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.
Not surprisingly, the most common age for a facelift is around 58 or 59, with that age increasingly skewing younger.
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.
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 five alternatives to facelift surgery I utilize in my office are Thermage, Ultherapy, Thread lifting, Fillers, and two “Mini Surgery” procedures consisting of 3-D volume restoration and re-contouring using fat transfer and lower eyelid fat bag removal using transconjunctival approach.
Is a mini facelift painful? Whenever you have a mini or full facelift, there is some pain and discomfort that follows the procedure. With the mini facelift, there is less pain because only certain parts of the face were tightened. This pain is much less significant than those who undergo a full facelift experience.
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.
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.
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.
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.
How much does a facelift cost? 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.
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.
Generally, a ponytail lift involves incisions made high up on the face – above the front of the ear or beyond the hairline. The facial cosmetic surgeon then pulls the ligaments below the skin to adjust and reduce sagging.
While the expected results of a mini lift are tightened skin in the mid-face, you might be wondering how long those results are going to last. You will first see results from the mini lift after you have fully healed from the procedure. For most patients, these results last for 5 years or more.
In general, good candidates for mini facelifts are men and women in their mid to late 40s up to 60s or 70s. There is not a cut-off age, per se, but instead we look at one's overall health, mobility, and treatment goals.
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 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 traditional facelift is probably the most well-known type of facelift, as it's been around for a few decades. This invasive cosmetic procedure is used to reposition the skin and muscles on the face and the neck, which helps improve the overall jawline.
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.
The answer is, “No,” since many patients do not have the loose skin or sagging fat/muscles that a facelift corrects. Younger patients often find that injectables such as Juvederm or Botox provide the filling or wrinkle reduction that they desire and with a shorter recovery.