Facial Rejuvenation in Ankara, Turkey

Modern facial rejuvenation is a holistic restoration process that repairs the aging process across all layers—from bone structure to the skin surface—through a combination of surgical techniques, minimally invasive procedures, and regenerative medicine applications. Unlike older approaches that focused only on tightening sagging skin, this current strategy simultaneously targets the face’s deep anatomical structures, the decreased volume balance, and the deteriorated skin quality. These multidimensional treatment protocols used in plastic surgery reposition sagging tissues back to their original locations while turning back the biological clock with stem cell technologies, delivering dynamic and long-lasting results that preserve a person’s natural facial expressions.

What Is Facial Rejuvenation?

Facial Rejuvenation is the general term for medical and aesthetic applications aimed at reducing wrinkles, sagging, pigmentation, and volume loss in the skin due to aging. Different methods can be used such as botulinum toxin, fillers, mesotherapy, laser applications, and skin renewal procedures. The goal is to achieve a more vibrant, dynamic, and healthy-looking skin appearance. The choice of application should be planned by a specialist physician in line with the person’s skin structure and needs.

Why does our face age, and how is anatomical balance disrupted?

The aging process has a much deeper and more complex mechanism than what we see when we look in the mirror. The layers that make up our face undergo change at different speeds and in different ways under the effect of time. In a young face, there is a balance we call the “triangle of youth”; the cheekbones are full and high, and the jawline is sharp and slim. In other words, there is an inverted triangle with its base at the top and its pointed end at the bottom. However, with age, this triangle reverses.

The main reasons for this change are:

• Bone resorption: Our facial skeleton gradually shrinks over time and loses the support it provides to the tissues over it.
• Fat loss and displacement: The fat pads that give fullness to our face both lose volume and slide downward due to gravity.
• Ligament laxity: The retaining ligaments that fix facial tissues to the bone loosen and become unable to hold the tissues up.

As a result of these processes, fullness over the cheekbone decreases, the grooves beside the nose deepen, and accumulations occur along the jawline.

What are the main signs of facial aging?

The main signs of aging that patients most frequently complain about when they apply to the clinic and that we also detect on examination are the outward reflections of anatomical changes. Although these signs vary from person to person, they generally follow a similar sequence.

The most common signs are:

• Deepening of nasolabial folds
• More pronounced marionette lines
• Sagging in the jowl area
• Under-eye bags
• Hollowing in the temple area
• Loosening of the neck skin
• Formation of platysma bands
• Loss of skin elasticity

Why are surgical methods the most effective solutions?

Medical aesthetic applications are quite successful in masking early signs of aging and slowing the process. However, when tissue sagging reaches a certain stage, excess skin forms, and deep structures shift, the effect of non-surgical methods remains limited. Surgical interventions are the most powerful tools that solve the problem at its root. Because surgery does not merely create an illusion; sagging tissues are physically repositioned to their original locations and excess skin is removed.

What matters here is the surgeon’s decision about “which technique for whom.” There is no single correct solution for every patient. For some patients, tightening only the midface may be sufficient, while for others a comprehensive plan that includes the neck and lower face is required. The core philosophy of modern surgery is to provide a tailor-made service customized to the individual.

What are the advantages of the Deep Plane Facelift technique?

The “Deep Plane Facelift,” which you have been hearing about frequently in recent years, is a revolutionary approach in facial aesthetics. While classic methods generally tighten the skin and tissues just beneath it, in the deep plane technique the surgical intervention is performed in a much deeper layer, beneath the muscle-and-fascia layer called the SMAS.

The greatest advantage of this technique is the release of the face’s retaining ligaments. When these ligaments are released, sagging cheek tissue, midface, and neck structures can be lifted upward as a whole (as a block) without creating any tension. Because the skin moves together with this solid underlying structure, the feared “pulled” or “artificial” look does not occur after surgery. In addition, since there is no tension on the skin, wound healing is much higher in quality and scars become almost invisible. Especially in patients with deep nasolabial folds and a deflated midface, the deep plane technique offers the most natural and most durable (12–15 years) results.

Which surgical techniques are performed?

Although facial rejuvenation surgeries are grouped under a single name, they actually include many different techniques. The surgeon selects one of these techniques or a combination according to the patient’s anatomical needs.

