Facelift Myth #4 – You Have To Be Older To Have A Facelift
When people think of facelifts, they tend to assume only old people get facelifts. The image you may have of an old person is the stereotypical person with a lot of wrinkles and sagging skin. While it’s true that the vast majority of facelift patients are older, that doesn’t mean you have to be old (like 65-80) in order to have a facelift.
How To Know If It’s Time For A Facelift
A facelift resuspends sagging facial tissues to recreate a more youthful face and jawline. We all age and succumb to the natural forces and signs of aging. We lose volume and skin elasticity, resulting in the descent of our facial features. We have many nonsurgical options today to rejuvenate your face. Fillers are no longer just to fill in lost volume. Sometimes just filling will result in an over filled unnatural look depending on how much volume you have lost. Today, advanced techniques with contemporary fillers (each with different performance characteristics) allow us to achieve some lifting. Using fillers to lift sagging tissue can only do so much, however. The more advanced your sagging face is, the less effective it is to use fillers to lift and rejuvenate your face. That’s way many older patients will get to a point when a surgical procedure—hence, facelift—is the best option to rejuvenate your face. But that doesn’t mean only old patients can get facelifts.
The Affects of Aging On A Young Face
While we all age, some of us—unfortunately—may develop aging signs quicker than others. I think the main culprit is genetics. There is nothing you can do about this. Some other factors that can contribute to faster aging signs are smoking, excessive sun exposure, and drinking too much alcohol. As you can see, these are lifestyle choices that many of us weren’t aware can cause undesirable changes to our face. If you are one of the few unlucky people who look much older than you look, and you’re still young (in your 40-50’s), you may be a good candidate for facelift….even though you’re not considered the typical age most people assume a facelift is needed.
Facelift, Mini-Facelift, or Fillers?
We see many patients who come in complaining of looking old when they’re still fairly young. The vast majority of them will choose to get fillers, Botox, or lasers. But a small percentage will also be frustrated with the fact fillers don’t last very long and they still need to come back every year to get treatments. For these patients, they become very interested in a surgical option. A facelift—specifically a mini facelift—is a great option to consider. The advantage of a mini facelift for these younger patients is the benefit of having a rejuvenated face for many years. I tell them they can expect good results to last about five years. For them, this is a major advantage over repeatedly coming in for fillers. A mini facelift is just a way to describe the extent of surgery. Since the younger patients who are considering surgery have less advanced aging signs, they don’t need the extensive dissection needed in a formal facelift. A smaller incision and smaller area of dissection is all that is needed to effectively resuspend your jawline. The smaller incision and surgery also makes recovery much quicker.
Meeting With A Facial Plastic Surgeon
The best way to determine if you are a candidate for a minifacelift, or maybe even a formal facelift is to see a board certified facial plastic or plastic surgeon. An in office consultation allows the surgeon to carefully examine your face and neck and see whether you are a good candidate for surgery.
For more information about facelifts and how to ensure a smooth recovery from facelift surgery, contact Dr. Kenneth Yu, facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, and his qualified team of experts serving the San Antonio, Texas area. To schedule a consultation, please contact our Concierge Patient Coordinator at 210-876-6868.
