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Face Lifts - The Ultimate AntiAging Cosmetic Procedure

Face Lifts - My Personal Story

I had my (first?) facelift about 14 years ago, when I was 45. My skin was sagging and I had a constant old and tired look.

At that point I was still active in the business world and felt I had to improve my appearance in order to stay competitive with the younger people in my company.

(Please read Should I Have a Face Lift for important questions to consider before having a face lift.)

Anyway, although face lifts can be performed at any age, the mid forties turns out to be a prime time to consider the procedure. It is designed to improve sagging skin and jowls and turkey neck and remove facial creases and wrinkles.

The procedure I had then is slightly different from what is performed now.

I had what was considered a mini-lift, where the skin was tightened on my cheeks and jaws and around the mouth and neck, basically by loosening the facial skin from the skull and stretching it.

Now surgeons will remove excess fat and tighten the muscles. Sometimes they will also combine laser skin resurfacing or chemical peels to improve skin texture.

At the time of my face lift I lived in the suburbs of New York City and I was fortunate to find a well regarded doctor, a Diplomate of the Board of Plastic Surgeons.

We had several meetings before the surgery to discuss what I wanted and what was possible.

Also, aftercare was so important to him that he included the services of an in-house nurse for two nights after the operation in his fee. (This surgery is rarely covered by insurance.)

You are going to need at least two weeks off from work after the surgery.

I was able to schedule mine on a Friday morning, not having to return to work until a Monday two weeks later. This gave me an extra three days to recover and I needed every minute of it.

The surgery was done in the doctor’s office under general anesthesia.

It lasted at least 5 hours. When I was released it looked like someone had battered my face with a baseball bat.

I was bruised and in a lot of discomfort. The nurse accompanied me home and insisted that I stay immobile for the time she was there.

The doctor’s philosophy was that proper nursing during those first three days were critical to a successful result.

This is major surgery and should not be undertaken lightly or for the wrong reasons.

You will have pain, discomfort, bruising and swelling for weeks afterwards and have to use a lot of makeup when you go back to work.

You will have to wear compression bandages for at least ten days or so after surgery and change dressings frequently during that time.

There are possible complications, such as infection, injury to the nerves or excessive scarring.

I am told that some men might have to shave behind the ears, if that’s where hair growing areas are stretched to.

In my case, one of my tear ducts was damaged and I developed a case of dry eye which just recently resolved itself.

However, I was pleased with the result. I wound up looking younger and refreshed.

The results are not permanent.

You still get older and I am at the stage where another face lift would help, although I have not come close to making the decision to have another one.

You can have new face lifts at five to ten year intervals.

It is crucial that you get a good doctor, discuss your options and be realistic. There are too many people who have had poor results, with frozen expressions, crooked smiles. etc.

Be especially careful to follow the doctors post operative instructions. After a face lift is not the time to prove how macho you are or how much you’re needed back in the office.

You have to let the skin reattach itself and the stitches to heal if you want a good result and being up and around will not allow that to happen.

Gravity will intercede and you will have pulling around the edges of your face, not only greatly increasing the risk of infection, but also threatening the proper outcome.

In any case, it will be unlikely you will feel like going anywhere or doing anything for the first week at least.

Finally be realistic in your expectations and do not try to have your entire look changed.

Once you heal, you should look younger and more refreshed, not like someone else. The results should be imperceptible and natural looking.

Are you afraid of needles, scalpels and other invasive cosmetic procedures? Look into advanced peptide based skin care from Apotek.

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This article is for informational purposes only. It does not purport to offer medical advice.

 

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