Can You Have A Facelift In Your 40's - Or Are You Too Young?

Many things in life have an age limit, including drinking alcohol and obtaining a driver's license. The facelift has never had an age requirement, but it has always been associated with a more mature demographic. Women and men experiencing more advanced signs of aging have traditionally been the typical patients for the facial rejuvenation procedure. However, a growing number of younger people are becoming interested in and receiving facelifts in their forties.

This raises the question of whether it is possible to be too young for a facelift.

An Increasing Number of Younger Facelift Patients

Everyone wants to look their best, but women in their forties are in peak physical condition and want their appearances to reflect that. Then there's social media's influence. Furthermore, social media places a premium on beauty, putting pressure on people who might otherwise be unconcerned about some early signs of aging.

We now have more access to before and after photos and procedure information than ever before as discussions about plastic surgery have become more common. Patients are now more aware of what is possible in terms of rejuvenation and pre-juvenation as a result of this mainstreaming. Women are more aware of their options for achieving their desired appearance.

In their early forties, many people notice the first signs of visible facial aging around the jawline, chin, and neck. Women begin to notice loosening and hanging skin, as well as jowls and, on rare occasions, crinkly, wrinkly, sun-damaged skin. These signs of aging are more noticeable in thinner women or those who have recently lost weight through dieting. COVID-19 has, predictably, had an impact on procedure preferences. Women are noticing these facial changes more since the pandemic, thanks to Zoom calls and social media photographs, resulting in an increase in those in their forties getting a facelift.

Simply reaching the biological age of 40 does not guarantee that you will experience age-related changes requiring surgical intervention. We all age at different rates, and 40 looks different on everyone. Because of sun damage, inelastic skin, and laxity, some women appear much older than they are.

As a result, your biological age should not be used to justify a facelift. Rather, consider the degree of looseness in the skin and neck. Facelifts aren't suitable for everyone. However, when patients have early jowling, a facelift focusing on the neck and jawline is the gold standard.

They've Had Enough Of Dermal Fillers

All of these minimally invasive anti-aging procedures have a place in today's anti-aging routine. Some patients, however, believe they have gone as far as they can with those procedures and that the next step is necessary. When non-surgical skin-tightening treatments such as Botox and dermal fillers, as well as injectables such as Botox and dermal fillers, are no longer effective, the best remaining option is often a facelift. Patients choose facelifts because they are more effective than Botox or injectables at treating sagging skin in the neck, jowls, and face. If a patient is hesitant to have surgery, I frequently advise them to start with Botox, fillers, neck liposuction, or skin resurfacing.

Furthermore, the over-injected, puffy, unnatural face is no longer fashionable. Too many providers overfill their patients, resulting in filler fatigue caused by premature aging of the tissue due to skin overextension. Furthermore, this unflattering appearance frequently prompts a woman in her forties to exclaim, 'Enough! I'd rather have a facelift than fillers.'

Research backs up the newfound reality. The average age of a facelift patient is decreasing, according to a 2017 study published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal. More than half of women in their forties who get a mini-facelift have already had injectables, fillers, or lasers. Patients said they looked four years younger after these non-invasive treatments, but nearly ten years younger after their facelift.

A 40-Year-Facelift vs. a 65-Year-Old's

The basic principles of a facelift on a younger and older patient are the same, but the execution is not. Less manipulation is required in younger patients. This should be simpler in theory, but it isn't. If not treated carefully, younger patients, in particular, can quickly appear overdone and over-pulled. Younger patients are more concerned about aging of the lower face and early neck. They are also adamant about not appearing 'done' or plastic.

Nonetheless, the quality of younger skin can make your cosmetic surgeon's life in the operating room a little easier. Because the skin retains elasticity and tone due to less sun damage and aging, good facelift results are easier to achieve in a younger patient. In addition, the dermis of the skin and the underlying muscle, which is tightened during a face and neck lift, are stronger in younger women, making it technically easier to achieve a better result.

Any skilled plastic surgeon recognizes the importance of customizing facial surgery. It is critical to tailor the face-neck lift procedure to the patients' needs. According to science and genetic principles, no two faces are exactly alike, which is why no two facelifts are the same.

Facelifts in the twenty-first century are not the same as they were in the past. The fake, narrow, and waxy over-pulled, super-tight, wind tunnel-look has vanished. More extensive but minor surgeries have taken its place, resulting in a refreshed,'still-you-but-better' appearance. Surgical techniques have improved over the last decade, making the results much more predictable, durable, and even faster to recover from.

The so-called mini-facelift is a scaled-down version of a traditional facelift that focuses on excess skin on the neck and jaw. Younger patients almost always have less skin laxity than older patients, unless they have lost a lot of weight. Furthermore, the tissue in the cheek area has not lost as much volume or support, and these areas do not usually require correction.

In 40-year-olds, facelifts typically have a smaller incision and a less dramatic pull. Because less tissue and muscle manipulation is required, the incisions are made in front of and behind the ears and are smaller than traditional facelift incisions. When there is less laxity, it is even more critical to release the tissues and dissect more thoroughly so that the incisions do not become too tense. This speeds up the healing process. Furthermore, because most women in their forties do not require as much skin removal, the dissection is frequently deeper. The scars that form as a result of the procedure will fade over time, allowing patients to continue wearing their hair up.

Some surgeons may include other age-rejuvenating treatments in the overall rejuvenation plan. Filler, especially in the lower face and neck, should be considered a supplement rather than a primary treatment for lower face drooping. Suture suspensions or thread-lifting achieve near-surgical results without the need for cutting in this age group. The inverso suspension concept combines lower face frown muscle relaxation with minimal volume filler and thread lifting to the lower face and jawline.

Surgery is far more dramatic than non-surgical options, and the results are usually noticeable much sooner. At the end of the day, everything contributes to a synergistic effect. An 'early' facelift lasts approximately 12 years, but small 'tweaks' with filler and other materials are frequently done along the way to optimize things.

Skincare and weight management are also important factors in achieving and maintaining good results. Starting a solid, simple skincare regimen at a young age prepares skin to age well.

Is it preferable to start when younger?

If a facelift is on your list of things to do in my forties, there may be a benefit to having it done while you are still a quadragenarian, as long as your plastic surgeon believes you are a good candidate. Early surgery, while age-related issues are still minor, eliminates the need for a more extensive restoration later in life. Advances in medicine and surgery have also resulted in shorter recovery times. Patients are no longer admitted to the hospital for months at a time. They instead return to work seven to fourteen days later.

Don't forget about the monetary aspect. Patients who are younger and have 'mini' lifts may pay less because the surgeon has less work and time to devote to them. Furthermore, some patients choose a lift because other modalities no longer provide a dramatic enough result or have become prohibitively expensive to maintain.

Regardless of your age, the effects will last for years. It is critical to remember that the face will age, albeit at a different rate. The bones continue to change size and shape over time, the skin thins and loses elasticity, and the facial fat disappears. Most patients begin to notice some relaxation of the skin and tissues around the 10-year post-op mark. The face will still appear better than before the surgery, but it will not return to its original shape.

In conclusion

Non-surgical solutions have their place, and for some facelift patients, they continue to be an important part of the anti-aging strategy, especially for maintenance. After all, having facial surgery at a younger age does not mean you will be immune to aging; you will not be. A facelift will not stop the clock, but it will reverse its direction. It is also critical to recognize that additional surgeries may be required in the future to maintain the results. If a patient has a facelift in their early forties, they will almost certainly want another one. This is the warning I give to any patient in their early forties considering a facelift. But, in the meantime, you'll look amazing!