Your face is one of the first things people notice about you, and it’s also the first place to show the signs of aging. This unfortunate combination sends many people searching for a Fountain of Youth. Many seek nonsurgical options such as Botox and fillers, but facelifts (rhytidectomies) are still the golden standard for rejuvenating facial appearance. Despite the rising popularity of facelifts, however, there are still many myths and misconceptions about this procedure. Below we’ll debunk six of the most popular myths about facelifts.
Myth 1: There’s only one type of facelift.
No two people have the same facial anatomy and characteristics. Therefore, each person will have different goals they want to achieve through a facelift procedure. In order to address different concerns, each facelift is customized to target your problem areas such as sagging skin, jowls, a double chin, or excess fat. Many people also benefit from adding a brow lift or eyelid surgery to their facelift procedure.
There are 3 basic types of facelift we perform here at Mia Aesthetics:
- Full Facelifts: During a full facelift, we pull together multiple procedures as needed to address issues in the lower- and mid-face as well as the neck.
- Lower Facelifts: Lower facelifts concentrate on the lower portion of the face and target the area around the mouth, jaw, and neck.
- Mini Facelifts: During a mini facelift, the surgeon makes a small incision around the ear and uses it to tighten the skin overall. This works well when the signs of aging are just beginning.
Myth 2: Botox and filler can achieve the same results as a facelift.
“Liquid facelifts” combine fillers and other injectables to help rejuvenate the face by relaxing wrinkles and filling in areas where there is a loss of volume. These methods can admittedly deliver fantastic results, but they can’t address problems with the underlying muscle, loose skin, or fat displacement.
The effects of these treatments also have a much shorter lifespan than that of a surgical facelift. A facelift won’t stop the aging process, but it can deliver results that last for 7 to 10 years. Botox and fillers need to be redone about once every 12 to 16 weeks.
Myth 3: Facelifts are only for women.
Women aren’t the only ones wanting to fight the signs of aging. More and more men are turning to facelifts to refresh their appearance. Men usually want to restore a more masculine jawline and get rid of tired, sagging skin. So much so that, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, facelifts among men increased 19% between 2000 and 2020. Plastic surgery for men has really become a more common and accepted thing nowadays.
Myth 4: Facelift results look unnatural.
We won’t try to convince you that bad facelifts never happen, but they don’t happen on our watch. We’ve all seen people whose facelifts are so tight they look permanently surprised. We can also all agree that this isn’t a good look. Unfortunately, celebrities who have undergone botched procedures get more attention than successful cases, so facelifts now have a negative connotation.
Unnatural facelifts used to happen because surgeons had yet to find ways to address issues under the skin. Now, bad facelifts happen when the surgeon removes too much skin, pulls the skin too tight, or lacks the skill to properly adjust the facial muscles. At Mia Aesthetics, however, our highly skilled surgeons perform facelifts with natural results every day and settle for nothing less.
Myth 5: Facelift recovery is long and painful.
With today’s medical advancements, facelift recovery is shorter and less painful than it was in the past. Today, the procedure is done on an outpatient basis and pain medication can help you control any discomfort. The discomfort associated with a facelift feels like a deep bruising and is usually easy to manage. It should also last only for 2 to 4 days, during which time you should feel better every day. So long as you follow your post-op instructions, you will experience a comfortable recovery and help ensure you get your dream results.
Myth 6: Only older women get facelifts.
It’s true that many people seek out a facelift when they are age 40 or older, as this is when the aging process usually starts to show. There is no minimum age requirement for the procedure, however. Things like smoking and sun exposure can cause the skin to age prematurely. If yours has, a facelift may be able to help even if you are still young. Facelifts for people 35 or under are rare but not unheard of.