If you are looking for a way to relive your younger years, you might want to consider a facelift. Facelift surgeries are among the most popular cosmetic surgeries today. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, facelift surgery is the sixth most frequently performed cosmetic surgery in the United States only behind mainstream frontrunners such as the breast augmentation and liposuction surgeries. Facelift aims to counteract and improve the visible signs of aging.
What can a successful facelift surgery do for you?
A successful facelift surgery can help you relive your younger years and achieve a brighter smile. If your facial skin is sagging or if you have deep creases below your lower eyelids or along your nose, you can straighten it out with a single facelift session. Issues regarding loose skin and excess fat deposits can also be solved with a successful facelift surgery.
Nevertheless, it is important to remember that despite the things a successful facelift can do, the aging process can’t be stopped. Facelift surgeries cannot (and are not meant) to stop the aging process, it only aims to restore youth for a period of time.
How to know if you are good candidate for facelift?
Before undergoing the actual facelift surgery, you should make sure that you are a good candidate for facelift. Facelift is a good anti-aging option only if you are physically healthy, a non-smoker and if you have realistic goals on what you want to achieve after the procedure.
The trouble with majority of cosmetic surgeons nowadays especially those young and inexperienced ones is that they promise a whole lot, as if they have discovered and are the sole protectors of the mythical fountain of youth.
What to expect during your facelift consultation?
The final outcome of your facelift starts with the initial consultation with your cosmetic surgeon. When you are scheduled to meet with your chosen cosmetic surgeon, you should be prepared to discuss a number of vital topics like the reason why you want to go through the entire facelift process, your existing medical conditions as well as your entire medical history, medicines and prescriptions you are currently taking and previous surgeries that might affect the facelift surgery.
The cosmetic surgeon will then review your medical records and evaluate whether or not you are fit to undergo facelift. The cosmetic surgeon will also discuss facelift options (as there are many different types of facelift) and the most likely and realistic result of a successful facelift surgery.
You should also be prepared to ask questions critical and relevant to the procedure.
How to prepare for your facelift treatment?
Due importance should be given to your facelift preparation. You need not to worry however, as your cosmetic surgeon will clearly instruct the things that you should do and those that you should not. Your cosmetic surgeon will tell you exactly what to do the night and the morning before the surgery.
As much as possible, you should avoid smoking well in advance of your facelift surgery. You must also avoid taking aspirin or any other anti-inflammatory drugs.
How is facelift done?
In a traditional facelift surgery, the exact procedure that stems from Dr. Eugen Hollander’s first successful facelift in 1901, an incision is made in front of the ear and up into the hairline. The next step in the facelift process is the separation of the outer skin to the deeper facial tissues. Facial skin will then be redraped, with the excess being removed.
The amount of skin that shall be removed from your face depends on the judgment of your cosmetic surgeon that is why it is important to choose a competent and experienced medical professional.
Risks and complications associated with facelift
Your cosmetic surgeon should explain the risks and complications associated with facelift. Some of these include unfavorable scarring, excessive bleeding or hematoma, infection or poor wound healing, excess loss of facial skin (especially if your cosmetic surgeon is inexperienced), skin discoloration and irregularities and temporary numbness among others.
You must follow your cosmetic surgeon’s instructions and allocate sufficient downtime and recovery period before going back to regular activities – usually one week.
How much will facelift surgery cost?
The cost of a successful facelift surgery differs from state to state. In New York for example, a single facelift session can cost up to $15,000 while the same procedure can be performed in Panama for just around $2,500. The expertise and experience of your cosmetic surgeon also plays a role in how much will your facelift surgery cost.
Obviously, more experienced cosmetic surgeons charge higher fees.
How to choose a cosmetic surgeon for your facelift?
Choosing a cosmetic surgeon for your facelift surgery is very important. You should choose only a cosmetic surgeon who is a licensed member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons or ASPS. An ASPS member has at least five years of surgical training under his belt, trained for all sorts of cosmetic surgeries and adheres to a strict code of ethics.
Some important questions to ask your cosmetic surgeon
As further highlighted above, you should choose only an ASPS-licensed cosmetic surgeon. Hence, the most important question that you should ask is whether or not your cosmetic surgeon is a member of the ASPS. Additionally, you can also ask him to provide specifics with regards to his surgical training and experience. Asking for testimonials from previous patients might also help you arrive at a better and more informed decision.
