Youthful looks are a dream
for most people. Imagine doing away with that sagging jawline, droopy eyebrows
and cheeks that have a downward life of their own. A new, advanced facelift
called silhouette facelift can lead to a tighter jaw, fashionably turned-up
eyebrows and pert cheeks and restore those good looks for a longer time.
What’s more, the hospital stay is shorter unlike conventional
face-lifts.

"This technique was introduced in the US three-four
months back and only now has come to India," says Dr Sunil Choudhary, senior
consultant, plastic and reconstructive surgery, Max Super Speciality Hospital.
He performed the technique on an NRI woman in her fifties.

In
silhouette facelift, also called a feather lift, a special thread which has
knots and free-floating, absorbable cones, is used, unlike a conventional lift
where plain threads are used. The special thread comes with a needle at one end
and a curved one at the other.

"First vectors (lines) are made on
the face to decide the angle at which various parts have to be lifted and
enhanced," says Choudhary.

After making a cut in the hairline, the
thread is pushed into the fatty base of the face with the needle according to
the vectors drawn. The other end is hooked into the scalp.

The cones
are flexible and pushed in easily too. The thread is pulled up along with that
part of the face. Then the thread is knotted at both ends and the needles pulled
out.

As the cones get absorbed in a few weeks, they cause fibrosis
which leaves sticky patches under the face ensuring the suspension stays in
place.

"This would last 5-10 years. The number of threads used
depends on the amount of sagging," says Choudhary. "The NRI had six threads on
each side of her face." These threads are imported from the US.

Silhouette lift is different from conventional and contour thread
lift. Of course, there are less invasive options such as fillers and Botox to
cut out the sags and lines, but facelifts last longer. While contour facelift
can last four to five years, there is a possibility of the suture material
breaking, thanks to small barbs on its surface, says Choudhary. The effect is
not as long-lasting as a silhouette lift.

A conventional facelift,
on the other hand, requires the skin near the hairline to be cut all the way to
the front and behind the ear, lifted and then pulled back. It would keep you out
of circulation for about a fortnight.


Depending on the number of
threads to be put in, silhouette facelift can take 45 minutes to one-and-a-half
hours. Recovery is fast. The patient can leave for home within 3-4 days.
However, it is not cheaper than a conventional facelift as the threads are
imported and cost Rs 13,000-14,000 for a pair.

The NRI patient paid
around Rs 1.5 lakh. There are no obvious side-effects, says Choudhary, except
slight irritation from the knots at times. It’s important to zero in on the
right doctor to do this delicate procedure, otherwise, the face can assume an
embarrassing asymmetrical look. Your face would then be hanging by a thread,
literally.

Via Times of India