Injectable treatments will reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, but they will not remove excess skin, improve skin laxity, or eliminate skin sagging. The only way to effectively treat these issues is through surgery. A facelift will provide much more long-lasting results than non-surgical options.
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.
A face-lift can give your face and neck a more youthful appearance. Face-lift results are not permanent. With age, the facial skin may begin to droop again. In general, a face-lift can be expected to last 10 years.
Overall, a mini facelift is considered effective in correcting sagging skin in the lower half of your face. Depending on your overall goals, you may consider additional procedures, such as an eye lift or dermal fillers.
A mini facelift involves the placement of incisions in front of the ears which extend from the hairline to the bottom of the earlobe. The surgeon will then gently pull the skin and tissues up and outward the ear. Excess skin and tissue are removed to tighten the appearance of the skin.
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.
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.
Facelift fails are most likely to occur when a surgeon doesn't have the level of training and experience required to do a good job with the procedure you want. This is why you should be sure to look for a facial plastic surgeon for any facial surgery, not simply a plastic surgeon.
You will feel some pain for 2 to 4 days after surgery. You may have some trouble opening your mouth for several days. The skin around the incision probably will be numb. You may have some itching or shooting pain as the feeling returns.
While facelift results can be different for every patient, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons found that, on average, patients felt they looked about 12 years younger after their facelift surgeries.
The average cost of a facelift is $8,005, according to 2020 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.
While it may seem like facelift surgery should be an incredibly painful procedure, the truth is that most patients are surprised at how little discomfort they actually experience.
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.
With a facelift, you can remove wrinkles, fine lines, sagging skin and other undesirable features. The process can be successful in helping you regain the appearance of your younger years.
A facelift often will enhance the appearance of your cheek, jaw line and neck region but is considered major surgery. You should think carefully about your specific expectations and communicate your goals to your plastic surgeon.
Sadly, facelift surgery is not the fountain of youth, and this procedure will not prevent or even halt the aging process. Visible facial aging is the result of tissue breakdown that results from natural collagen loss, sun damage, unhealthy lifestyle choices, and poor skin care.
Pulled-down earlobes may happen at the time of the original procedure, or can develop with time. The most dramatic distortion has been called “the pixie ear.” Natural contour can usually be restored, but this is often difficult. The earlobe is often not distorted, but simply pulled forward — a tip-off to a facelift.
A standard facelift surgery may take anywhere from two to six hours depending on the extent of your surgery. Scars from a facelift are hidden in your hairline and around your ears. Your specialist will tighten the skin and underlying muscle to create a youthful, fresh appearance.
Can I have multiple facelifts? 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 traditional facelift incision often begins in the hairline at the temples, continues around the ear and ends in the lower scalp. Fat may be sculpted or redistributed from the face, jowls and neck and underlying tissue is repositioned, commonly the deeper layers of the face and the muscles are also lifted.
During this week you'll likely still have some swelling and bruising around the affected areas. Swelling and bruising can also cause some people to experience some numbness, tingling and tightness. These are all common occurrences after a facelift and should not cause concern.
Facelift downtime.
Driving is allowed only after you are totally off prescription pain meds and can safely turn your neck and shoulders—about the 4 to 5 day mark for most patients. You must not lift anything over 10 pounds, strain, or do anything more strenuous than normal walking for at least 3 weeks.
A facelift can involve removing excess skin, smoothing out folds or wrinkles, and tightening facial tissue. It doesn't include a brow or eye lift, although these might be done at the same time. A facelift is only focused on the bottom two-thirds of the face and often the neck or décolletage.
One popular noninvasive technique is Ultherapy, which delivers ultrasound heat energy to lift and support deeper layers of skin around your chin and face area. This procedure is more expensive than some other nonsurgical treatments. On average, nonsurgical skin tightening costs about $2,000.