Results: One year after face-lift surgery, 87 patients (97.8 percent) described the improvement of their facial appearance as very good or beyond expectations.
On RealSelf, a whopping 96% of facelift patients report they'd have the surgery again now that they have experienced the positive changes possible with this procedure.
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.
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.
Not surprisingly, the most common age for a facelift is around 58 or 59, with that age increasingly skewing younger.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Can Someone Be “Too Old” for a Facelift? 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.
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.
More than half of people experience symptoms of anxiety or depression in the days following a facelift, research suggests. Mental health benefits often appear after a longer time, including greater well-being and life satisfaction.
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.
You must wear the chin strap continuously for the first two weeks after surgery except while eating and showering/cleaning incisions. The strap helps fight the forces of gravity immediately after surgery and helps improve any swelling.
While the procedure is a significant investment, it can also be a more cost-effective option in the long run than nonsurgical facial rejuvenation treatments that may not work as well, or require ongoing maintenance treatments.
Wear it constantly until one week has elapsed from the date of your operation; then it should be worn during sleep until 2 weeks has elapsed from the day of your surgery. It is beneficial to wear the sling during the day when you are alone during the first 30 day period.
Most people recover in 4 to 6 weeks. But it probably will take 6 months or more to see the final result from the surgery. This care sheet gives you a general idea about how long it will take for you to recover. But each person recovers at a different pace.
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.
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.
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.
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.