Facelift for a 24year Old?

No matter what age, if a surgery has a high probability of making you look better than you would have without the surgery, for the rest of your life, -- and therefore make you feel better about yourself for the rest of your life -- then, in my opinion, it should be considered appropriate surgery. Beyond the surgeon offering surgery as an appropriate option, it should then be the adult's well-informed choice as to whether to have the surgery or not. However, some people have a self-perception disorder called "body dysmorphia syndrome" -- and unfortunately, some surgeons will do surgery on patients whether they believe the patient will actually look better or not. So what looks "better" can't be determined by either the patient or the patient's surgeon. The surgeon has to be able to dissociate, as best he/she can, their clinical judgement as to what would be "best" for the patient, from his/her desire to do surgery and to profit from it. In other words, each surgeon has to wear a "clinician's hat" and a "surgeon's hat" -- and wear ONLY the clinician's hat when helping you decide on whether to have surgery or not. In this regard, the surgeon should try to get into the head of and therefore present the opinion of the hypothetical "average person". I personally imagine corralling 100 people off the street at random and imagine them seeing you as you look now and as you will look after the surgery. If I sincerely believe that over 90% of them would say that you look better with the "after" result, then I offer the procedure as an option -- again, no matter what age.In considering the benefits of a facelift, it helps to place all your fingers in front of your ears and along your neck and push up and back. If it's obvious to you that you look better with this lifting maneuver, than a facelift just might be appropriate even at the age of 24. The main obstacle to you benefiting from a facelift in this situation is what your peers might think of you doing this relatively major procedure at such a young age -- something that may be a factor in your decision-making process or not.

   If you had massive weight loss, a facelift may not be unreasonable.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

I get this sort of question all the time, usually on the other end of the scale- "am I too old for a facelift"?  But I see it on the younger side too, just not with patients in their 20's.  My response is always the same- there is no specific or definite age when a facelift is or is not appropriate.  The answer is "it depends."  No this is not a wishy-washy answer.  It reflects the fact that faces and circumstances are all individual, and require individual consideration.  With sudden or profound weight loss (for example, from chemotherapy or bariatric surgery), loss of facial fat and changes in the skin integrity can yield a face that is chronologically not age-appropriate.  Photos and a physical exam are absolutely necessary for an accurate recommendation, but I would expect your face to respond well to volume repletion (fat grafting, cheek implants, or Sculptra) without having to tighten/remove any draping loose skin.

I'd love to see a picture of your purported problems.  Unless you are a massive weight loss patient, I can't imagine that you would benefit from a facelift.

There really is not a good reason for a 20 year old to receive a facelift.  The skin is elastic so that even with large amounts of weight loss you would expect minimal laxity.  The issue which is probably more relevant in your case is loss of volume.  There is an expression you can "love your face or love your body but not both."  This means when many patients lose weight, they often will not like the way their face looks due to volume loss.  Fortunately, there are many options available which includes volume restoration such as facial fillers and in some cases facial implants.

As plastic surgeons below have stated, facelift surgery is not really an option for younger patients. Non-surgical facelift is the better approach to rejuvenate the face. Drooping skin may be lifted with office treatments, such as Radiesse or Sculptra. The neck may be "lifted" with liposuction rather than a neck lift reserved for older patients. Young patients who have inadequate bone structure can also be treated with silicone cheek implants or chin implants to improve facial balance.

 

It's difficult to provide anything more specific. Only after a comprehensive evaluation can a cosmetic surgeon help determine appropriate plastic surgery options for you. Best of luck.

 

Dr. Chaboki

 

The take home message here is that it is improbable, though not impossible, that you need a facelift.  I have to ask myself if there is a reason you decided not to provide photographs.  Oscar Wilde define a marriage as the mix of the maximum of opportunity with the maximum of temptation.  I wonder if the surgeons you have seen have fallen victim to the desire to provide some type of service to you or if you are one of those rare individuals who actually "need" this much surgery?

Although the most accurate opinion could only be given with a consultation, I can assure you that a 24 year old is generally not a candidate for any form of surgical facial rejuvenative procedure (Rhinoplasty and facial implants excluded).  Usually, good skin care possibly with a combination of fillers or Botox would be more appropriate.

I agree that a facelift or midfacelift is probably not your solution. Photos would be most helpful. Fat transfer, or injectable treatments like Juvederm (hyaluronic acid) or Sculptra (poly-L-Lactic Acid) may be better options for volume replacement. Browlifting and eyelid lifting would also be rarely needed at your age unless you have hereditary factors affecting those areas.

I have to agree with your other surgeons, and tell you that 24 years old is simply too young for any type of facelift.  The risk of scarring due to your elastic skin is greater than the improvement that is likely.