Age has a funny way of creeping up on us, little by little. When you notice the first lines and creases, you may start using skin care with retinol or start Botox® treatments. For awhile, that seems to work well enough … until it doesn’t.
You look in the mirror and you don’t just see wrinkles anymore. Now you see creases around your mouth, slight jowling, and maybe the skin underneath your chin is loose and sagging. Is it time for a face-lift, or are you too young for that kind of rejuvenating surgery?
At Plastic Surgery Arts Center in Webster, Texas, Jan Garcia Jr., MD, PA, and our highly skilled team know how upsetting it can be when your mirror image doesn’t match your self-image. Dr. Garcia offers a wide range of surgical and nonsurgical treatments that can turn back the clock so you can feel happy and confident about your image again.
The best age to have a surgical face-lift is when less invasive treatments won’t give you the results you crave. How do you know if a face-lift is right for you? Ask yourself the following questions:
If you’ve noticed that you don’t have the uplifted look of youth, but you don’t have significant jowling and your neck is still smooth and youthful, you could benefit from nonsurgical facial rejuvenation. Women and men in their late 20s to early 40s usually do well with minimally invasive treatments. Based on his evaluation of your skin type and quality, Dr. Garcia may recommend:
Stimulate collagen production that lifts and tightens skin
Quiets down dynamic wrinkles on your forehead and corners of your eyes
Fills in and smooths deeper wrinkles and grooves; rejuvenates lips
Stimulates collagen production to smooth out creases, restore volume, and lift the midface
Dr. Garcia manages your expectations by letting you know how much improvement you can expect without surgery.
If you’ve noticed jowling, a little sagging under your neck, or droopy eyes, nonsurgical treatments may not be enough. Typically, by the time you’re in your early 40s to late 50s, the only way to get a substantial rejuvenation is to begin surgical treatments. Dr. Garcia and our team can tighten loose skin and trim away the excess with the following procedures, done singly or together:
Lifts the brows to create a more youthful, energetic look and alleviate upper-lid sagging
Tightens the upper eyelids to look more rested and youthful; removes under-eye bags
Dr. Garcia lifts the tissues and muscles, then trims away excess skin on your lower face, including your laugh lines, jawline, and redundant skin under your chin
A mini face-lift is a great way to subtly erase years from your face and to stay youthful looking for up to a decade.
If you’ve lost a significant amount of volume in your face, have some jowling, and have a saggy or droopy neck, the best strategy for you is a full face-lift (rhytidectomy) with a neck lift (platysmaplasty). By the time you’re in your 50s, a face-lift is usually your best solution. Dr. Garcia’s face-lifts turn back the clock by a decade or more.
Dr. Garcia lifts all the tissues under your skin to create a lasting, secure face and neck lift. He also tightens the muscles in your neck so that your neck continues to look strong and sleek for years to come.
To get the most out of your facial rejuvenation, Dr. Garcia may also recommend add-on procedures, such as a blepharoplasty and brow lift. Treating your skin with lasers near the time of your surgery also speeds healing, increases tightening, and makes you look exceptionally healthy and youthful. With proper maintenance and regular laser treatments, your face-lift could last for 10-20 years.
No matter how old you are, only you and your mirror can decide if you’re the right age for a face-lift. To consult with Dr. Garcia about facial rejuvenation, call our helpful office team or use the online form.
