5 Things You Need To Know Before Getting a Facelift
Are you considering a facelift?
A facelift is a major surgical procedure involving a lengthy recovery period and downtime. As such, you shouldn’t make this decision lightly. You must carefully review your options and understand what happens during and after facelifts. This article highlights a few facts you must know about a facelift.
#1. A facelift is a major surgical procedure.
A facelift is a major surgical procedure performed under general anesthesia. The surgeon makes several incisions around your face, usually around the hairline and behind the ears, to manipulate the underlying fat tissues, muscles, and skin tissues. The procedure usually involves trimming away excess skin tissues and suturing the remaining skin over the incisions to make your face appear youthful and tight. If executed correctly, the procedure can reverse the signs of aging, such as wrinkles, jowls, sagging skin, double chin, nasolabial folds, etc.
#2. You need to take at least two weeks off work and social activities.
As a major surgery, a facelift entails a lengthy recovery period with at least two weeks of downtime. As such, you must arrange at least two weeks of social and professional rest, giving you the peace necessary to recover comfortably. You’ll experience significant swelling, bruising, and other side effects during this period, but you can manage the discomfort with pain medications. You’ll be given a detailed list of post-operative care guidelines, such as caring for the incisions, activity limitations, etc. While you can resume most of your activities after two weeks, you’ll still have to avoid strenuous workouts and exercises for several months.
#3. If performed correctly, nobody will be able to tell.
One of the biggest concerns that patients have is regarding the obviousness of the procedure. The fear is understandable — most of us are familiar with plastic surgery horror stories, usually propagated through movies and media. You might even be familiar with cases where the procedure leads to overly-stretched skin with frozen expressions. However, if you choose an experienced surgeon with a proven track record, you don’t have to worry about obvious signs of cosmetic manipulation. Experienced surgeons know how to conceal the scars, and they don’t stretch the skin more than necessary. As such, if the surgery is executed well, you’ll look like your younger self, and no one will know your secret.
#4. The scars are hidden from plain view.
Another concern that patients have is regarding the prominence of the scars. However, if you choose an excellent board-certified plastic surgeon, they ensure the incision marks are hidden from plain view. They make the incisions along the hairline, behind the ears, under the chin, and other such discrete locations. Furthermore, the scars are small enough that they’re barely visible. Over time, as the scars heal, they fade into a dull pink and blend with the surrounding skin, becoming virtually invisible.
#5. You might be a better candidate for dermal fillers or neuromodulators.
A facelift is an effective procedure suitable for patients with advanced aging signs, such as heavy jowls, deep wrinkles, deep nasolabial folds, etc. Most facelift patients are over 50 years of age. If you’re under 40 or have early signs of aging, you might be a better candidate for dermal fillers or neuromodulators, like Botox. You can get temporary injectables to address individual cosmetic concerns on your face, such as loss of facial volume, wrinkles, fine lines, etc. These treatments are simple, non-surgical, and don’t involve downtime. You should only consider a facelift if more minor invasive procedures will be inadequate for you.