What is the right age for a facelift?

A new year often leads people to analyze their lives and make resolutions about what they wish to change. One of those resolutions might be to improve their self-image by enhancing their overall appearance with a facelift.

FORT MYERS, FLA., January 4, 2022 BY DR. STEPHEN PRENDIVILLE, GUEST COLUMNIST, USA TODAY NETWORK – A facelift is one of the most popular procedures to rejuvenate the face, but what age is best for this surgery? There is no one-size-fits-all for when is the right time. The condition of the skin, lifestyle and aging is individual to each person. Some people may look youthful into their 40s and 50s, while others might mistakenly look much older when they are in their 30s. Smokers, for example, tend to have wrinkles and sagging skin at an earlier age than someone who doesn’t smoke. Sun exposure accelerates the aging process. Genetics also play a role. If your mother had signs of early aging, you are more likely to experience the same outcome.

Women (and men too) in their later 30s and older who come to my office of- ten say they no longer feel like themselves. They look in the mirror and re- port that they look tired. Friends may even ask if they are getting enough sleep. Here are some signs that a facelift may be best:

• Sagging skin – Losing skin elasticity is a normal part of aging. Drooping skin around the neck and jawline will give away your age and make you look older than you really are.
• Deep creases – it is normal for the face to crease when laughing, but if those creases remain afterward, it is a sign that a cosmetic procedure may be needed. If the creases are along the nasal-labial fold line from the nose to the mouth, these can often be eliminated with injectable fillers like Juvederm, instead of a traditional facelift.
• Loss of definition in the chin and jawline – Some people are born with a weak chin that only gets worse with aging. A facelift combined with a chin implant may be the best option for them.
• A mini-facelift may be a better option – This technique utilizes limited incisions and is intended for individuals who only need to rejuvenate the appear- ance of the lower face.

The decision to have a facelift procedure is based primarily on aging indications but also on how those aging changes affect the individual. Both are requisites for considering a facelift, but presence of aging changes is more important than actual numerical age. I have performed facelifts on patients from their early 40s to their 80s based on these criteria.

Credentials have always been important when it comes to choosing a board- certified facial plastic surgeon, and they matter even more now. Board-certified facial plastic surgeons specialize in surgery of the face, head and neck. The American Academy of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery advises patients to conduct their own research be- fore scheduling a procedure.

“Finding the right, most qualified, physician to perform any procedure should ALWAYS be a patient’s first priority,” says Steve Jurich, CEO and Executive Vice President of the AAFPRS.

“Make sure the physician is qualified, experienced, and board-certified in the procedure that you are considering. If you are seeking a surgical procedure on the face, head, or neck, the AAFPRS always recommends that you select a surgeon who trained specifically in procedures of the face, head, and neck.”

Dr. Stephen Prendiville is a Florida Board-certified facial plastic surgeon with Quigley Eye Specialists and is the Medical Director of The Q iLASIK & Med Spa in north Naples and the Assuage Luxury Spa in Fort Myers. He specializes in facelifts, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, facial resurfacing and other facial cos- metic procedures. He will be conducting a free seminar January 14 at The Oxbow in downtown Fort Myers. To register, call 239-437-3900.