GeneralWhat Can a Facelift Help Me With? What Will It Target?

As you consider how aging has affected your face and neck, have you wondered how a facelift could help address areas you’re not happy with? You might have tried creams and other non-surgical treatments, but they might not be getting you the results you want. How can a facelift help?

Who Makes a Good Candidate for a Facelift?

If you are considering having a face lift surgery, ask yourself these questions:

• Do you look older than you feel?
• Are non-surgical treatments not getting you the results you want?
• Are you looking for a long-lasting treatment for your face?
• Do you want to enhance your appearance for yourself rather than to make others happy?
• Are you ready to look younger?
• Are you in good physical and mental health?

Are your answers to these questions a resounding “Yes”? If so, you may have more questions about what getting a facelift will entail.

What Areas Can a Facelift Target?

Consider the areas of your face and neck that bother you. Which of them can a facelift target for you?

Jowling

Jowling is a common byproduct of aging. It’s a word used to describe the skin that sags below your jawline or chin.

As you age, your skin loses a lot of its elastin and collagen. These proteins make up your connective tissue. When your skin is stretched, elastin lets it return to its normal shape.

Losing these proteins causes your skin to sag as gravity prevails. A facelift can address these jowls and bring your jawline back to a more youthful state by:

• Rearranging skin around the neck and jawline.
• Removing fat from the affected areas.
• Tightening loose muscles near the jaw.

Marionette Lines

So-called because they are reminiscent of the lines seen on marionette dolls where the jaw opens and closes, marionette lines are vertical lines that extend from the corners of the mouth to the jawline.

Marionette lines appear as you age because of the loss of elastin and collagen, loss of fat in the face, and engaging in repeated facial expressions over the years.

A facelift can provide dramatic results in the treatment of marionette lines. As for jowling, the procedure tightens loose facial muscles and removes excess skin, bringing your jawline back to a more natural look.

Dropped Cheeks

As you age, you may look into the mirror and notice you can pull up on your cheeks. You like the way they look when you pull them up, but as soon as you let go, they drop.

Your skin loses its elasticity as you age. Your muscles loosen, and extra skin droops.

A facelift is the most effective and longest-lasting method of fixing dropped cheeks. This method tightens the muscles around your cheeks and fills in the lost volume in your face with injectable fillers or fat transfer.

Loose Neck / Vertical Bands

A loose neck may be a large source of insecurity for you. You may notice two vertical bands that extend from your chin down, sometimes as far as the collarbone. Some people refer to this as a “turkey neck.”

A loose neck and vertical bands can become clear as you age. They can also occur after weight loss, as the stretched skin to cover fat is no longer there.

Where does the banding come from?

Your neck has muscles called the platysma bands. These muscles are free-floating, meaning they are not attached to ligaments and bones. You can see these muscles in a more pronounced fashion if you grimace with clenched teeth.

The vertical bands appear over time as the platysma bands relax. As with other facial problems because of aging, they also become more pronounced as your body loses collagen.

A facelift can address a loose neck by pulling back the platysma bands so they no longer sag. It can tighten the skin and give you a smoother, well-contoured neck.

What to Expect Post-Surgery

After knowing how a facelift can help you, it’s time to think about what life after surgery will be like. What will recovery be like? How will you feel after you’ve healed?

Recovery

Depending on the facelift you underwent, recovery times vary. For a full facelift, many patients need about a month to fully recover. If you have a mini-facelift, the recovery time can be much shorter.

As you heal, expect some bruising and swelling around the incision sites. Towards the end of the first week, you feel well enough to get up and do light housework. By the end of the third or fourth week, you should be back to normal activities, though some bruising and swelling may linger.

Many people usually see results in the third or fourth week. As recovery continues, you will see more and more improvements. Scarring should be minimal and will be well-hidden by the surgeon.

Follow your surgeon’s post-operative care instructions for the best results.

Self-Confidence

Though it’s difficult to quantify, studies show that most people feel better about themselves after having a facelift done. People tend to report that they:

• Have more self-esteem.
• Feel greater self-worth.
• Feel less distress and shyness.
• Enjoy an increase in their quality of life.

The problematic areas, whether they’re jowls, marionette lines, dropped cheeks or a loose neck, will be taken care of. You will look younger and may regain lost confidence.

This post has been sponsored by Surgeon’s Advisor