Patients often come to Rodin clinic considering a facial operation for rejuvenation purposes, but sometime don’t know if they are timing it correctly. Some feel that they are still young but are starting to get features of aging that they don’t like, whilst other patients only want to undergo a single procedure in their lifetime and will therefore want to hold on longer.
This is the dilemma – do you have an operation at an earlier stage in life to correct potentially smaller issues and then maybe require another procedure later on, or do you wait until you are older but live with the unwanted features of facial aging for longer?
Let’s break this down as we would in a consultation. If a patient comes in who is potentially in their thirties or forties, some will consider this young to have a facelift, however this is when the features of ageing are starting to become more noticeable. With weight changes, hormonal changes or just the factors of everyday life like sun exposure, stress and poor sleep our facial features start to change. Ligaments under the skin gradually stretch, the volume depletes, and the skin quality lessens – the result can be development of fine lines, hollowing under the eyes or cheeks and loose skin causing a jowl or crepey neck skin.
So, what would stop a patient addressing these features at a younger age? It all comes down to a balance of risks versus benefits, and once these have all been explained to a patient, whether they feel it is worth it for them. A facelift is a procedure that requires a general anaesthetic and about 2 weeks of downtime before the patient is out and about as normal. There are risks of scarring, bleeding, infection, delayed wound healing and injury to the facial nerve which provides movement of the face. Thankfully all of these risks are rare, but we cannot say they will never happen. The patient needs to take these risks into account whilst making the decision on whether to proceed or not.
In patients who have early signs of aging, these features may be quite mild, and therefore the effect of a facelift may not have as dramatic an effect as someone who has more advanced features of aging. Commonly, younger patients don’t want to look significantly different or an ‘operated on’ look. There is also the theory that a facelift earlier may change the trajectory of aging, such that resetting the tissues earlier may result in reduced laxity of the skin and muscles moving forwards. One theoretical disadvantage of having a facelift earlier, is that if the patient then desires a further facelift procedure later in life this may be more difficult due to scarring from the initial procedure. Although a revision facelift is more challenging surgically than a primary facelift, it is not an impossible feat, and following safe dissection principles can still deliver a very satisfactory result.
For patients in a later stage of life, say in their fifties onwards, there may be more established features of aging than the younger patients. The patient may have lived with these undesirable features for longer. However, in general, the level of risk is the same for these patients undergoing facelifts as with patients who have it at an earlier stage. Furthermore, having a procedure in a later decade of life may satisfy the patient for the rest of their life such that they don’t seek a repeat procedure.
So in summary, younger patients having facelifts may avoid living with subtle features of aging for longer, but may require a repeat procedure later in life which might be riskier than the first. Older patients may live with more pronounced features of aging for longer, but may only require a single procedure, with potentially more dramatic results, in their lifetime.
Ultimately the appropriateness for a patient to have an invasive procedure like a facelift is taken on a case by case basis, with the surgeon carefully explaining all the potential risks and benefits with the patient so they can make a fully informed decision. At Rodin clinic, our experienced and specialist plastic surgeons can assist patients with this discussion and decision making.
Whether you want to learn more about the type of face lift procedures we provide, or to simply find out whether surgery is right for you, book a consultation by calling us on (08) 9389 9522.