Is Facelift Surgery For Me?
A cosmetic surgery facelift is still the most dramatic way of regaining a youthful look that there is today. Although it can't fix all signs of aging for instance sagging eyelids, it can take years off your face.
Facelift surgery is primarily for mature people, male or female, from the age of forty onward. If you have been considering a face lift but are not quite sure if you need one or exactly what it involves, read on.
Facelift surgery will only be useful if you have loose or sagging skin. It is not the answer for wrinkles which would respond better to a different kind of treatment.
Incisions are made in the skin behind the hairline in the temple area coming down in front of the ear and tapering off behind the ear inside the hairline. Another smaller incision is made under the chin. The skin is then "lifted" off the base of muscle and connective tissue and stretched up and back to give a lighter, firmer appearance.
If there is excess fat, this may be removed at the same time by liposuction, which will give a sleeker appearance to the end result.
The excess skin is removed and the incisions are stitched together. A lot of the scarring will be hidden by the hair and the natural skin folds, but there will be permanent scarring in front of the ears which, in time and with proper care, will fade so it is barely noticeable.
Healing time after face lift surgery varies from person to person but usually any bandages used can be removed in a few days. Don’t get a fright when you first look in the mirror! Your face will be bruised and swollen and probably look much worse than before the surgery.
Complete recovery will take a few weeks to months. In the meantime, make up can be used to conceal any remaining bruising or scarring. Your surgeon will advise you on how to care for your skin after surgery.
The best candidates for facelift surgery are those people with natural aging faces - sagging skin, labial folds etc - but whose skin still has some elasticity left. This of course applies more to people in their forties or early fifties but successful face lifts are regularly done on people of eighty and over. The more elasticity left in the skin, the more natural will be the result, it prevents that ‘mask like’ appearance.
Younger people with photoaging - early wrinkling, roughness and pigmentation due to sun damage may be better to look at other remedies such as chemical peel or laser treatments. A good rule of thumb is if there is no sagging skin, facelift surgery is probably not necessary.
Should I have face lift surgery?
If you can afford it and you want to enhance your appearance for personal or work reasons, go ahead! Bear in mind however that under all the glamour, surgery is still surgery with all the blood, possible complications and discomfort associated with it. You will be out of action for at least a week maybe longer if there are complications. Complications are rare but they do occur. The most common are hematoma which is blood collecting and pooling under the skin that has to be surgically removed and reaction to the anesthetic. More rare are injuries to the facial nerves and very slow healing which particularly affect smokers.
Good reasons for not going ahead
If you are doing it because someone else has asked or expects you to! Having facelift surgery is something you must want to do for yourself. If your partner keeps dropping hints about your aging face either ignore it or ask yourself why you are with a person who doesn’t support you. Honor yourself above all else.
Another reason to reflect on is, are you doing this because you are depressed and think a ‘new’ face might help? If so get help with your depression first. A face lift will boost self esteem but only if you already have some! Perhaps try to appreciate who you are first - you are more than your face! - then if you still want to go ahead, do so with confidence you are doing the right thing.
For those who need a lift but don't want to go under the surgeon's knife, the non-surgical threadlift may be the answer. The effects can be quite stunning and there is less recovery time needed. The threadlift isn't suitable for those with excessive sagging, only full facelift surgery can deal with that.
What about face lift creams?
These will give a temporary effect, but are largely a waste of money in my opinion. You're better off putting this money aside towards regular facelift surgery.
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