Question:
I am a 52 year old woman who is interested in getting a facelift. I’m wondering if a facelift will get rid of the smoker’s lines I have around my mouth?
Answer:
A facelift is a procedure to lift and tighten the skin and deep facial tissues- improving jowling, facial laxity and redundant skin in the neck. Unfortunately, a facelift is not effective at treating those all too common lines around the mouth (smoker’s lines). Even patients who do not smoke can develop these lines, sometimes fairly deep. To correct those, a resurfacing procedure needs to be performed. This can be either a chemical peel, dermabrasion or CO2 laser.
My favorite choice for these difficult lines is CO2 laser. It can provide the aggressive resurfacing that is needed as do the other techniques. CO2 laser has the added advantage of heating the skin to provide tightening as well. This added benefit can be the extra difference in improving the end result. The downsides to laser resurfacing are prolonged healing and possible discoloration of the skin.
Improvement of wrinkles around the mouth can be challenging. Correction starts with a consultation with a board certified facial plastic surgeon to see which technique is right for you.