Let's Face It: Facelifts Work

Let’s Face It: Facelifts Work

I come from a plastic surgery family. It’s no surprise that while growing up the people in my family had a procedure (or two…ok or more). I’m from Dallas, one of the biggest meccas of plastic surgery in the world. Now my wife, she grew up in the North. Plastic Surgery wasn’t the same there. And what she knew of the field of plastics was the big boob/facelift type. Oh and those monstrous lips! The type of facelift where the person is so tight and unrecognizable it just looks like it hurts. And you can tell they had it done. It’s not demure (trend, anyone?).

There is a stigma with plastic surgery in general which has relaxed quite a bit in the past decade, but there is more so of one with facelifts still. Let’s demystify the facelift because they work–the procedure can make you look more rested, youthful, and can smooth wrinkles as well as add volume in areas that gravity and aging leave us looking sunken and hollow. 

As we age, our skin naturally loses its elasticity which leads to wrinkles, sagging, and a loss of those youthful contours. This is where a facelift can help. A facelift or rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure designed to reduce the visible signs of aging on the face. The traditional facelift involves making incisions around the hairline and ears to lift and tighten the underlying tissues. Fat grafting can be added to increase volume naturally under the eyes or in the lips (two places that we show signs of aging through fat loss). A blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) can be added as well to the upper or lower eye area to treat excess skin that can lead to vision impairment from the skin pressing down on the eye. Typically a necklift is also added with a facelift. 

A mini facelift is a less invasive option with incisions that are smaller in size and targets the lower face, jawline, and sometimes the neck–the jowls. I have seen an increasing number of these in my practice in Plano, TX. The mini facelift targets a younger patient (30s-50s) who are beginning to notice more effects of aging. 

With advances in surgical techniques and training, I am proud to say that facelifts have come a long way since their beginning in 1901 where Eugen Hollander began the craft. Now we aim for natural looking results, where the patient still looks like themself and leaves you guessing–did they or didn’t they? And how do they look so good?

My final point about facelifts is when you are considering the surgery to seek out a board certified plastic surgeon for a consultation. Don’t take chances with your face.