An unfortunate side effect of aging is that your face can begin to alter, turning you into someone you may not recognize. If you’re ready to look as young as you feel, a facelift could be the answer. But how long does a facelift last? At Salas Plastic Surgery in Miami, FL, we are the perfect place to start your transformation.
How Long Does a Facelift Last?
This treatment is considered to be a semi-permanent solution to the effects of aging. While facelift results don’t last forever, they can be expected to last 10 years! You can rewind time and enjoy the effects of being your reinvigorated, younger self.
Why Get This Procedure?
This surgical procedure helps to give you a younger appearance. As you grow older, several age-related changes happen that can cause your face to look older, too. Your skin loses some elasticity and becomes looser and saggier. Additionally, fat deposits tend to decrease in some areas of your face while increasing in others. All these changes to your body’s structures make your facial appearance change, too.
You might notice changes in your face like your face having a sagging appearance or excess skin at your lower jawline, also called jowls. Everyone has folds in their skin that run from the side of your nose to the corner of your mouth; as you age, you might notice that these folds deepen and become more prominent. You may also notice sagging skin and excess fat in your neck. It’s natural to feel uncomfortable with these changes to your appearance, especially when on the inside you are brimming with youthful energy!
What Does This Procedure Do?
Because each face is unique, your surgery will be tailored to your specific needs. It generally focuses on the bottom two-thirds of the face and the neck. This surgery can involve smoothing out the folds of wrinkles, tightening facial tissue, and removing excess skin. While it doesn’t include a brow lift or an eye lift, you can have these procedures done at the same time.
Who Is a Good Candidate for This Surgery?
While you might already know that you would aesthetically benefit from this treatment, it’s important to know if you would be a good candidate. To be a good candidate for this surgery, it’s important that you not have any medical conditions that could interfere with your healing or recovery from surgery. Specifically, it’s important that you not be diagnosed with conditions that prevent blood clotting or wound healing, such as hemophilia, poorly controlled diabetes, or high blood pressure. It’s also important that you aren’t on any medications that prevent wound healing, such as blood-thinning medications.
A good candidate for this treatment shouldn’t smoke cigarettes or should be able to stop for a long period of time before and after surgery, because these can have a detrimental effect on the healing process. A good candidate should also have a clear idea of what they are looking for from this surgery, as well as realistic expectations of what this surgery can do.
The Process
Before beginning the process of getting this cosmetic procedure, it’s important you know what to expect so you can properly prepare yourself and feel comfortable throughout your experience.
The Consultation
The first step to your revitalized face is to schedule a consultation with Salas Plastic Surgery. At your consultation, you will meet your plastic surgeon and discuss the procedure you are interested in.
Medical Examination and Discussion of Your Medical History
Your doctor will ask you questions about your medical history including any medical conditions you currently have or have had in the past. They will ask about any previous surgeries and previous plastic surgeries, as well as any complications that may have occurred. Your surgeon will also ask about any history of smoking, alcohol, and other substance use.
Your surgeon will also discuss with you any medications you take. You will need to provide them with the names and dosages of any prescription or over-the-counter medications you take, as well as any supplements, vitamins, or herbs. Your surgeon will also do a basic physical exam to ensure that you are in good health.
Facial Examination
Your plastic surgeon will take photographs of your face from several different angles, including close-up shots of particular features. These photographs are used as a reference during the surgery, as well as for before-and-after photos to assess long-term results. The surgeon will examine your underlying bone structure as well as the shape of your face and its fat distribution. The surgeon will also pay special attention to the health of your skin.
Discussion of Your Expectations
During your consultation, your surgeon will ask you about your expectations for your procedure and what specific facial features you are most concerned with addressing. Your surgeon will give you an idea of what they can address during the procedure and how you will look afterward. They will also speak with you about things this procedure cannot address, like naturally occurring asymmetry in the face, or fine wrinkles. You can discuss with your plastic surgeon if you would like to get any other plastic surgeries at the same time.
Preparing for the Procedure
When you have your consultation, your surgeon will let you know which medications should be discontinued before your procedure. On the morning of the procedure, wash your face and hair. You’ll be asked to avoid eating or drinking anything after midnight on the day of your procedure.
