For many women and men, taking active steps to maintain a youthful appearance is a standard part of their self-care routine. While the best anti-aging strategies will always be frequent exercise, optimal nutrition, and regular preventive health care, it isn’t possible to stop the clock completely.
Genetics, environmental factors, and hormonal changes all contribute to the eventual development of wrinkles, fine lines, and loose, saggy skin. When self-care strategies are no longer providing the youthful vibrancy you desire, you may find yourself considering facelift surgery.
“What’s the best age to get a facelift?” is one of the questions we hear most often at the Aesthetic Surgery Center in San Francisco. Although there’s no specific age that applies to everyone, considering specific factors, including your facial anatomy, genetic influences, and lifestyle, can help you determine when facelift surgery is right for you.
Facelift surgery objectives
Cosmetic facelift surgery is widely considered the gold standard for comprehensive, long-term facial rejuvenation. The procedure, which focuses on the bottom two-thirds of your face, is designed to address the loose, saggy facial skin caused by natural aging and reconstruct a more youthful contour along your cheeks, jowls, jawline, and neck.
If you’re considering a facelift, chances are you’re after two things: you’d like to see a more youthful and rested-looking face in the mirror every day, and you’d like your results to last as long as possible.
In the past, the vast majority of facelift patients were in their mid to late 50s. Today, people are opting to have facelifts both earlier and later than ever before. There are specific benefits to early maintenance, or getting a facelift in your 40s or 50s, just as there are specific benefits to later correction, or a getting a facelift sometime in your 60s.
Early maintenance facelifts
Noticeable signs of aging typically start to appear in your late 30s or early 40s, as your body decreases its production of collagen and elastin, the proteins that give your skin its strength, texture, and shape.
When these biological changes are amplified by the premature aging effects of sun damage and certain lifestyle habits, such as smoking, you may start to notice facial changes like fine lines, wrinkles, deflated cheeks, and loose, saggy skin.
You can think of aging as a cumulative process that’s ongoing and progressively noticeable. If you invest in a cosmetic facelift before these early signs of aging have a chance to become more advanced, you’re more likely to achieve optimal results.
Facelift surgery can help you look 7-10 years younger, and when you have a facelift during your younger years, your results can be especially dramatic. Your skin is more elastic when you’re in your 40s and 50s than it is later on, and your body has a greater capacity for rapid healing and recovery.
Later correction facelifts
There are a variety of reasons women and men wait until their 60s before considering facelift surgery. If you’ve got great genes or you’ve always done your best to keep out of the sun, stay active, eat a healthy diet, and avoid habits that cause premature aging, you may not have noticed significant signs of aging until you reached your late 50s or early 60s.
In your later years, surgical facial rejuvenation can give you the boost in confidence you need to continue leading a vibrant, full life.
Although you can generally expect to heal more slowly from any type of surgery as you age, your genetics, overall health, lifestyle, and adherence to post-surgery protocols have as much impact on your recovery rate as your biological cell turnover rate.
The bottom line
Facelift surgery has benefited countless adults of all ages. Deciding when the procedure is right for you requires taking stock of your aesthetic goals as well as your health, emotional readiness, time, and ongoing commitment to periodic maintenance.
The ideal facelift candidate is healthy going into the procedure, has a positive attitude and realistic expectations, and can take enough time away from work and other obligations to heal and recover properly.
If you’re ready to learn more about the benefits of cosmetic facelift surgery, we’re here to help. Call our San Francisco office today, or schedule a consultation online any time.