The Aging Face: How Do You Know When It's Time for a Facelift?

No two people are alike. Some men and women begin seeing signs of aging in their 30s. Others manage to reach their 40s or even 50s before the tell-tale signs of collagen and elasticity depletion appear. This is why it can be hard for a facial plastic surgeon to give a specific age when a facelift becomes necessary. You are looking for key signs of an aging face, not a specific age.

Options for Improving an Aging Face

 

Some issues of an aging fact are corrected, albeit temporarily, with the use of injections like Botox or fillers. Botox relaxes the muscles responsible for dynamic wrinkles like frown lines and crow’s feet to help restore a more youthful appearance. Fillers add volume to areas where collagen stores have depleted and left hollows. The thing to remember with these non-surgical techniques is that they are temporary.

Botox lasts as little as three months with some patients, so you need to return to the doctor a few times a year for touch-up injections. Autologous fat transfers work by moving fat from another area of your body to the face. The body absorbs some of this fat over time, so again touch-ups may be necessary. Fillers like Restylane last longer than Botox, but even then the results tend to last six months to a year, so you'll need to go for new injections once or twice a year.

A facelift helps improve a number of signs of aging. It starts by tightening skin to help correct the creasing that often appears from the sides of the nostrils to the corners of the mouth. These creases, known as nasolabial folds, are easily corrected with a facelift, but that's not all. Loose skin that sags along the jawline creating jowls is another area targeted by a facelift. The facelift also helps tone the jawline to give it more definition. With a facelift, the surgery is long-lasting with most patients getting a full 10 years of improvements out of the one surgery.

With a facelift, you do undergo anesthesia. Incisions are made at the temples and extend around and behind the ears. Incisions are often made in natural skin folds or in the hairline to help hide any scarring. After the surgeon tightens the skin and corrects issues with muscle and underlying tissue, the incisions are closed. You'll return to the surgeon in approximately two days to have drains removed. Stitches are removed in 5 to 10 days. You need two weeks to recover before getting back to your normal activities.

Signs That You Need a Facelift Instead of Injectables

 

Perhaps the most important signal for a facial plastic surgeon is when a patient's aging skin has lost enough elasticity that jowls have formed. Once the skin sags from the jawline, non-surgical techniques will no longer work as effectively to correct the signs of aging. Only a facelift can significantly tighten the skin and eliminate jowls.

When the skin has lost elasticity and the neck is starting to show sagging skin, again a facelift is ideal. Through the incisions, the plastic surgeon can tighten muscle, reposition underlying tissue, and excise excess skin to create a tighter, younger appearance.

Watch the American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery's an overview of Aging Skin video to learn more about aging. To discuss the benefits of a facelift versus non-surgical techniques, contact Dr. Robert Kessler, a Newport Beach facial plastic surgeon. Dr. Kessler will view your skin and walk you through the different options you have for restoring a more youthful look. Call (949) 644-6544 to schedule a consultation today.