When a person does not like how they look, it has an effect on their self-esteem. How about you? How do you feel about what you see when you look at yourself in the mirror? Are there certain aspects of your appearance you would like to change? If so, it is nothing to be ashamed of. Many people feel exactly the same. This is why surgical procedures such as a facelift are so popular. Let’s take a few minutes and examine the benefits of having this cosmetic procedure.

Add Definition to Your Neck and Tighten Loose Skin

Getting older is no fun. As we age, our appearance changes. Our face starts to sag, we develop wrinkles, and our skin starts to droop. These changes can make us feel like we are so much older than we really are. There’s nothing worse than having someone guess your age wrong and think that you are five or six years older than what you really are.

What are your complaints about your aging face? If you are like most people, one of the things you don’t like is the loose skin underneath your chin and your neck. Some people try to hide this problem by wearing turtlenecks, sweaters, or a scarf. Or they are so ashamed of the way they look that they avoid taking photographs at all costs. However, after having a facelift, they are happier with the way they look.

Some people feel that the most unattractive feature they have are their jowls. After having a facelift, your jowls may be removed forever. You will be left with a sleeker jawline. Your profile will look sharp, and you won’t have to feel embarrassed of your jowls anymore.

Loose skin is often associated with getting older. When a person first starts to notice their skin beginning to sag, they may use anti-aging creams. The benefits they get from anti-aging creams are minimal. With time, people move on to dermal fillers.

For a period of time, dermal fillers will produce noticeable results. Still, your loose skin will get to a point where no amount of filler is going to be enough. With a facelift, your skin is tightened. Neck and facial muscles are also tightened. The result is a natural-looking improvement in the appearance of your face. All of this is done without giving you a windblown look. Your face will not look tight or pinched. At the end of the day, you will look well rested and younger. A modern-day facelift is designed to restore your natural beauty. Thanks to advances in the techniques used during this procedure, you will not have as long a post-surgical recovery as those who may have had a similar procedure a decade ago.

One of the biggest fears that people have about having a facelift is that when it’s all said and done they will look unrecognizable. They worry they are going to look windblown. They are terrified that friends and family members are going to know that they have had a surgical procedure done.

To be fair, society’s view of cosmetic surgical procedures has drastically changed in the past few years. They have gone from being something that was completely taboo to something that many people are proud to say that they have had done. A lot of this has to do with changes in the way people view beauty.

Still, in many circles, having a cosmetic procedure done is something that is whispered instead of shouted from the rooftops. Modern-day facelift techniques mean that you will be able to retain your unique appearance. Any surgical openings made are going to be hidden in your hairline. No one will know that you had a surgical procedure unless you tell them. When they look at you, they are going to see is someone who is well rested. They are going to see someone who looks more confident. They are going to see a naturally younger version of who you are.

Will the Procedure Actually Make Me Look Younger?

Yes – that is the whole purpose of the procedure. What will vary is how much younger the procedure will make you look. The variance occurs because everyone is unique and everyone’s face is unique. Some people have facial features that can be clearly defined with plastic surgery.

When your surgeon performs your facelift procedure, the goal is to help you achieve a rejuvenated and youthful appearance and give your face a sense of symmetry. All of this is done while simultaneously keeping your facial landmarks in place.

Over the years, there have been a number of studies done that show that people are significantly happy with their appearance after having a facelift. The happiness comes not only from the physical enhancement, but it also comes from the effect that the enhancement has on a person’s emotional, social, and mental well-being.

Studies have shown that when a person has a facelift they may be able to take as much as 10 years off of their perceived appearance. One study that was done by Canadian and US researchers showed that on average patients who had this procedure done looked 8.9 years younger than their perceived age.

The study was done by taking a photograph of 60 patients waiting to have a facelift performed. They were photographed again after their surgery and recovery. The before and after photographs were than shown to a random group of people.

The group of random people were asked to guess the age of the individuals in the photographs they were looking at. When they saw the before pictures, most guessed that the person they were looking at was 1.7 years younger than their actual age. When they were shown the after pictures, they guessed that the individuals they were looking at were approximately 8.9 years younger than their actual age.

The research is clear. If a facelift is well executed, it has the possibility to take up to 10 years off of a person’s perceived appearance. In essence, this procedure can turn back the clock one decade. Imagine the impact a procedure like this could have on your self-esteem. Imagine what it would feel like to have your loose or sagging skin disappear. Imagine how you will feel when you look at yourself in the mirror and see a face that now appears more youthful.

If these results are not startling enough, something that has surprised many is that when a photograph of an individual who had a facelift was shown five years later, people still felt that the individual’s age was younger than what it actually was when the individual first had the procedure.

What Happens During the Facelift Procedure?

The first step is the administration of anesthesia. You are given this medication so you are comfortable as you go through the surgical procedure. After the anesthesia has been administered, your surgeon will make the surgical openings. The locations of these will vary depending on the style of facelift your surgeon is going to carry out. In most cases, openings will start at the hairline at the temples and go around the ears. They will finish up at the lower scalp. These openings give your surgeon access to sculpt fat or redistribute fat on your face.

Your surgeon will use this time to redistribute jowls and their underlying tissue. If needed, your surgeon will tighten and lift the muscle layers in your face. Once everything is in place, your skin is draped over your face, and the excess skin is trimmed away. If you are having work done on your neck, your surgeon may make an incision underneath the chin to work on this area. Once this is done, the openings will be sealed and the procedure completed.

Finally, there is the recovery process. When the procedure is complete, your surgeon will apply a bandage around your face with the goal of minimizing swelling. They are going to give you specific instructions on how to care for your face in the days following the procedure.

Most people are able to go back in public in as little as two weeks. You should expect it to take a couple of months for your face to look and feel completely normal. During this recovery time, you should maintain a healthy lifestyle and stay out of the sun. The final results of your surgery should leave you looking youthful and rested. It should help you feel more confident in yourself.

Am I a Good Candidate?

At the end of the day, deciding whether or not to have a facelift is a personal decision. However, sitting down and talking to your cosmetic surgeon before your procedure is a good way to determine whether or not you are a good candidate for this procedure.

Since this is a surgical procedure, you need to be in good overall health. This is why we will ask you a number of questions about pre-existing medical conditions. Your body needs to be healthy in order to recover from it quickly. The healthier you are at the outset, the quicker you are going to be back to your everyday routine.

One factor that we are going to consider is the condition of your skin. Ideally, you want your skin to be flexible and elastic. Your skin should be able to bounce back when pinched. This is one of the reasons smokers are asked to stop smoking for a number of months before the procedure.

In addition to the health factors and the structure of your face, there are emotional factors that come into play. To be a good candidate for this procedure, you need to have a realistic expectation for what this procedure can do. There is no question that a facelift can change your life. It can make you a more confident individual and take years off of your perceived age. That said, you are still going to be you after the surgery. If you don’t have a realistic idea of what the surgery can do for you, you may walk away from it feeling disappointed.

Get In Touch with Us for More Information

We have only briefly discussed the amazing benefits of a facelift. Would you like to learn more about how it has the possibility to improve your appearance, boost your self-esteem, and get you back to being the person you were before the aging process robbed you of your good looks? If so, feel free to make an appointment with The Plastic Surgery Center. At our convenient locations in Sarasota and Bradenton, FL, we look forward to discussing this phenomenal procedure with you. Contact us today to set up your consultation!