You’ll also need to make sure you have someone to take you home after your procedure and who can stay with you for the night.
During the Procedure
This procedure generally involves elevating the skin to reveal the underlying tissues and muscles, and tightening them. Dr. Salas will use his extensive experience and skills to artistically rejuvenate your face by repositioning the tissues of your neck and face, lifting them, and softening the signs of aging. This might include sculpting, removing, or redistributing fat in the face and neck, in addition to tightening the underlying tissues and muscles.
Depending on exactly what needs to be done, your doctor may make a number of different incisions to give you the best results. A traditional facelift starts at your temples in your hairline and continues down the face and in front of your ears, ending behind your ears at your lower scalp. There also may be an additional incision under your chin to help improve your neck.
A flap on each side of the face is pulled back to reveal the tissues underneath. After the muscle, fat, and other tissues are surgically altered to give your face a more youthful contour, the skin is pulled tight over the face, reducing wrinkles. Because everything is being smoothed and tightened, there may very well be excess skin that will be removed before everything is sutured closed. The procedure tends to take two to four hours but can take longer if you choose to have other cosmetic procedures done at the same time.
After the Procedure
It’s important that you take care of yourself after your procedure and are gentle with your body as it is recovering. You will want to follow the wound care instructions that your surgeon gives you. If you notice scaps forming along the wound, don’t pick at them or at any stitches you find. Your doctor will give you instructions on when it is safe for you to begin using shampoo and soaps, and which ones you should use.
In the days after your procedure, you’ll want to rest with your head elevated to help promote healing. Take your medication as prescribed by your doctor and apply cool packs to your face to help with healing and inflammation.
In the Weeks After the Procedure
Do your best to wear clothes that fasten in the front so that you can easily take them on and off without having to pull them over your head. Don’t wear any makeup, as this can irritate your skin, and avoid putting excessive pressure on the sutures. Don’t engage in any vigorous activity for several weeks after the procedure and avoid direct sun exposure to the incisions for at least three weeks after your procedure. When you go outside, make sure that you wear a sunscreen that has an SPF of at least 30.
Follow Up Appointments
After your procedure, you will have several follow-up appointments to ensure that you are healing well. If your surgeon placed a drain after the procedure, you will have an appointment the next day to remove it and apply antibiotic ointment to your incisions, as well as replace your bandages.
About a week after your procedure, your surgeon will remove any stitches and assess how you are healing. You will continue having appointments to monitor your progress in the months after.
Common Procedures to Have With a Facelift
If you have other areas of your face you would like to change, it’s a good idea to consider having them at the same time. Eye lifts, brow lifts, and nose reshaping are some of the most common procedures to have alongside this one.
Eye Lift
An eye lift, also called eyelid surgery, helps to reduce bagginess from the lower eyelids and removes excess skin from the upper eyelids. This can be done for purely cosmetic reasons or to improve sight in people whose sagging upper eyelids get in the way of their vision.
Brow Lift
A brow lift, which is also known as a forehead lift or forehead rejuvenation, is a cosmetic procedure that helps to raise the brows. Doing this helps to improve the appearance of the forehead, the brow area, and the eyes. The treatment raises the soft tissue surrounding the eyes, making them look younger and revitalized, as well as the skin of the forehead and brow.
Nose Reshaping
Nose reshaping also called a nose job, or rhinoplasty is a procedure done on the nose to give it a more symmetrical shape, or to improve breathing function. This procedure involves making incisions on the inside of the nostrils to access the underlying structures. Depending on which technique your surgeon uses, they may move the skin upwards so that they have complete access to the bone and cartilage underneath. This allows them to make whatever necessary changes to the shape or size of the nose before replacing the skin.
Call Us to Learn More
If you want to look as young as you feel, it’s time to see a plastic surgeon. Don’t keep living with your age showing, making you feel self-conscious every time you look in the mirror. Let the world see you as the vibrant and energetic soul that you are, and get a facelift with a skilled professional. It’s time for your youth to shine through.
For more information, or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Salas, give us a call at Salas Plastic Surgery in Miami, FL.
