You are much more than a pretty face. But let’s face it! Our society values beauty, energy, and youth. Unfortunately, age catches up with you and impacts every nook and cranny of your body, especially your face.
The significant decrease in skin quality and the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging skin gives the face a drooping and flabby appearance. These aging signs might make you appear older and tired despite your incredible reserves of natural energy.
If you have started noticing clear laugh lines even when you are not smiling, drooping cheeks, and chins, getting a facelift might be the way to go.
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What Is a Facelift?
Technically known as rhytidectomy, a facelift is a cosmetic surgery procedure to correct visible aging on the face and neck. It aims to eliminate excess skin, smooth wrinkles and folds, and tighten facial tissues.
Benefits of Getting a Facelift
It Addresses Numerous Signs of Aging
The gradual but significant decrease in your facial skin quality can be due to numerous reasons, including reduced facial fat and thinning of dermal tissue. Besides age, other culprits include smoking, sun damage, gravity, stress, and hereditary factors.
If you are struggling with one (or more) of the following aging signs, a facelift surgery can resolve them, giving your face a tighter, smoother, and more vibrant appearance:
- Sagging skin at the jawline, neck, and around the mid-face
- Displaced facial volume or fat
- Fine lines extending from the corners of the mouth all the way to the chin
- Deep creases and wrinkles running from the nose to the corners of the mouth
- Jowls
- Double chin
Tightens Up Sagging and Droopy Skin
A facelift is a restorative surgery that effectively tightens and smooths droopy facial skin through a process known as undermining. This involves separating the skin on the face from the muscles and tissues beneath. Upon a successful repositioning, the facial skin is then tightened, after which the extra skin is eliminated, smoothing away the creases and wrinkles for smooth, radiant skin.
Redefines Your Jawline and Neck
Gravity, loss of skin elasticity, and facial fat tend to drag the facial skin down as you age, translating to droopy, saggy skin. The loose skin usually hangs off your jawline and neck, forming jowlings and an unappealing double chin. Fortunately, a facelift procedure can eliminate the fatty deposits and excess skin, recontouring your jawline and neck.
Men Can Get It Too!
Contrary to popular beliefs, facelift procedures are not only popular among women. According to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), facelifts made it to the top five cosmetic surgeries for men in 2017. In fact, up to 10 percent of the facelift procedure patients in 2017 were male. Healthy men concerned about wrinkles and saggy skin can enjoy the same benefits of a facelift surgery as women. After all, the effects are the same for all genders.
Invisible Scars
The incisions made during the procedure are almost invisible. Therefore, you will not have any noticeable scars or signs of aesthetic surgery. Sure the exact location and size of the incision will vary depending on targeted treatment areas and desired results. However, most incisions are made along the hairline or behind the year for maximum concealment after the procedure, which will remain your little secret.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age should you get a facelift?
In most cases, a facelift cosmetic surgery works best for people in their mid-40s, 50s, and 60, usually when the aging signs, including wrinkles, and deep and fine lines, become more prevalent.
All the same, there is no age limit to getting a facelift as people age at different rates. Therefore, you should consider a facelift procedure when the signs become a bother.
Can I exercise after a facelift?
If you are a workout enthusiast, your plastic surgeon will recommend resuming your routine workouts at least six weeks post-surgery. However, you can stay active by doing some walking exercises one week after the facelift. After three weeks, you can proceed to stretching, yoga, and cycling. Avoid doing facial exercises too early after the procedure, as it can lead to swelling. You might want to consult your doctor about the best time to resume your exercises.
What should I expect post-surgery?
Your surgeon will prescribe some pain medications for the initial pain and discomfort. You might feel better and more energetic three days after the procedure, but you might want to refrain from extensive workouts, social situations, and tasks. Your doctor will remove any dressings and stitches a few days later, after which you will be asked to return for a follow-up and address any concerns such as swelling, bruising, and excessive scarring.
How long do facelifts last?
Generally, a facelift might last up to 10 years without requiring a touch-up. After that, your face might start to lose its structure and elasticity and begin to age again. However, you can make the results last longer by protecting your skin from the sun, moisturizing daily, avoiding smoking, and drinking lots of water.
