When you’re bothered by signs of facial aging, you want to erase them as quickly and completely as possible. But which method do you choose? Is a face-lift the best option for early sagging?
You may worry, too, that you’re too young to get a face-lift and should content yourself with noninvasive rejuvenation such as lasers and fillers. However, no matter your chronological age, it’s your skin quality, more than anything else, that determines when a face-lift is in order.
At The Center for Dermatology Cosmetic & Laser Surgery in Mount Kisco, New York, our team of expert dermatologists is dedicated to helping you find the best aesthetic choices to help you reach your goals.
Is your skin the right age for a face-lift? Answer the following questions to find out.
How severe is your sagging?
If your primary trouble is wrinkling and you don’t have any sagging skin, you’re too young for a face-lift.
Wrinkled skin is usually the result of sun damage. You may benefit from laser treatments or even chemical peels, which remove dead skin and stimulate healing to resolve scars as well as fine lines and wrinkles.
When you have some sagging but don’t have jowls or a turkey neck, you may benefit from other methods. Lasers not only smooth out the surface of your skin but also tighten it. If you’d like still more improvement, we can rebuild the contours and volume in your skin with dermal fillers.
However, when you have jowls, your cheeks look sunken, and you have a sagging chin or neck, the only way to get dramatic improvement is with a face-lift. Still not sure? You could benefit from a mini face-lift, which only lifts the lower face.
How thick is your skin?
If your skin is thick and robust, you might get the rejuvenation you want with noninvasive methods that pump up collagen production, such as lasers and even microneedling or facials.
Once your skin becomes extremely thin or dry, it won’t have the resources to create youthful levels of collagen and elastin again. Also, thin skin lacks fat. Fat helps keep youthful skin looking plump and tight.
Thin skin, especially skin that’s dry, may still benefit from laser treatments to smooth away wrinkles and add volume. But to get the lasting lift you long for, you need a surgical face-lift.
Do you want a long-term fix?
Lasers and fillers are a great way to stay looking young for decades longer than your peers. However, they’re also a high-maintenance way to revive your appearance.
In most cases, you need a touch-up laser treatment every year or so. Fillers need to be replaced every 6-24 months. A well-executed and maintained face-lift, however, can last 10 years or more.
Are you ready for the ‘wow’ factor?
Most noninvasive rejuvenation methods make you look like you’ve suddenly been endowed with amazing health and energy. In fact, if anyone marvels at your changed appearance, they probably attribute it to a spa vacation, better diet, or a new haircut.
A face-lift, however, takes this sense of restoration and improved health to the next level. Although it should always look natural (never tight or strained), you may get a few second looks as people you know try to figure out why you suddenly look so healthy, youthful, and glowing.
The “wow” factor extends to you too. You feel it each time you look in the mirror and find the face you remember beaming back at you, lifted, natural, and years younger.
Are you too young for a face-lift? If you’re still not sure, we can help you decide. Reach out to our helpful team by phone or online form for a facial rejuvenation evaluation today.