When should I have a Face Lift?

Most people requesting surgical face lifts are between the ages of 45 and 60, although there are both younger and older patients. About three-quarters of patients are women, and most are honest about their reasons for desiring surgery. "I just don’t like looking older." Some patients ask the surgeon to "take a few years off my face." To many people, a distressing feature of the aging face is the sagging crepe-like neck. "It makes me look so old!", many patients complain. Many people hope that an operation to rejuvenate their appearance will make them look as young as they feel. As a matter of fact, many people requesting face-lifts say, "Doctor, I’m tired of looking older than I feel!". They often feel that on the inside they are young and vital, but that somehow their appearances are betraying them. When to have a face-lift is an important question; so is the issue of when not to have surgery. We occasionally see a patient who requests face-lift surgery when there are only minimal signs of aging. While such cases are rare, they do occur. Some people may exaggerate the first signs of aging. Fearful of getting older, they view the most minor facial crease or change in skin tone with undue alarm. In another group of patients, the request for face-lift surgery is coupled with important psychological concerns. Occasionally, men request surgery, fearing they will no longer be able to compete with younger men at the office. This must always be evaluated carefully. There are situations where a youthful appearance is vital for job advancement or to maintain one’s position. Many men, not necessarily fearful of aging, are afraid of losing their jobs to aggressive, younger men. For them (and for many people), self-esteem is tied to their work lives. They must work in order to feel worthwhile, and they need to feel they are successful at their work. These are normal, commonly encountered feelings. Such people may be good candidates for face-lift surgery, provided they are not looking for something unrealistic in the surgery. Occasionally, a patient will have unrealistic expectations about face-lift surgery. A patient may harbor the incorrect notion that a face-lift will not only erase years from his face, but will also turn him into a young dynamo. Unrealistic expectations about the results of facial rejuvenation can only lead to disappointment. A complete consultation will resolve such misunderstandings.