While there is no fountain of youth or one single magical cream that can rejuvenate the aging face, facelift surgery works its magic by making one feel better. The younger and more refreshed you look, the better you usually feel. With a better appearance also comes increased confidence which is helpful in both the workplace and in social interactions. Recent studies have shown that nearly 90% of patients felt satisfied with their cosmetic surgery experience as well as having noticeable improvements not only in their face but in their overall body image as well.
The word ‘facelift’ scares most patients and, and even though it what they may really need, they usually don’t want it initially. Concerns are usually about the extent of the procedure and the risks of complications. Even in facelift surgeries in which the SMAS is elevated, better understanding of anatomy and technology has lowered the number of significant complications compared to years ago. And this is on top of a procedure whose complication rate is actually very low even historically. Facelift surgery is one of the top safe anti-aging procedures today.
The second most common concern is the fear that a facelift may make one look different or unnatural. Most prospective patients can point out a celebrity, and they all seem to be from the same handful of names, that has had work done and obviously had a facelift. A good facelift surgery is really not recognizeable. The result it creates is noticeable but one should never look like they had work done. How is a good facelift done? The incision patterns and the techniques for a facelift are known to all surgeons who perform them, having a natural outcome is as much art as it is science.
Recovery is another concern about having a facelift, with many fearing that three or four weeks are needed to look normal. Advances in surgery have significantly sped up the typical recovery times. Sutures are largely dissolveable without the need for removal and many patients are able to get back to work in ten to fourteen days with minimal persistent bruising and swelling.
As a result of these fears, many facial aging patients turn to non-surgical or minimally invasive procedures. While there is a role for these procedures in the early phases of facial aging or in the maintenance phase after facial rejuvenation procedures, the benefits of facelift surgery far outweigh them in most middle-aged and older patients. The results of facelift surgeries are longer lasting and more pronounced than non-surgical procedures. Spending what seems to be less money on a repeated basis for less of a result over time may accumulate to a greater expense than that of a facelift.
Perceptions have changed today in how being middle-aged should look. The impact that healthier lifestyles, advancements in medical care and even celebrity culture have changed how we view growing older. For this reason, patients should consider having some form of a facelift sooner rather than later. By doing so, the results of the procedure will last longer and be more effective. In addition, doing surgery at a younger age results in the need for a less extensive procedure with a less detectable and a more natural result. The women who comes in at 65 years old for a facelift is going to have a dramatic and very noticeable change with a more prolonged recovery.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana