Choosing to have a facelift doesn't come without fears and uncertainties. Any time you agree to surgery, you're going to experience some level of anxiety. Having someone operate on your face can be a very scary! It's the only face you have, and want to come through any procedure looking natural, younger, and feeling more beautiful.
Dr. Fan has performed hundreds of facelifts for satisfied patients, and believes getting natural results from a facelift is not only possible but should be expected. You should have complete confidence in your surgeon and the procedure chosen specifically for you.
How To Get a Natural-Looking Facelift
While every person is different, and a natural-looking facelift can often be achieved by getting the right surgeon, here are five keys to ensuring you get the best, natural looking results.
1. Be a Good Candidate
Sadly, some less respectable surgeons will perform almost any operation, just to make money. Usually, it's these surgeons who's patients end up with the windswept look, because they were never a good candidate for a facelift from the beginning.
Before you go under the knife, you should know what is going to be done, and the results you should expect. If you choose a reputable surgeon, he will qualify you for a procedure before offering it as a possibility.
Make sure you choose a surgeon who is honest enough to say no if a facelift is not a good fit for you.
Good facelift candidates are healthy and mentally stable people. It's important that potential facelift patients are non-smokers and avoid all forms of nicotine at least three weeks before and after the operation. Smoking and nicotine can increase the risks of unnecessary complications following your surgery and jeopardize the results.
Good candidates for facelifts are usually concerned about:
- Sagging skin on the jawline.
- Lost facial volume in the cheeks.
- Loss of muscle tone, resulting in jowls.
- A double chin caused by loose skin and excess fat under the chin.
- Creases and bands in the neck.
2. Lift Muscle and Tissue, Not Just Skin
The stretched look all patients fear comes from the old-fashioned facelift, which involved only pulling the skin tight. Muscle and tissue under the skin also sags, which means, under the old way, the skin is holding all the weight. This creates an unnatural, tight, windswept look. This type of "facelift" also puts a lot of pressure on the incisions, causing scars to be more noticeable.
Beware of some branded lifts that offer the results of a facelift for less money and in less time. These "facelifts" often promise natural-looking results, but the technique is rushed, and the deep tissues that should be lifted are ignored.
Today, qualified surgeons are lifting the muscle and tissue under the skin, then removing excess skin, rather than stretching it. This results in a much more natural looking facelift.
3. Properly Evaluate Your Surgeon
You should have full confidence in the doctor who is operating on your face. They should be reputable, produce proven, high-quality results, and have a long list of satisfied patients.
One way to evaluate a surgeon is to view before/after photo galleries of their facelift operations. This will give you a good indication of how natural the results are from the patients who have come in before you.
Some Things to Look For:
- Stretched or distorted skin
- Visible Scarring
- Changes in the hairline
- Changes in the position of the ears
- Does the neck look smooth and sculpted?
- The eyes, are there deep hollows around the eyes?
- Excessively high brows
- Abnormal facial motion
You should also keep in mind that results are often reflected in pricing. A more expensive doctor doesn't necessarily mean they are more qualified than others, but you shouldn't expect deep discounts for a highly skilled surgeon who produces great, natural-looking results.
4. Choose the Right Procedure
Every face is not created equally, and every wrinkle or sag should not be treated with a cookie-cutter procedure.
You and your doctor need to choose the right procedure, or procedures, for your specific goals and anatomy. Every patient has unique anatomy, and your facelift needs to be just as unique as you are.
Be careful of surgeons that perform the same facelift for every patient. Find a surgeon who will evaluate you and make a diagnosis that fits you individually and will produce the natural results that your desire.
5. Follow Post-Operative Instructions
You should ask your doctor about what to expect in the days and weeks following your facelift. Following instructions is a crucial factor in getting those natural results you're after.
It's important that your body heal properly and that incisions don't experience any undue stress. The facial tissue is fragile following surgery and even the best results still need time to fixate during the healing process.
Ensuring a Natural Looking Facelift
In addition to these keys to getting natural results, you need a doctor that you can trust. Find a surgeon that not only has the skill and photo proof that he can perform natural looking facelifts but one who will honestly qualify you for the procedure you are looking to have done. Your doctor should be able to make recommendations based on the results you want and the procedures that best provide those for you.
Dr. Fan understands that each patient deserves to be treated as an individual, and should be able to expect natural looking results from any cosmetic procedure. If you think you would make a good candidate for a facelift, you may be interested in taking a free, virtual consultation from the comfort of your home.
