Simultaneous face lifting and skin resurfacing.

Although face lifting and skin resurfacing both produce dramatic facial rejuvenations, the simultaneous combination has never been popularized. The development of new methods of lifting and resurfacing may now allow a reevaluation of this combination. The objective was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this combined face lift and skin resurfacing. The facial skin was resurfaced with a trichloroacetic acid peel or a "short-pulse" CO2 laser and, then, lifted after liposuction and superficial musculoaponeurotic system tightening. A dramatic rejuvenation was produced in these 25 cases. There were no incidents of persistent erythema, pigmentation, hyperpigmentation, or full-thickness flap necrosis. Side effects were the usual sequelae of edema and ecchymoses. The small areas of "dusky" erythema of the skin flaps were no more significant than those after a face lift alone. By following the guidelines developed in this report, the combination of controlled skin resurfacing with face lifting is safe and effective. Other procedures, such as blepharoplasties, can also be added. After one recovery period of 6 to 8 weeks, these patients reported that they looked 15 to 20 years younger. The complexion continued to improve during the 1-year follow-up period.