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.
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.
It's the most effective way to address significant sagging and smooth deep wrinkles and folds, with results that last a decade or more. “A facelift is the singular cornerstone for facial rejuvenation,” says Dr. Stephen Prendiville, a facial plastic surgeon in Fort Myers, Florida.
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.
Facelift procedures can take 10-15 years off of your appearance. The procedure can produce life-changing results for the right candidate. Many patients opt to have facelift surgery for a dramatically more youthful appearance, while others prefer a subtle change.
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.
A facelift does not last forever. Research suggests that five and a half years after surgery, 21 percent of facelifts relapse, but that 76 percent of people still look younger than they did before the operation.
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.
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.
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.
Not surprisingly, the most common age for a facelift is around 58 or 59, with that age increasingly skewing younger.
Saggy jowls, simply put, are caused by a loss of elasticity in the skin of the lower face. This is typically caused by a decrease in the body's own collagen production, which typically starts to develop in patients who are in their late 30's or early 40's, though it can develop earlier.
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.
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.
Getting horizontal lines or wrinkles after a facelift or mini facelift is usually because volume loss was not addressed at time of surgery. If you have excess skin and significant volume loss, then tightening the skin will create a horizontal pull or line. Adding volume can help with this.
Take certain medications or adjust your current medications. Apply certain products to the facial skin preoperatively. Stop smoking. Avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal supplements as they can increase bleeding and bruising.
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.
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.
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.
The deep plane facelift is generally considered the most comprehensive and long lasting type of facelift. This facelift involves the layer of muscles under your facial skin. These muscles are responsible for much of the drooping or sagging you may experience in your face as you age.
This treatment is called the 10-point face lift as it targets 10 areas in the face that commonly lose volume as we age. During this treatment we are looking to place filler in each of the 10 points on each side of the face in order to restore youthful volume and underlying support.