Commonly used techniques are:

• Deep Plane Facelift
• Classic SMAS Lift
• Endoscopic Midface Lift
• Mini Facelift
• Neck Lift
• Lip Lift

Why is fat injection indispensable in modern surgery?

When rejuvenating the face, it is not enough only to lift tissues upward; it is also necessary to restore the lost volume. At this point, adipose tissue taken from the patient’s own body serves almost like “liquid gold.” Fat injections (Lipofilling) are used to increase skeletal support in the face and to add fullness to areas such as the temples and cheekbones.

However, the only function of fat tissue is not to add volume. Fat tissue is one of the richest sources of stem cells in the body. These stem cells increase tissue quality in the area they are transferred to, regulate perfusion, and make the skin look more vibrant. For this reason, today we add fat injections to almost every facelift surgery. This makes the result look much more natural with softer transitions.

What are the effects of nanofat on the skin?

“Nanofat,” obtained by mechanically thinning and filtering adipose tissue through special processes, is a form that has lost its volume-giving feature but whose regenerative (renewing) power has been maximized. It does not contain live fat cells; instead, it contains an intense amount of stem cells and growth factors:

The main goals of nanofat application are:

• Improving skin quality
• Eliminating fine wrinkles
• Reducing under-eye dark circles
• Adding radiance to the skin
• Repairing sun damage
• Improving scar tissue

When are non-surgical energy-based technologies preferred?

Not everyone may be suitable for surgery, or they may not yet have aging signs advanced enough to require surgery. For this patient group, technology-assisted solutions come into play. High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), Radiofrequency (RF), and Laser systems are the most powerful weapons in this field.

The main working principle of these devices is to deliver controlled thermal injury to certain depths of the skin. This heat triggers the body’s natural healing mechanism and starts new collagen production by stimulating cells called “fibroblasts.” For example, HIFU technology is one of the rare systems that can reach the SMAS layer and provide tightening there without surgery. These methods are ideal for individuals with mild sagging, beginning laxity, or those who want to maintain the results of surgery. However, it should not be forgotten that none of these devices can replace a surgical lift.

What do Liquid Facelift procedures include?

These are a set of procedures performed in office settings without the need for anesthesia, also known as “lunch break aesthetics.” The main goal here is to create an illusion on the face and erase a tired expression by using fillers and neurotoxins. While volume losses are corrected with hyaluronic acid-based fillers, dynamic wrinkles are softened with Botox.

The main materials used are:

• Hyaluronic acid fillers
• Calcium hydroxylapatite
• Botulinum toxin
• Youth vaccines
• Thread-lift materials

What is prohibited during the preoperative preparation process?

A successful facial rejuvenation process begins weeks before surgery. The patient’s general health status is decisive for the safety of the surgery and the quality of the result. Especially smoking is the biggest enemy of these surgeries. Because smoking disrupts blood flow in tiny vessels, it seriously threatens wound healing and increases the risk of tissue loss. Therefore, it is essential to completely stop smoking at least 4 weeks before surgery.

Substances that must be discontinued 10 days before surgery are:

• Aspirin
• Vitamin E
• Green tea
• Ginseng
• CoQ10
• Fish oil
• Omega 3 supplements
• Cherry stem tea

How long does the recovery process and return to social life take?

The issue patients worry about most is usually the recovery process. Contrary to popular belief, facelift surgeries are not painful; patients mostly describe a feeling of tightness and pressure. Recovery time varies according to the scope of the surgery. In mini facelift or endoscopic procedures, it is possible to return to social life in 1 week, while in larger procedures such as deep plane facelift, returning to social life within 2–3 weeks is possible.

Swelling and bruising in the face in the first days is completely natural. Keeping the head elevated and applying cold compresses speeds up this process. Sutures are usually removed in the 1st week. It may take a few months for tissues to soften and for the face to take its final shape, but from the 3rd week onward, our patients can comfortably continue their daily routines by hiding all marks with makeup.

What are the possible complication risks?

As with any surgical intervention, facial rejuvenation surgeries have certain inherent risks. Although these risks are minimized with modern techniques and experienced hands, it is important for the patient to be aware of them.

Possible issues include:

• Hematoma
• Infection
• Temporary nerve injury
• Wound-healing problems
• Asymmetry
• Sensory loss