When is the Right Time to Have a Facelift?

Facial aging is perfectly natural, but as the number of candles increases on our birthday cake and the first wrinkles and blemishes become noticeable, the inevitable changes can stir up negative emotions in many people. Aging skin thins out because it doesn’t retain enough collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid to keep it supple. In addition, the underlying bone structure that gives us firm facial contours becomes thinner, and fat migrates to other areas of the face. Gravity and sun exposure also can cause skin quality to deteriorate. Because there are so many options for cosmetic treatments that promise to turn back the clock, many people are unsure as to whether plastic surgery or minimally invasive options will be better for them. It’s true that some nonsurgical treatments can replace volume that the skin is lacking or enhance its overall tone and texture by stimulating collagen production and remodelling in the inner layers, but the only facial treatment for doing away with unwanted fat or skin and repositioning underlying tissues to create a noticeably more youthful appearance is a facelift. As the Philadelphia area’s Cross Plastic Surgery team explains, there are a few factors to consider if you’re trying to choose between a facelift and a less-invasive treatment:

The Type of Skin Complaints You Have

Certain types of wrinkles around your eyes—known as dynamic wrinkles, which are associated with repeated muscle contractions—won’t be corrected with a facelift. The surgery also won’t have any effect on the overall tone and texture of your skin. Facelifts work best on patients who still have some degree of skin elasticity and a strong bone structure, but who wish to make sagging tissues smoother and tighter. The procedure is designed to address jowls and lax skin around the lower third of the face.

Your Age

Lots of people wonder whether they are too young or too old for this type of surgery. Know that there’s no definite “right age” for a facelift, since different people show signs of aging in different ways. For some people, the best time to consider a facelift might be from as early as their mid-30s to early 40s, while others might have a facelift during their 50s to mid-70s—or even older. It’s also worth noting that even though the results from a facelift are permanent, your features will continue to be affected by aging and will still change over time. In essence, a facelift “sets back the clock” for your face by around a decade.

Patients can have a secondary facelift at a later time if they want to reverse the effects of natural aging. If you’re planning a pregnancy or hope to lose a significant amount of weight, it’s better to wait until after your weight settles and is maintainable in order to schedule your facelift so as to prolong the lifespan of your results. Weight fluctuations can increase skin laxity, which can “undo” the results of a face-tightening lift.

The State of Your Overall Health

Facelifts aren’t suitable for everyone. One of the questions patients should ask themselves is whether they’re physically healthy enough for an elective surgery, as well as whether they’re in a good state of mental health and are at a stable weight. In most cases, patients are considered to be healthy and are eligible for plastic surgery, but some serious chronic illnesses—like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity—might make a facelift especially risky.

Patients must have an in-depth talk with their surgeon prior to being approved for any procedure, and it’s important to share your full medical history, including any medications you’re currently taking. Drinking heavily and smoking before having plastic surgery are strongly discouraged, as these behaviors can increase the chance of complications.

The first step to take for getting great results from any treatment is booking a consultation with an experienced plastic surgeon. Let the Cross Plastic Surgery team help you put together a plan for your facelift in the Philadelphia area. Call (215) 561-9100 (Philadelphia) or (610) 688-9100 (Main Line) or submit a contact form to request a consultation.