Is a Facelift Forever?

Facelift surgery can do many things: tighten up your jaw, reduce lines and wrinkles, improve the contour of your lower face, and even leave your skin looking smooth and firm again. For many patients, facelift surgery takes up to 10 years off the face. While it’s nice to set the clock back a little bit, a facelift can’t freeze time. You will continue to age in the years that follow your procedure and there’s nothing that can stop it. However, there are things that you can do for yourself that will slow down the aging process and buy you more time to enjoy the results of your facelift.

Facelift After-Care Is the First Step

After your surgery is over, you’ll be sent home with a list of dos and don’ts to help you recover successfully. Not only will taking special care of yourself speed your recovery, but it can also help you to ensure your very best results. After all, you don’t want to throw away the time and money spent on your life-changing procedure, do you? Make taking care of yourself a priority; that’s the best thing you can do to get the results you want.

In order to have a successful facelift recovery, take these steps in advance to allow yourself the time you’ll need to rest and relax:

  • Arrange for someone to drive you to and from your surgery
  • Take care of your errands before the day of your facelift
  • Stock up on groceries, prescription medications, vitamins, and any other supplies before your surgery day arrives
  • Designate a comfortable space and set it up with pillows, blankets, and anything else you may need during your recovery
  • Plan ahead for help with child care and pet care during the first critical week of your recovery
  • Don’t make plans to do anything strenuous or vigorous. Skip this year’s volleyball tournament or pass on helping a friend move. You can’t heal if you’re stressing your body.

Maintaining Results After Your Recovery

The only person who has any say in how your body ages is you, since you’re the one caring for it. Once your recovery period is finished and you’re adjusting to life with your brand-new younger face, it’s time to work towards a healthy skincare routine that will preserve your facelift results and delay aging as much as possible.

Stay focused on your inner health, first and foremost. By sticking to a well-balanced diet and regular exercise routine, you’ll keep your inner body functions working well. Your skin will reflect your inner health as a result. The same is true of drinking enough water. Aim for six to eight glasses of water each day to keep your body, and your skin, well-hydrated and looking fresh.

Care for your skin too by investing in good quality skincare products with the right ingredients to care for your skin’s unique needs. If you’re not sure where to start, talk to your surgeon about what ingredients to look for. Use a cleanser and moisturizer every day, twice a day, and add a gentle exfoliating scrub into your weekly routine. In addition, you should always wear sunscreen to cut down on your exposure to the harmful rays of the sun, UVA and UVB. Exposure to UVA can break down the skin cells and cause premature aging, making it especially dangerous to your skin’s health. UVB rays are the ones that cause sunburns, but this too can result in negative effects like hyperpigmentation and age spots.

Finally, keep an open mind about the possibility of touch-up procedures to help you look your best in the years to come. Put off a second facelift by turning to other procedures, like facial fat transfers or injectable dermal fillers. Develop a treatment plan with your plastic surgeon in order to address all of your unique needs and keep that face looking fresh. Most of these touch-up treatments require no time for recovery and can be performed in just a few minutes!

Plan Your Facelift and Follow-Up Treatments Today

Get great results from your facelift and make a plan to keep them looking great for years to come.Frederick G. Weniger, M.D., F.A.C.S. offers his patients years of experience and knowledge during one-on-one consultations regarding surgeries and nonsurgical treatments available at their practice. Dr. Weniger is board certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery and a member of The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. He believes good information lies at the heart of success in all of his surgeries and interactions with his patients.

To schedule a consultation, contact the office of Weniger Plastic Surgery today at (843) 757-0123. They are located at 350 Fording Island Road, Suite 200, in Bluffton, South Carolina.