The majority of reviewers on RealSelf rated their results “Worth It,” with many saying that they not only look younger but feel younger too. Facelift before and after photos show dramatic transformations.
In most cases, a facelift works best for people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s when signs of aging begin to become prevalent. Deep lines, wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging skin are the result of the aging process and can be best corrected through surgical techniques rather than non-surgical ones.
Facelifts Target Many Signs of Aging in One Step
A facelift can help address sagging skin, deep wrinkles and creases between the nose and mouth, wrinkles extending from the mouth to your chin, double chin, and issues with excess fat, all in one surgical procedure.
How Long Does a Facelift Last? For most patients, results from a facelift will last about 10 years. The skin on your face will continue to age after you have a facelift, which is why the results aren't permanent.
According to a study in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (the American Society of Plastic Surgeons). Patients who have undergone a facelift rate themselves as looking at an average of 12 years younger after facelift surgery.
1 Week Post-Op
During the first week after your facelift, you can expect swelling and bruising around your lower face, ears and neck. Swelling may be uneven, so don't be alarmed if your results don't look perfectly symmetrical at this stage.
When performed correctly by the hands of a skilled surgeon, facelift results can be some of the most natural looking of any cosmetic procedure and can leave you with a rejuvenated and more youthful facial appearance.
There is usually very little actual pain following a facelift, but you may experience a deep bruised sensation as a result of the swelling, and your face may seem heavy. The bandage you will wear the first night may seem quite snug under your chin. Rather than make you feel restricted, we hope it makes you feel secure.
Why? When the facelift is performed, the skin is tightened and it can flatten out the jowls because the skin is tighter. However, over time as the skin relaxes, the full fatty jowls will restretch out the skin and the jowls will reappear. Weight loss prior to face lift surgery is very important for these people.
Expect to Look Worse Before Looking Better
Don't be alarmed by significant facial swelling and bruising. These effects are typical after a facelift, but gradually diminish as you heal. After your surgery, we'll send you home with dressings covering your face.
Unlike a facelift, fillers can't remove extra skin or provide any significant degree of skin tightening. Fillers also can't lift the facial muscles or fat pads and, therefore, the results don't last as long either.
Not surprisingly, the most common age for a facelift is around 58 or 59, with that age increasingly skewing younger.
The average cost of a facelift is $8,005, according to the most recent statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. This average cost is only part of the total price – it does not include anesthesia, operating room facilities or other related expenses.
Windblown Look: caused when the surgeon stretches the facial skin beyond a natural point, making the face look pulled back and unnatural. Visible Scars: poor technique could lead to visible scars near the hairline or the ear, which can be hard to cover with makeup.
It's possible for a patient to remain wide awake, using only the local anesthetic, during the procedure. However, in some cases, it's preferable for the patient also to be given a sedative (a medication in the same class as Valium), in order to help them relax and fall asleep during the procedure.
Throughout the procedure, you are completely asleep, and you feel no pain. This is the most common type of anesthesia Dr. Fan uses. A facelift takes considerable time, and the majority of patients, especially those who experience anxiety, are most comfortable sleeping through the procedure.
Many patients develop aging after a facelift in the same way and areas that they developed facial aging initially. Lines will develop around the nose and mouth, the cheeks will lose some of their fullness, and the jawline will eventually soften.
Try not to roll on your face; this tends to tear down the supporting stitches used under the skin of your face; therefore, it is necessary to sleep on your back for 2 weeks. Some patients find a reclining chair placed at 45 degree angle to be more comfortable.
Facelifts usually fail because of a surgeon's lack of expertise. 90% of facial plastic surgeons perform superficial facelifts, which tighten the skin and do not treat supportive musculature. Surgeons may also pull facial tissue too tight, which makes patients look startled and unnatural.
The most dramatic yet natural-looking results occur with a full SMAS facelift with the incisions on either side of the face beginning at the temple and extending down and around the ear to the lower scalp. These incisions are well hidden within the hairline.
A Facelift Does Not Address Your Smile
For some people, teeth whitening can help with this, but for others more extensive treatments, such as veneers or crowns, are necessary. But it's not just the color of your teeth that can make you look older, it is the length.