As men and women age the muscles of the face become weaker and slacker, and the skin becomes less elastic. The acquisition of wrinkles is inevitable but how prevalent they are depends on many factors. Genetics plays a major role but environmental factors, such as excessive sunbathing, smoking, pollution, gaining and then losing a substantial amount of weight, all take their toll.
Worry and stress create lines that portray tiredness and greater age to the outside world, with deep creases between eyebrows, and between the nose and mouth. Even laughter lines around the eyes can become too deep for comfort. Additionally, fat redistributes itself under the skin of the jawline and the neck, with the skin sagging resulting in a slack, jowly jaw, and a flabby neck.
All of these can be corrected by facelift surgery, with the best results gained from people whose face and neck have begun to show signs of ageing but whose skin is still fairly elastic. A good bone structure which defines the face shape well is also a great asset, increasing the success of a cosmetic surgery facelift. Many people decide on a facelift between the ages of forty and sixty, although people in their eighties also have the operation. The effects of face lift can last about ten years, if the patient is careful to avoid excessive sun exposure, smoking, and weight loss afterwards.
A facelift can also be performed on part of the face, such as the brow area, the lower face, or the neck area only. Alternatively, a full face lift is available, and further procedures such as eyelid surgery may be done at the same time to reduce droopy eyelids or eye ‘bags’ underneath the eyes.
There are some alternatives to facelift surgery, such as laser facial resurfacing, tissue augmentation, anti-wrinkle injections and chemical peels. Before deciding which treatment is best suited to your needs you should consult your doctor or surgeon and obtain detailed facelift surgery information specific to your facial make-up and situation.
