Facelift patients I’ve worked with in the past have told me their friends and family would be surprised of their decision to get cosmetic surgery. When I asked why, they’ve shared “because they think I’m too young.” Age is an identifier but take into account that we all mature differently. One woman in her 60s can have the appearance of a 40 year old and a man in his mid-30s can have the appearance of a male in his early 50s. Genetics, lifestyle, and every day environmental factors contribute to how our skin ages and for some people, they experience those tell-tale signs of aging much faster than others. For this reason, I wanted to remind everyone that plastic surgery is a personal and unique experience for each individual. Age is only one way to evaluate it. When it comes to achieving the look that will truly make you happy, a facelift procedure may just be your calling.
As we get older, our faces evolve from being angular to a more squared off appearance. If you think about it, youth is about fullness and aging is about emptiness. The collagen starts to break down and the skin’s elasticity diminishes, the skin on the face appears to sag – creating deep wrinkles (like jowls), droopy eyelids, and more. It’s not only a case of genetics that is responsible, but spending lots of time outside in the sun, tanning beds, poor diet and exercise, and smoking are some of the other contributing factors that wear down our appearance. Cosmetic injectables, like facial fillers and Botox®, offer temporary relief for wrinkles, thinned lips, sunken cheeks, etc., but some men and women prefer to take advantage of the long-lasting results of facelifts.
Here are a few key points to facelift procedures that I perform at Southern Plastic Surgery:
There are in reality two different facelift options: mini facelift (rapid recovery lift) and full facelift. A mini facelift is for the patient with early signs of aging (and haven’t experienced major skin laxity yet) in the lower third part of the face (neck, mid-face area, and jowls more specifically). Full facelifts address the eye and brow area, so patients who are really going for the full rejuvenation package often need to combine their facelift with these procedures to achieve optimal results. Facelifts of either kind can be helpful for both men and women and is even an integral component to the comprehensive combination Grammy Makeover procedure which consists of face, breast, hand, and body contouring procedures.
Patients often complement their results with the help of nonsurgical skin rejuvenation procedures laser treatments at Laser Lights or injectables to prolong their results – not that this is mandatory for facelift candidates, but many like to stay on top of their skincare and add these types of procedures to their regular routine. If you’re interested in learning more about nonsurgical facial rejuvenation, facelift procedures, or laser and skincare treatments to take your results to the next level, don’t hesitate to contact us at 770-622-9100 to schedule a complimentary consultation and find out more.