Facial aging

A new study by Dr. Howard Lanstein at the University of Rochester confirms long standing plastic surgeons’ assumption that changes in the shape of facial bones, specially the mandible, has a significant impact on facial aging.

In this study, CT scans of the facial bones were obtained in nearly 120 patients. The patients were then divided into three groups: young (ages 20-36), middle (ages 41-64), and old (65 and older). There were equal numbers of male and female patients in each group. Comparison of these groups showed that with aging, there is a significant reduction in length and height of the jaw. This leads to reduced chin projection, and loss of jaw-line definition.

The study findings confirm our updated understanding of facial aging, where multiple factors including loss of skin elasticity, soft tissue volume loss, and bony loss are responsible for changes that occur in the face. In regards to bony loss in the jaw, new treatments for tooth loss such as dental implants could help maintain more bony volume. Otherwise, chin implants have a long standing history as an adjunct to facelift surgery, and neck liposuction to enhance lower face and neck appearance.

Tags: facelift, Facial Aging, facial rejuvenation

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 6th, 2010 at 1:52 pm and is filed under Cosmetic Surgery, Facial Aging, facelift. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.