Study Reveals Facial Aging Does Not Occur Uniformly

Plastic
surgeons are tossing out the old-school belief that gravity is the primary
culprit for facial aging. A study in June's Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery(R), the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic
Surgeons (ASPS), reveals the human face is made up of distinct fat
compartments that individually change with age and the degree to which our
faces age is dependent, in part, on how these compartments change over
time.


"Contrary to popular belief, the human face does not age uniformly,"
said Joel Pessa, MD, ASPS Member Surgeon and study lead author. "We thought
facial fat was one confluent mass that eventually got weighed down by
gravity, creating sagging skin. However, we were shocked to find not only
is the face made up of individual fat compartments but these compartments
gain and lose fat at different rates."



According to Dr. Pessa, the face is a three-dimensional puzzle with fat
partitioned into discrete units around the forehead, eye, cheek and mouth.
A youthful face is characterized by a smooth transition between these
compartments, but as we get older abrupt contour changes occur between
these regions due to volume loss, volume gains, and repositioning of the
compartments. These changes lead to tell-tale signs of facial aging such as
sagging or hollowed skin and wrinkles.



With this breakthrough, plastic surgeons will be able to more
accurately pinpoint trouble areas and use injectable fillers to add volume
to individual sections of the face, creating a more effective way to turn
back the clock.



According to the study, this discovery may also benefit cancer and
trauma patients who require reconstructive plastic surgery. The authors
uncovered that the individual fat compartments have boundaries between them
that act like fences. These fences allow the face to maintain its blood
supply should it become injured. This anatomical discovery may allow for
better results for reconstructive plastic surgery patients. In addition,
plastic surgeons can begin to use this new way of thinking to better
understand facial deformities, such as cleft lips and vessel tumors.



"Much of facial anatomy remains a mystery," said Dr. Pessa. "This
discovery will undoubtedly play a role in how we view aging and how we
approach facial reconstructive plastic surgery."



The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of
board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. With more than 6,000
members, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information
source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more
than 90 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United
States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The
American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and
Surgeons of Canada.


American Society of Plastic Surgeons

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