Rejuvenation of the aging face through ‘facelift’ techniques continues to be one of the most understood of all facial plastic surgery procedures. In talking to patients every day in my Indianapolis plastic surgery practice, here are some of the most common misconceptions that people have about facelifts.
Myth: I need to wait until I am older before I can have a facelift.
The fact is you don’t have to wait until you are at least 50 to have a facelift. Despite that many believe a facelift is just for older people, there are different variations of facelifts and necklifts that you can have as early as your 30s and 40s that will help erase those early signs of aging. It is possible to have a fresher looking neck and jaw line now by having a smaller or more limited operation than waiting to have a big one later in life.
Myth: I don’t like my saggy neck but I don’t want a facelift.
A facelift is not what many people think. It is not a total overhaul from the scalp down to the bottom of the neck. It is a variety of procedures that work on the neck and jowl area…the lower third of the face only. It can be as simple as liposuction of the neck and neck muscle tightening only or it can also include different amounts of skin lifting and tightening of the neck, jowl or cheek areas. Facelifts can be partial or more complete…but they are never as big of an operation as people think.
Myth: If I have a facelift now, I will keep needing more of them as I get older.
While it is true that no facelift lasts forever, the aging problems that return are usually less severe. As a result, if one wants to do a little freshening up years later, a simple or limited tuck-up procedure of the cheek and jowl can be done. This is a minimally invasive procedure that is not similar to a full facelift. These are the same procedures that are now done for younger women and men who are just beginning to see the initial signs of aging. By doing these smaller procedures when one is younger, there will not be a need to have a more extensive facelift later in life. Maintenance now can avoid the need for a big oiverhaul later.
Myth: People who get facelifts often look pulled too tight and unnatural.
That classic ‘movie star’ look or old facelift look from years ago is the result of pulling skin too tight. I have yet to see a patient who wants that as the end result. That very look is exactly what we are trying to avoid. A facelift should create a natural look, not an operated look. The tight look is avoided by tightening the tissues under the skin, rather than having the outer skin do all the work of lifting. This provides a good foundation onto which the skin can be redraped naturally amd not pulled up too much.
Myth: I would like to have a Facelift but am afraid that the scars will be seen.
Well-placed facelifts incision are designed to be hidden. Incisions are no longer placed in front of the ear, but inside it. Incisions around the hairline are placed so that the position of the hairline does not change. Using this approach, even short hairstyles (including men), can comfortably have a facelift without visible scarring afterwards.
Myth: I hear now that I can get a facelift result without having surgery.
While the use of Botox, injectable fillers, and lasers can make real visible change in one’s facial appearance, none of these treatment methods can truly replace a facelift. Forehead and crow’s feet wrinkles can be reduced, brows can be lifted slightly, nasolabial folds can be reduced, lips can be made bigger, and skin can be made smoother by these non-surgical injection and laser methods. But that sagging neck and jowl line, the lower third of the face, can only get better by a facelift.
Barry L. Eppley, M.D., D.M.D.
Indianapolis, Indiana