If you are investing time and money in a facelift, you naturally want it to last. This blog discusses the average lifespan of facelift results, how to maintain results over the long term, and the factors that determine the necessity of a secondary facelift.
Post-care Tips to Maintain Your Facelift Surgery Results: Long-Term
Although you will continue to age naturally after your facelift, there are things you can do to maintain your results for as long as possible.
Long-Term Facelift Maintenance Tips
Once you are fully healed, you will need to adopt certain healthy lifestyle choices to best maintain your facelift. Of course, you will continue to age as normal—cosmetic surgery does not stop the aging process. But by maintaining anti-aging techniques and caring for your skin and body, you can prevent the need for secondary procedures and continue to enjoy your initial facelift results.
Sun Protection
Wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher daily protects against UV rays that break down collagen and elastin, two vital components of supple, youthful skin. Remember that it is not just about the SPF number; you have to use an adequate amount of product.
Sun damage is also responsible for triggering free radicals that damage DNA and stimulate enzymes that degrade the skin’s structures.
Sunscreen is a daily non-negotiable for the face, hands, and body, as is avoiding long sun exposure without proper protection, like hats and sunglasses.
A Custom Skincare Routine
Everyone’s skin has different needs, so it is a good idea to invest in a professional-grade skincare routine—ideally curated by a professional—that addresses your unique skin concerns and suits your skin type.
In terms of protecting your facelift results, you will want to focus on gentle, hydrating products. Hyaluronic acid is an excellent choice for hydration, and vitamin C supports collagen.
Hydration and Diet
It has been said that it is best to eat your skincare, meaning we get the best skin benefits from our food. Eating a nutrient-rich diet, including antioxidants, healthy fats, and vitamins, promotes healthy skin. Consider fatty fish like salmon, avocados, walnuts, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and berries. These foods reduce inflammation, increase collagen production, and fight free radicals.
Staying hydrated is essential for overall health, including improving toxin flushing, increasing blood circulation, and keeping skin supple.
Avoid Alcohol and Smoking
Smoking cigarettes and other nicotine products wreaks havoc on the skin and is a quick way to reverse your facelift results. Smoking accelerates aging, causes premature wrinkles around the mouth, increases dehydration and inflammation, and leads to various overall health risks.
Alcohol consumption causes dehydration and increases the risks of certain skin conditions and cancers.
Non-surgical Treatments and Touch-ups
Carefully planned and executed touch-ups and treatments are a fantastic way to maintain your facelift results. First, skincare treatments and collagen-inducing procedures, such as RF microneedling and laser resurfacing, can offer amazing results in skin texture, skin tone, and overall skin tightness. Timing these once or twice a year is a great way to maintain that youthful glow.
Additionally, non-surgical injectables like BOTOX® Cosmetic can smooth dynamic wrinkles as they appear, and dermal filler injections are a great way to restore lost volume and “fill in” creases as they appear again. Facial fat grafting is a permanent way to restore lost volume in the cheeks and lips, offering a surgical option that is not as invasive as a facelift.
Will I Need a Facelift in the Future?
This depends entirely on your goals, rate of aging, genetics, and the timing of your initial facelift procedure. Patients with good skin elasticity and who take care of their initial facelift results may never need another surgery, especially if they had the procedure a little later in life (such as in their 60s), but only if they do not mind the progressive aging that is expected in their 70s and 80s.
Some patients who may have been smokers or spent a lot of time in the sun choose to rejuvenate their appearance earlier, in their mid-to-late 40s. In these cases, we can expect signs of aging to reappear in about 10 to 15 years, so they may wish to have a secondary procedure at that time. Some patients choose less invasive options for their second procedure, such as a mini facelift, to touch up their original result.
In any case, many factors determine the likelihood of needing a secondary procedure, but the choice is ultimately up to you.
Want to Learn More About Facelifts in Beverly Hills, CA?
Dr. Harrison Lee is considered one of the leading experts in facial rejuvenation procedures, providing unmatched facelift results that look natural and last for years. If you would like to learn how Dr. Lee can transform your look and turn back the clock, call his Beverly Hills office today at (310) 777-2627 or fill out the contact form to get started.