What a Facelift Does and Doesn’t Do for You

The facelift has generated a reputation for being the go-to facial anti-aging procedure, but it’s not the whole story when it comes to facial rejuvenation. Men and women considering a facelift at our plastic surgery practice in Austin are often looking to turn back the clock on their face as a whole, and the truth is that a facelift can’t do that all on its own. There are better ways to address certain features, and when combined with a facelift, the result is even more effective than the sum of its parts.

This blog post will clarify what a facelift is designed to correct and which areas of the face it doesn’t address.

A Facelift Does:

• Minimize sagging in the cheeks and jawline. A facelift improves facial sagging from the cheeks to the jowls. This creates a younger appearance in the lower two-thirds of the face, where most people see signs of aging. By reshaping the tissues in this region, the surgery works to return your facial structure to the way it looked 10 or so years ago.
• Reduce the appearance of wrinkles and folds on the lower face. Facelifts correct deeper tissues and smooth the skin without pulling it excessively tight, creating a natural-looking result. This produces a longer-lasting improvement than those achieved by less invasive alternatives such as thread lifts. Learn more about the downfalls of these alternatives in our previous blog post.
• Diminish excess fat in the lower cheeks and jowl area. This fat reduction promotes a more attractive, youthful face shape. This slimmed “V-line” face shape gives the appearance of youth more than the square shape that often develops throughout the aging process.

A Facelift Does Not:

• Change your fundamental appearance. A facelift doesn’t change your bone structure, so you will still look like you after the surgery. Instead of looking like a different person altogether, you will look like a younger, more vibrant version of yourself.
• Stop the aging process. While a facelift essentially turns back the clock, it doesn’t prevent future signs of aging from developing. You still may develop lines and wrinkles in the future. A facelift also won’t address the quality of your skin. That is best addressed with custom skincare treatments, such as laser skin rejuvenation.
• Rejuvenate the eyes, brow, and forehead. These areas are most effectively treated with brow and eyelid surgery, which is commonly combined with facelifts, or injectables, such as BOTOX® Cosmetic and dermal fillers.
• Address significant sagging or vertical banding on the neck. People often combine a facelift with a neck lift to rejuvenate this area as well.

Of course, while these pointers can serve as basic guidelines, it’s always best to consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon to determine which procedure or combination of procedures would be most beneficial to you.

To see examples of the results you can expect from a facelift at Synergy Plastic Surgery, please visit our before-and-after photo gallery.

If you would like to learn more about facelift and other facial plastic surgery procedures here in Austin, TX, please contact us online or call (512) 244-1439.