Is it too early to get a facelift at 41? (Photo)

As a board certified cosmetic oculofacial plastic surgeon practicing
for over 20 years, most of my patients for face lifting surgery are women over
45-years-old. The youngest patient I’ve done facelift for was 37-years-old and
close to that was a woman who was 42. From that, I conclude that it really
depends on the situation.



One of the goals of face lifting surgery is to restore the definition
of the jawline and to lift sagging tissue from the cheek to the jawline, or to
the neck. When I examine a patient who is a candidate for face lifting surgery,
I look at how much they can slide up the skin. A lot of women will do a mirror
lift at home by pulling the skin up. If there’s a lot of slide and you see your
jawline improve, then you may be a candidate. You may not need an extensive
full face and neck lift, but you may be a candidate for one of the smaller scar
limited incision types of facelifts. However, the one thing we cannot do with
photos is we can’t do a physical examination.



You may be able to explore some other options. Some patients who come
to our practice will do something like a limited liposculpturing and reduce fat
in the jawline so that the jawline is seen more clearly. We also may address
the indentation at the jawline called the mandibular notch. This is the area
where there may be accentuation of the jowl. I can fill that area with Radiesse®
or a filler.



You may be a candidate for a facelift but you really should meet with
cosmetic surgeons and learn about other options. You may be able to buy some
time with just fillers by filling in some relative hollows to create the
illusion of a smoother jawline. Many of our patients who know they will be
having a facelift in the future are often time limited of
they've already used their vacation time. In the meantime, they can do a few
things to strategically improve the appearance of their jawline. Sometimes, it
involves putting fillers in the nasolabial folds or the cheeks so that they look
more youthful and better. Facial aging, particularly in women, is very much
accentuated in the lower facial area or the lower third of the face.



I would recommend you meet with qualified experienced surgeons who
specialize in facial aging. Learn about the options and develop a game plan
that works for you. I hope that was helpful, I wish you the best of luck, and
thank you for your question.

By looking atyour pictures, you do have early signs of aging face. You could benefit from amini facelift to improve your jowling. This is your best permanent option. The other option is fillersand Co2 laser resurfacing. Chronological aging is not a determining factor fora facelift rather physical aging. In my practice, I have seen some 40 year oldthat needed full facelift and there were some 50 year old that only benefitedfrom Botox and fillers. Having a facelift surgery at an early age has nodisadvantages, as long as you’re a good candidate for it. Since you’reexperiencing an accelerated aging face, you probably need another one in 10years to maintain a refreshed look.
I wouldrecommend mini facelift under local anesthesia and twilight sedation without the need for general anesthesia.