Getting older can be both a blessing and a curse, as each passing year imparts more wisdom and experience, but it can also make you look older than you actually feel. With ongoing advances in aesthetic medicine, more people than ever are turning to cosmetic surgery to help them rejuvenate their appearance and turn back the hands of time.
Many of the people who come to see us at McHugh Plastic Surgery in The Woodlands, Texas, say they no longer recognize the person staring back in the mirror. While they still feel vibrant and energetic, their face seems to reflect a person who’s exhausted or past their prime.
A facelift is widely considered the gold standard treatment for comprehensive facial rejuvenation, in that it helps treat loose, saggy facial skin brought on by the natural aging process, and reconstruct a more youthful contour along your face, jaw, and neck.
Even with the potential benefits, a facelift can provide, making the decision to have one isn’t something you should take lightly. Read on to learn more about what you should consider when deciding whether a facelift is right for you:
If you’re considering a facelift, chances are you’d like to see a younger, more rested-looking face in the mirror — not change your appearance so much that you look like someone else entirely.
Before you make the decision to undergo facelift surgery, it’s important to specifically define which areas of your face you’re unhappy with, or which flaws you’d like to fix. Knowing that you’d like to get rid of sagging jowls and improve your jawline, lift your droopy eyelids, or make your neck look like it used to can help you find clarity on your aesthetic goals and expected outcome.
In most cases, cosmetic facelifts have the best results for people who are interested in normalizing their appearance, rather than enhancing it. If you’re considering a facelift because you’re not happy with your look, and you believe the surgery will boost your confidence, you should take a step back and think about what it is you’re most interested in accomplishing.
At the end of the day, a facelift isn’t a cure-all for low self-esteem — it won’t enhance the quality of your life if you’re not sure exactly what you’re looking to get out of it.
Your underlying motivation for contemplating a facelift shouldn’t be confused with your aesthetic desires. Although these factors may be interrelated, they’re still distinct, and they should be weighed separately if you want to make the decision that’s ultimately best for you.
As any good cosmetic surgeon will tell you, you should never get a facelift to please your partner, fit in better with your peers, or look like a celebrity. It’s also a good idea to avoid facelift surgery if you’re doing it in response to a major life event, such as job loss or a divorce.
The people who tend to be happiest with their decision to get a facelift are those who’ve been thinking about getting one for some time and are doing it mostly for themselves.
The main goal of a surgical facelift is to tighten underlying tissues and muscles, redistribute fat, and gently repositioning your skin. The technique is somewhat similar to straightening and smoothing a tablecloth over a table.
If you have a variety of cosmetic concerns you’d like to address, a traditional facelift may be the best solution. If, however, you only have one or two areas you’d like to correct, you may be a good candidate for a mini-facelift or other less extensive procedures.
For example, if you’re mostly interested in tightening the loose, saggy skin along your neck, you may only need to undergo a neck lift, which is specifically designed to improve the appearance of your neck, jawline, and lower face. By enhancing the overall contour of your jawline, a neck lift can make you look and feel years younger.
Some of the most popular facial surgeries are:
Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, achieve a more youthful appearance by removing excess fat from your eyelid area and tightening the surrounding skin. An effective way to correct droopy eyelids or under-eye bags, eye surgery is typically performed on both the upper and lower lids.
A brow lift is a facial surgery that minimizes creases and other signs of aging on your forehead. This procedure is even suitable for younger adults who would like to correct a genetically low brow or significant wrinkling.
More young people than ever are turning to aesthetic medicine as a form of prevention, using cosmetic surgery to stop the signs of aging before they appear.
If you’re interested in getting a mini-facelift or having another facial surgery to address changes that you envision on the horizon, it’s important to remember that cosmetic facial surgery is far less effective if you’re still growing and developing.
The same holds true for people who are still changing, usually because their weight is in flux. If your body weight has been steadily increasing or declining, you shouldn’t seriously consider any type of cosmetic surgery until your body weight has been stable for at least a year.
Although every person heals at different rates following facelift surgery, you can still expect to be out of commission for at least two weeks following your procedure.
If your life is hectic and you can’t be away from work or otherwise on the mend for at least two weeks (and possibly three), you should consider putting it off until you’re less occupied, or until you have enough vacation time to get away from it all and focus on yourself.
If you’re interested in finding out more about your options, we’re ready to help at McHugh Plastic Surgery. Call our office in The Woodlands, Texas today, or use our convenient online booking feature to make your appointment.
