The facelift is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures in the world today. And it’s not surprising, considering that a single session with the surgeon can leave you with smoother, tighter, and younger-looking skin. However, there are still many facelift misconceptions.
The internet is crowded with pictures of celebrities after their facelift and some of them look ‘artificial’ or ‘plastic’ which is usually the result of poorly-done cosmetic surgery.
This makes most patients wondering what to expect post-surgery. Well, there are many myths and misconceptions about facelifts floating around the internet, so let’s debunk a few.
1. A Facelift Will Make Me Look Artificial
It’s 2018. We live in a different era and gone are the days when the ‘plastic’ look sort of defined facelifts. That was the “trend” back in the 80s and the 90s and that’s what we saw on television. But those old-fashioned surgeries simply pulled the skin to the sides giving a super tight look.
Today, however, facelift procedures actually lift and tighten the underlying skin in a more natural way. Dr. Rosso learned these advanced techniques during his cosmetic surgery training in Park Avenue, NY. The result? Younger, firmer, tighter, and smooth skin that looks absolutely natural.
2. It’s Just For Vain People
Many individuals who truly wish to undergo the procedure hesitate because they believe that a facelift is only for vain people; those who wish to flaunt their looks.
Being vain and being happy with how you look is quite different and most patients actually opt for a facelift to satisfy the latter. If all it takes is a cosmetic procedure to boost your confidence and self-esteem, then why not? Many people are unhappy about how they look as they age, which sometimes doesn’t much how young they still feel, and this can cause a deep sense of dissatisfaction in their lives. A facelift is a straightforward solution.
3. A Facelift Needs To Be Done At The Right Age
As with most endeavors in life today, age is completely irrelevant when it comes to most cosmetic surgery procedures. However, many people believe that after retirement it really doesn’t matter whether you get a facelift or not.
But today people in their 40’s as well as in their 80’s are looking to get a facelift to improve their looks. Of course, before any procedure, a general health checkup needs to be conducted to ensure that your body will be able to handle it.
Another reason that people believe age plays a role is that there is a common misconception that your skin ages faster after a facelift. To make things clear, a facelift will give you younger looking skin but it cannot stop your skin from aging. So even after a facelift, your skin will continue to age the way it usually does.
4. Botox Does The Same Thing
Botox and many other injectable treatments have become popular due to the fact that they can rejuvenate the face without the patient having to go through surgery. Now, while Botox does take care of a few wrinkles and lines, it cannot replicate the effects of a facelift.
Botox is used primarily to treat ‘crow’s feet’ or the wrinkles found around the outer corner of your eyes. It cannot, however, treat sagging skin and loss of muscle tone.
A facelift is a far more comprehensive procedure and can deal with saggy skin and displaced fat in both the lower and middle areas of the face. In addition, the effects of a facelift are more natural than Botox which tends to simply ‘fill in’ the wrinkles and lines.
5. You Need To Keep Coming Back After The Procedure
We’ve already established that a facelift may not be a permanent solution since your skin will continue to age normally. Getting another facelift years after the first one depends on your lifestyle, income, and whether you feel the need for another surgery.
Botox and dermal fillers can help delay the aging of the skin after a facelift. You can also prolong the effects of a facelift by moisturizing regularly, applying sunscreen, and not be smoking. This will keep your face looking younger a lot longer.
So don’t go into a facelift procedure thinking that you’ll need to do it multiple times; it totally depends on how you take care of your skin.
6. Recovery is Painful
Back in the day, the facelift recovery process was actually quite unpleasant and patients would take between 6 to 8 weeks to fully recover.
Today, however, cosmetic procedures are quite advanced and a patient should recover completely within two to three weeks with minimal discomfort during the recovery period. Of course, this depends on how well you take care of your skin during the recovery period and your body’s natural capacity to heal. But two to three weeks after the procedure you should be ready to flaunt your newer, younger-looking face.
Choose Your Plastic Surgeon Wisely
Another benefit of availing this procedure today is that it’s quite inexpensive as improved techniques and technology have dropped facelift costs over the years. But as with every cosmetic procedure, it’s important that you spend time researching where to get your facelift done.
At Peninsula Plastic Surgery, Dr. Rosso offers a free cosmetic consult to any patient interested in learning more about what to expect after a facelift and what the procedure entails. Call us today at 310.326.3636 to make an appointment.