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I was driving to my Westlake office on Monday when I had the opportunity to listen to a report on NPR about facelifts and if they actually work?

Researchers looked at 3D CT scans of the bony structures of the face from patients in their 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. What they discovered is that as we get older the bones in the chin, jaw line and eye sockets absorb.  They not only look and feel different; there is actually less of it. This was something we suspected for years. Now it could be actually quantified via CT scans. The essence of the program was that facelifts will only work IF this volume loss is also addressed.

I remember learning during my residency Mount Sinai Medical Center in NY that certain structures such as the nose and ears actually increase in size as we get older.

I have been addressing these changes with my Tuliplift for over 12 years now.

I don’t just pull the skin to cause “the face to lift”. Tuliplift has several components that address the lost volume of the bony structures, actinic or sun-damaged skin, re-distribution of the fat, and wrinkles:

Here are the goals of a Tuliplift:                       

·         Tightening of the facial SMAS fascia and muscles of the neck (Platysma)

·         Liposuction of excess fatty tissue in the neck and jowls

·         Replacing the lost volume by re-inserting the fat over the cheek bone, jaw line and in the laugh lines(this addresses the lost bone issue addressed above)

·         Tightening the earlobes and nose with a chemical peel, CO2 laser, or Fraxel

·         Removal of excess skin

·         Restoring the youthful contours

Most people are amazed to know that all of this can be performed under local anesthesia and less than 2 weeks downtime.

Please read my book for a detailed discussion and presentation on this subject.

Thank you.

A. David Rahimi, MD, FAAD.