Would Getting a Facelift in Your 40's Gaurantee That You Would Need One in Your 50's?

The skin that is removed in a facelift can not "jump back on your face in your 50's! We reset your facial aging clock--but we do not stop it. 

Dear CorrineMany thanks for your question. There is no right age to undergo a facelift procedure, however there are some rules of thumb.There is some opinion that a facelift in someone younger may last longer as their tissues are of better quality. However, the change will be more subtle as they have only started showing the early signs of ageing.Conversely, a facelift in someone older will usually produce a more dramatic change, due to more significant ageing changes being addressed, but it might not last as long due to poorer quality tissues.Finally, the face has several layers, each of which is affected by ageing. A laser can be a good treatment for the skin, but will not treat the underlying ageing and sagging tissues, so is only part of the solution. 

It is not uncommon for patients in their 40s to undergo a facelift, and many of these patients will go on to have another facelift at some point in time, while others will be happy with the result for the rest of their lives. The aging process will continue over time, so some laxity and sagging of the tissues will recur as the patient ages, and many patients will want to address this again as they age into their 50s and 60s. However, these patients will always be better off than if they had never had the initial procedure done.
Laser treatments for skin resurfacing can be highly effective in improving the quality of the skin, but address different problems than a facelift. A highly-trained surgeon should be able to address all of your concerns through different modalities of treatment, many of which can be performed at the same time. As always, a consultation with a well-qualified and board-certified surgeon is recommended to discuss your concerns and how to address them.

On average the surgical #results last between 4 and 7 years. However, people vary so much from one another, an exact time is difficult to provide. If you wish, you may repeat the procedure at that time. There is always an improvement compared to not having the procedure as the #aging process continues to progress throughout the future. Patients, with very loose skin will occasionally experience sagging earlier and it may be seen as soon as one year later. Such may require a secondary procedure to tighten the loose skin.

The best time to get a facelift is when you start seeing changes in the mirror that you don't like, such as jowling and excess neck tissue.  If this happens to be in your 40's, that's fine.  Doing a facelift earlier is better for several reasons.  You heal faster, there's less pulling on the skin, you bruise less, generally you are healthier so easier recovery, better skin  elasticity so better result, and usually smaller incisions.  Don't do a facelift in your 40's if you're not bothered by the early signs of aging.Does having a facelift in your 40s mean you have to have one in your 50s?  If what you see at 40 bothers you now, then when the facelift wears off in about 10 years, it will bother you at 50.  The person you see in the mirror now, you'll see again 10 years after your facelift.  You don't have to have another facelift but chances are, you'll have the experience of knowing you can do something about it and in return look 10 years younger again.  In reality, even if you don't have another facelift, you'll still look 10 years younger than everyone around you even after the facelift wears off (unless your friends are getting facelifts too).Lastly, lasers only treat the top layer of the skin and even though it's one of 2 items that actually tightens skin every time (facelift is the other), it only tightens millimeters and doesn't address jowling or excess neck tissue.

A
facelift performed at any time might eventually require additional surgery to
keep it useful in the future. Generally, however, what I see is when the
patients come back ten years later after a facelift, they still look better
than they did ten years before since no one “needs” a facelift at any age. It
will not be required to have a redo later. It simply depends on whether or not
you feel you need another one.

A good facelift is designed to give you a younger appearance that looks natural. Therefore, the effects of aging after surgery will appear natural as well, but they will appear since you can't resist the signs of aging. You'll always look younger after your facelift than if you hadn't had a facelift in the first place, and there's no guarantee that you'll need one again in your 50s. It all depends on your lifestyle and genetics. If you lead a healthy lifestyle, protect from sun exposure and don't smoke, you can minimize sagging and wrinkles.

   If you have stigmata of facial aging amenable to facelifting techniques, then a facelift should be performed if there is interest.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

The optimal time for a facelift is when you have signs of aging such as sagging skin, facial atrophy or a combination. Once you have sagging skin and facial atrophy then you need to transition from Botox to fillers. The timing is more important. Facelifts done in your 40’s or early 50’s have better results than being done later in life.

The age at which someone should consider a facelift varies considerably depending on numerous factors.  People age at different rates, and some factors, such as sun exposure or individual anatomy may make one person a good candidate for a facelift in their forties, while others can wait longer. Having a facelift in your forties doesn't necessarily mean it will need to be redone in your fifties. Again, everyone is different. an experienced, board certified plastic surgeon will be able to advise you appropriately.

Women under 50 benefit most from a  facelift, the same is true for men.

My experience and that of a recent study indicates that patients under 50 years old have a consistently higher rate of satisfaction with their facelift results than patients over 50, a recent study from California Pacific Medical Center has found. This study was conducted by Dr. Tom Liu and Dr. John Owsley, who compared short- and long-term satisfaction ratings of patients in under-50, 50–60, and over-50 age groups. The doctors also factored in expert analysis of patient photographs for a more objective analysis of surgical results. The findings are consistent with previous research as well as the experience of most surgeons.

The study concluded: “Younger patients (younger than 50 years) with mild or early signs of facial aging have the highest and most consistent satisfaction and the most natural long-term results”.  The study also concluded that younger patients are ideal candidates for what is called a maintenance lift or maintenance facelift. The reason is that patients under 50, essentially because their skin is younger, will have a better result that will last longer than it will if they choose to have surgery later. Furthermore, their results will look better in the long-term.

 

I think what happens is that you get used to this younger look and after 10 years want to refresh this appearance as you can't stop the aging clock. Often a simpler procedure, such as a mini-lift (e.g. LiteLift, Quick Lift, LifeStyle lift, MACS, etc) can be done later on with a abbreviated recovery. Everyone wants to age gracefully. If you feel you have an aged appearance that affects your well being then maybe its time to come in for a consultation.