Dear Dr. Winder:
Q. A friend of mine, who is 47 years old, recently had you perform what she called a "subperiosteal facelift" on her. She always looked tired and older than she really is; now, she looks so much better that I can hardly believe the differ-ence! I'm 45 years old, and am wonder-ing if this surgery might be of benefit to me. What do you think?

A. A. Without being able to examine you and listen to what your goals and objectives are, I cannot say for certain. I will, however, tell you a little more about this great surgical procedure.

A subperiosteal facelift, or cheek suspension, combines a lower eyelid blepharoplasty surgery along with a sus-pension of the cheeks. The earliest signs of aging in the face are usually a "heavi-ness" and "puffiness" of the eyelids, loss of fullness in and drooping of the cheeks, the beginning of the nasolabial folds (the fullness that runs from the corner of the nose to the corner of the mouth) and some early jowl formation. This surgery addresses all of these areas by removing the excess skin of the lower eyelid, the protruding fat of the lower eyelid, repositions the cheek upwards and softens the nasolabial folds and jowls; this all creates a much more youthful look. All of this is accom-plished through a standard lower eyelid incision, which is just below the lower lashline . . . this incision heals wonder-fully, so there are no tell-tale scars. The recovery isn't painful and the results can be dramatic! If needed, it can be done along with upper eyelid and/or forehead surgery for an even more impressive result. The younger anyone has any facial rejuvenation surgery, the quicker the recovery and the longer-lasting the result. It is likely you're an ideal candidate; call my at 970-259-3818 to schedule a consultation.

Read more about facelift procedures.

Other FAQs about facelifts.