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What’s The Best Age For A Facelift?

As we age, it’s inevitable that we start to see unwanted changes to our face that make us look older than we feel or act. Common signs of facial aging are loss of skin elasticity, loss of volume, some bony loss. All of these contribute to the sagging tissue we don’t want to see in ourselves. In the past, the only effective option was a facelift. However, today there are various other options that can help rejuvenate your face without surgery. But these can only do so much. At some point, a facelift is the best option to rejuvenate your face. But what age is that?

Your Facelift Options

The short answer is, “it depends.” The first question to answer is does your sagging face bother you? If yes, then the question then should lead to what are your options. Currently, we can use fillers to revolumize your face, as well as achieve some lift. For many patients, this is an effective option in the early stages of facial aging. But there’s a limit to what fillers can do. Inject too much, and you’ll look unnatural. Almost every patient that comes to us for these treatments will add comment, “but I don’t want to look fake.” In addition to fillers, there are some energy based technologies such as radiofrequency with or without microneedling, laser assisted liposuction, ultrasound energy, and others that aim to tighten your tissue. These are reasonable options, as long as you understand they can’t achieve the same dramatic results as surgery. I like to tell my patients they typically can achieve 20-30% of what surgery can do. If the patient is happy with this degree of improvement, then these devices can be useful, primarily because there is much less downtime and risks compared to surgery. Recently, threading treatments have been introduced to the market. The idea is to tunnel a special absorbable thread with barbed ends under your skin. Then the thread is pulled to retract sagging tissue. I’m not a fan of this technique because I don’t believe in blindly passing a thread/suture under your skin and pulling. The biomechanics aren’t as effective as surgery. I’m not confident the results last long either. After considering all these options, you may find that a facelift is the best option for you. A good facelift will achieve fantastic results and will last about 10 years. If you then decide to get a facelift, a follow up question may be how old do you need to be.

Every Facelift Is Different

As I mentioned, the answer will depend on several factors. The key question is the state of your health. This is probably the most important because this answer basically determines when you can get surgery. You have to be in good health and have active lifestyle. You should not have any major cardiac or respiratory problems. Any issues like diabetes or high blood pressure need to be well controlled before surgery. You can’t have any bleeding disorders. Also, you can’t be smoking—smoking significantly raises complication risks. If you do smoke, you must stop for at least 2 months. You also need to be at your target weight. If you’re actively losing weight, or engaged in a weight loss regimen, a facelift should be delayed until you reach stable weight.

Aging Gracefully

As you can see, I have not mentioned a specific age—either minimum or maximum. If you’re healthy and active and are 80 or 90 years old, you can have a facelift. Not only must you be healthy enough, you need to have the right motivation. It can’t be because your family or friends criticize you for your looks. If you’re content with your look, then there’s no need for facelift. But if you’re bothered all the time because you look old yet you are still active, then a facelift is appropriate even at that age. If you’re younger and aren’t happy with the early jowling you see, and you don’t want to spend money on fillers every year, then a mini facelift may be a great option. A mini facelift will rejuvenate you nicely, but the results may last around 5 years. While extremely rare for someone in their 20-30’s to get facelift, there are some isolated indications when a facelift might be considered. For example, a limited facelift can help improve acne scars.

So to answer this question, there is no mandatory age to have a facelift. There is no cutoff age for a facelift. The answer to what age to get a facelift will depend on your health and your motivations. It’s crucial you see a board certified facial plastic in order to properly evaluate and answer your questions.

Dr. Kenneth Yu Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is a qualified team of experts serving the San Antonio, Texas area. To schedule a consultation, call our Concierge Patient Coordinator at (210) 876-6868.