We hear it all the time: “I hate my face,” or “I wish I could look like my younger self again.” But sometimes, when we’re feeling down about our looks, we fall into believing that there’s no way out. It would be best if you didn’t believe these myths about facelifts. Because if you do, then you might think that a facelift isn’t right for you—and that may not be true! For certain people, facelift procedures can be one of the best ways to restore your youthful appearance. Here are five common facelift myths:
1. Facial Aging Is Due to Gravity and Excess Skin
This is one of the common plastic surgery myths we hear regularly. The truth is that gravity does play a role in facial aging, but it’s not the only factor. As we age, our skin loses its elasticity, and collagen production decreases. This causes the skin to lose its ability to bounce back from everyday activities like smiling or frowning.
Additionally, when we lose fat beneath our skin, as with weight loss or muscle gain, our face appears saggy and hollowed out. A facelift can restore the fullness of your face by removing excess skin and tightening underlying muscles.
In addition to addressing these issues causing sagging skin and wrinkles around your mouth and eyes, a facelift also helps restore the balance between areas of your face that have lost volume due to aging or weight loss/gain (such as cheeks).
2. Facelifts Are Only for Women
This is a very common misconception about facelifts. Men can benefit from this procedure because it can help reduce loose skin and wrinkles that come with age and sun exposure. Even though it’s called a “facelift,” this procedure may include a neck lift, a brow lift removing fat cells from the cheeks, and even addressing concerns on your chin or forehead—and there are no gender requirements when it comes to these areas of the face.
Facelifts can be done on male patients and women of any age who want to look younger and fresher.
3. You Have to Be Older to Get a Facelift
You can get a facelift at any age! Our skin loses elasticity and becomes less firm and taut as we age. This causes our facial features to sink into our faces, giving us an older appearance than our actual age would suggest (or even worse—like we’re already dead). A facelift can help keep us looking young for longer by removing excess skin and fat from our faces, thus improving the skin’s firmness. Facial rejuvenation is not just for older people. Some of our younger patients people start considering this procedure before their 40th birthday to look more youthful when they hit their 50s and 60s.
4. Injectables Have the Same Results as a Facelift
No matter how many injections you get in your face, they won’t offer any long-term benefits. Dermal fillers can cause damage over time if not properly administered by an experienced professional who knows how to inject safely into facial tissue without damaging nerves or blood vessels; underneath your skin layers!
5. A Facelift Is Permanent
A common myth about facelifts is that they’re a permanent solution to aging skin, but that’s not true. Your skin will eventually lose elasticity and start sagging again, even if you get cosmetic facial surgery. But that doesn’t mean you should avoid getting one! A facelift can help you look younger and feel more confident for years after your procedure, and it can be a great way to boost self-esteem when you need it most.
6. (Bonus Myth) All Plastic Surgeons Are the Same
While there are similarities among plastic surgeons who practice cosmetic surgery, there are also differences in their practices, philosophies, and procedures. Before choosing a cosmetic surgeon, make sure you research what procedures interest you and what kind of facelift results other patients have had with those procedures. This way, you’ll know what type of work they can do before making an appointment. Don’t be afraid to ask questions!
There are many things you can do to keep your skin looking youthful and healthy. In addition to facial plastic surgery, there are less invasive treatment options, but it is likely that at some point medical treatments simply won’t be as effective as a surgical facelift. At that point scheduling, an initial consultation with Dr. Zandifar may be a good idea.
Dr. Zandifar, MD, has plastic surgery offices in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica, CA. He is a board-certified facial plastic surgeon and exclusively fellowship-trained with hands-on experience focusing solely on cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the head and neck. Want to know more about what a facelift can do for you? Contact us today!
