21 Jan Here’s Why You Don’t See Many People with Facelifts Anymore
Remember the 1990s and early aughts when facelifts were everywhere on television? You could tell by the pulled-back look and dramatically sharp eyebrows (though that would require a brow lift as well as a facelift). The reality is that facelifts are actually more popular than ever. Thanks to today’s techniques, like the one used for the mini facelift and deep plane facelift, these procedures are very natural-looking. At RefinedMD, double board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Sudeep Roy provides gorgeous results for facelifts and mini facelifts in San Jose, including the “ponytail facelift” that allows you to confidently walk with your hair pulled up even after having this procedure done.
We’ve come a long way in the world of facelifts, and that’s a great thing. Years ago, facelifts focused on just tightening the skin. This was achieved by trimming away excess skin with incisions behind the ears. Tightening the skin can certainly help get rid of wrinkles and sagging, but there’s more to the aging process than skin laxity. The face and neck age on multiple levels, well below the skin. Today’s techniques involve addressing the tissue imperfections below the surface and re-draping the skin for a natural outcome. Today’s incisions are also often hidden in the natural creases of the ears so they will never be visible to anyone but a trained professional actively looking for them. In some cases, incisions may be placed well within the hairline for optimal camouflage.
Understanding San Jose Facelifts
The term “facelift” can be confusing because the procedure doesn’t actually address the entire face. A facelift and mini facelift actually only target the lower half of the face and the neck. Most facelifts inherently include a necklift (it is only in rare cases that a patient is a good candidate for “just” a necklift). For those who want a more comprehensive outcome, combining a facelift or mini facelift with a brow lift and eyelid lift (lower and upper blepharoplasty) might be more appropriate. It is very common to combine these procedures, and they can usually be performed during the same surgery.
Still, for a lot of people, the lower half of the face and the neck are the first areas to show signs of aging. This can be visible as early as your 30s, which is the decade in which many patients start thinking about a mini facelift. A mini facelift is just what it sounds like: a smaller version of a full facelift. The incisions are fewer, which means the recovery time is shorter. A mini facelift can delay the desire or need for a full facelift by several years and is an ideal option for younger patients or those who simply don’t have advanced signs of facial and neck aging.
What to Expect with a Facelift
Thanks to the latest innovations in facelift and mini facelift approaches, the recovery period is much shorter than many people expect. The majority of facelift patients feel confident returning to most aspects of their daily lives about two weeks after their surgery. At this point, major swelling and bruising will have subsided. You will still be healing, but it won’t be obvious to those around you. You’ll be able to see what your final results will look like and be excited to show them off at this point (even if you prefer to stay discrete and not let anyone know you’ve “had something done”). Most patients are approved to return to full exercise, including intense cardio, six weeks after the surgery.
Bear in mind that it takes about six months to be considered “fully healed,” but most patients are thrilled with their results as soon as the initial recovery period is over. You may continue to see improvements in the six months following surgery, but they will be subtle. If you’d like to further enhance results, non-surgical options like chemical peels and laser skin resurfacing can be great options. A facelift doesn’t change the quality of the skin beyond laxity and wrinkles—so if you have hyperpigmentation, acne scarring, or other superficial concerns, this will require a non-surgical intervention.
Are you ready to learn more about facelifts and mini facelifts in San Jose? Schedule your consultation with Dr. Sudeep Roy at RefinedMD today. Call the office or, for the quickest response, complete the online contact form or start a chat today.