5 Important Things About Facelifts You Should Know

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgery, more than 131,000 facelifts were performed last year. Facelift surgery (rhytidectomy) continues to be extremely popular since the results are amazing and last far longer than the results of other minimally invasive procedures.  Many plastic surgery experts claim that facelift surgery is the gold standard for rejuvenating the face and creating a youthful and natural appearance.

If you are planning a facelift procedure, this article can answer some popular questions about facelifts and will help you understand the procedure.

1. Who are the best candidates for facelifts? 

Actually, there’s no ideal age for a facelift procedure. The American Society of Plastic Surgery reports that the majority of facelift cases are performed on people between the ages of 40 to 54. However, younger people are considering facelift as an option to maintain their youth.

According to the ASPS statistics, people between the ages of 30 and 39 are interested in forehead lifts and eyelid surgery to remove excess skin pockets and fat around the eyes. This means that facelift is an increasing trend for younger people to maintain their young appearance.

Premature aging is one of the most common reasons why people want facelifts. This type of aging usually occurs due to excessive sun exposure, smoking, poor lifestyle habits, and genetics. Additionally, everybody’s skin is different and this can affect the severity of aging.

2. Types of facelift

Every person has absolutely different facial anatomy and thus goals for surgery. There are many facelift methods and the best of them involve repositioning the SMAS. SMAS facelift is performed to correct sagging skin, excess fat, jowls, and loss of volume in the cheeks. However, it’s more important to find a  highly-qualified plastic surgeon than decide for yourself the right type of facelift. 

3. Facelift recovery time 

The patient’s recovery time may differ, but in most cases, swelling will go down within two weeks. Recovery depends on how well the person takes care of their skin after the surgery and also the skin’s natural healing ability. Experts report that many patients feel good after a facelift procedure. Recovery time is also influenced by the extent of facelift surgery and the patient’s medical conditions. 

Pain after facelift surgery may last for the first couple of days after the procedure. Talk to your surgeon about methods of pain control. Thay may include cooling, elevating the head, and postoperative pain medication.

4. The risks of facelift procedure 

Facelifts are safe if performed by a skilled plastic surgeon competent in evaluation, judgment, and surgical technique. Like any surgical procedure, facelifts may have some risks. Yes, infection is possible but it rarely occurs due to the face's abundant blood supply. Bleeding in the postoperative period can lead to hematomas. Healing usually doesn’t have complications unless a patient is a smoker, and nerve damage is usually temporary. But these are small but real risks even in a  knowledgeable surgeon's operating room.

5. A facelift is not permanent

After having a facelift, a person will look years younger than they would had they not undergone the procedure. But keep in mind that facelift procedures are not able to stop the aging process and the face will continue to age.

Most people can expect their results to last for seven to 10 years. The longevity of results depends on things like skin quality, levels of sun exposure, age, the presence of bad habits like smoking, and the type of procedure used. Smokers usually have poorer skin quality and elasticity which means the results will last less than seven years. 

Also, older people will have a quicker onset of postoperative skin laxity compared to younger patients. Genetics are very important as well. If your parents aged early, then it is likely you will too. Things like good overall health, healthy diet, stable and healthy weight, proper stress management, and good skincare will help you extend the longevity of the facelift.