the underlying tissues, the soft tissues of the front, the temples and most of the cheeks tend to sag downwards and forwards. This leads to the formation of the nasolabial folds and the jowls, among others.
This can be treated by inserting suspension sutures with local extensions, around which tissues can attach during the healing process. This treatment is most appropriate when the descent is visible but not to extensive and in faces that are nor too heavy nor too lean. Generally, it is performed between the age of thirty and sixty, sometimes also later in case of milder than average signs of ageing.
The treatment is performed under local anaesthesia. Meticulous preparation, careful and slow administration of local anaesthesia and precise performance are required. It takes a few hours to complete the procedure.
Swelling and bruising may occur. The treated areas may be oversensitive for a few weeks up to a few months. As for any medical procedure, the risks of infection and tissue damage can never be excluded completely. It is best not to plan participation in important events during the first three weeks after the treatment. Generally, the tissues have adapted completely and the final result has been achieved by three months after the procedure.
