Generally speaking, the most dramatic outcomes can be achieved in older patients who undergo more extensive procedures, like a full facelift, though younger patients can certainly take years off their look as well. On average, patients can expect to look about ten years younger after a full facelift.
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.
How much younger does a facelift make me look? 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
While some people may find 40 to be the perfect age for a facelift, others might be able to hold off until they are 60. It is important to not wait too long though. By the time your face is severely aged, facial rejuvenation procedures are more obvious and less effective.
A face-lift can give your face and neck a more youthful look. But face-lift results are not permanent. With age, the skin on the face may begin to droop again. In general, a face-lift can be expected to last 10 years.
Full Facelift
Larger, behind-the-ears incisions allow for optimal removal of excess skin and fat for more dramatic results. A full facelift provides the longest lasting results, pausing the clock on aging for 20 years or more.
A facelift is a procedure that provides long-lasting results. The only factor that prevents it from providing completely permanent results is the aging process. You can fight the aging process, but you cannot stop it. Once you undergo this procedure, you can enjoy long-lasting results that may last up to 20 years.
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.
Fillers are Valuable for Facelift Patients
A facelift cannot eliminate all lines and creases, nor can it replace fullness where fatty tissue has diminished. It is for this reason that most facelift patients continue to obtain injectable treatment to enhance and maintain the successful results of their 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.
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.
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.
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.
To enhance and prolong your facelift results, it is highly recommended to maintain a regular regimen of skin rejuvenation therapies and injectables, such as fillers and BOTOX.
A recent study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association found that while facial plastic surgery reverses several years of visual aging, it doesn't make you prettier.