Anatomy of Facelifting

Abstract

In facelifting, the surgeon must balance the desire to re-establish the contour of the lower facial skeleton against the critical need to ensure that the dynamic nature of facial soft tissue expressions remains “natural” and undisrupted. As a result, achieving a successful outcome in rhytidectomy requires a nuanced understanding of the underlying anatomy of the face, as well as the natural aging process of the face. All pertinent anatomy of the soft tissues of the face, including relevant cervical anatomy, will be thoroughly discussed in this chapter to provide the surgeon with the core foundation necessary to perform a successful rhytidectomy.