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. Your skin produces less collagen each year as you age.
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.
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.
Facelift recovery time
You should look and feel normal after 2 – 4 weeks. Keep in mind that facelift surgery cannot stop natural aging, so we encourage patients to continue to take care of their skin and make healthy lifestyle choices.
Take your facelift to the next level of natural by adding in rejuvenating therapies that improve your skin quality, including laser resurfacing, PRP facials, and various injectable and fillers. Dr. Dardano can schedule these services so they work in harmony with your facelift.
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.
In general, the results from your facelift will look very good after about 1-month and you'll look your best at 6 months. A facelift can produce long-lasting results for years to come. And while everyone has a unique aging process, many of my patients don't feel they need more work for 12-14 years.
Most people who have facelifts are in their 40s, 50s, and 60, which is when facial aging becomes more apparent. Deep wrinkles, lines, and sagging skin happen with aging as the skin's collagen production drops.
There is no age at which an individual is too old for any cosmetic enhancement, so long as they are healthy enough to undergo the rigors of surgery, anesthesia and recovery from the procedure.
Research by Medical Accident Group found that 65% of people they polled regretted their surgery, though 28% were very happy with its results. According to the poll, 83% of people who had had plastic surgery wouldn't consider having any form of cosmetic procedure again.
Noticeable Incisions
Visible scars are glaring signs of plastic surgery. Generally, facelift incisions run from the hairline at the temple and continue in front of and behind the ears and extend to the lower scalp.
Patients were highly satisfied with their decision to undergo a facelift (90.5 ± 15.9). On average, patients felt they appeared 6.9 years younger than their actual age.
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.
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.
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.
A facelift is not generally for anyone under the age of 30. In most cases, a facelift works best for people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s when signs of aging begin to become prevalent.
In some cases a facelift can be done early in life but, in most cases, a facelift works best for people who are in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, when the signs of aging begin to appear more prominently on your face. Those deep lines, wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging skin you see are indicators of the aging process.
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.
Technically, there is no limit or “magic number” when it comes to how many facelifts can be performed. But as we mentioned, we want to make sure your results remain as natural as possible. Too many surgeries can make your face appear “pulled” or “worked on,” which is not always desirable.
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.
Your face likely will be bruised and swollen. The swelling may get worse before it gets better, but it will probably go away in 1 to 2 weeks. After a few days you may get some bruises on your neck and chest. This is caused by gravity, which pulls the excess blood and bruising downward.
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.