When it comes to facial surgery (facelifts) age is just a number. “How old should I be before I get a facelift?”…we hear that question all the time. However, your actual age has very little (or nothing) to do with your actual facial “aging”. What truly ages you is a combination of many factors including environmental, lifestyle and genes (you can either thank or curse your mom & dad now!). Actually even your sex and ethnicity play into this equation. Some patients may be ready for a facelift in their 40’s while others may be lucky enough to push it out to their 60’s.
Were you a ‘sun-worshipper’ in your youth? Do you smoke? Do you have thicker or thinner skin? All of these factors play into the aging process. People who live in sunnier regions tend to display characteristics of aging earlier and more pronounced than those who live in cooler climates and spend less time in the sun. People who smoke age faster and more dramatically than those who do not smoke and the quality of skin is often compromised. People who tend to stay very lean on the lower side of the BMI chart often look older than those in their age range on the higher range. As well, men and those with thicker skin (African Americans and some other ethnicities) tend to defy the aging process better than the ladies or ‘thinner skinned’ ethnicities.
When deciding to have a facelift you should really ask yourself what is it about your appearance you think “ages” you the most? Is sagging skin, hollows, “bags” under your eyes, uneven skintones, fine lines and wrinkles or all of the above? Different surgeries, or procedures work for different issues and sometimes a combination of surgery, medi-spa services and quality skin care products is the perfect prescription! The advanced technology and techniques used at The Plastic Surgery Center of Dallas makes the old school (too pulled) facelift a thing of the past. Also sometimes less is more…and a more conservative approach such as fillers (“liquid facelift”) and laser resurfacing (Co2 fractional peels) can do wonders to that reflection smiling back at you!
So, if you are considering a facelift don’t let the number of candles on your birthday cake guide your decision. Only you and your doctor can make a determination if a facelift (or alternative or combination) is right for you based on where you actually sit on the aging spectrum, what kind of aging is physically present and what your end desires and expectations may be.
