What is the Goal of a Facelift Procedure?
The goal of a facelift procedure is to rejuvenate the lower face, the neck and the mid-facial regions. A facelift repositions sagging facial tissues hereby achieving a more youthful appearance. A facelift does “not stop the clock, but it turns it back”; the natural aging process continues after the procedure.
Who will benefit from a Facelift?
Usually in our forties to fifties, constant gravitational forces in concert with aging-related loosening of facial support tissues lead to the development of jowls and neck sagging disrupting a clean jawline and a neck. This process is slow and depends on many factors, such as genetic family traits, general health, nutritional aspects, weight, smoking, sun exposure and other factors of life style. Full facelifts are most commonly performed on patients in their fifties or early sixties, but certainly can be done on people older than that. A person seeking facelift surgery should be in good health without major medical issues like heart disease, diabetes, active cancer and lung disease.
Does Weight Have an Impact on The Facelift Procedure?
Yes, overweight people usually carry additional fatty tissue in the face leading to a fuller facial appearance with decreased laxity. In general, a facelift in the overweight cannot achieve the facial definition one seeks. In addition, when a person looses significant weight (usually in excess of 25 pounds) AFTER a facelift procedure, additional laxity will develop often requiring a touch-up procedure. If such a weight loss is anticipated, then most plastic surgeons will recommend loosing weight first and perform the facelift afterwards.
About Your Facelift Surgeon
After deciding to consider a facelift, the decision of which surgeon should take care of you and perform your facelift procedure is a very important one. There are many qualified surgeons to choose from. The training background of your surgeon will decide his or her specialty. Most facelifts are performed by general plastic surgeons and facial plastic surgeons, although in certain parts of the country also doctors from other specialty backgrounds perform cosmetic surgery including facelifts, i.e. dermatologists, oral surgeons, general surgeons and gynecologists, to name just a few. Although the surgeon’s specialty is important, similarly important is your surgeon’s experience with the specific procedure you are looking for.
