Women considering facelift surgery have one less problem to worry about. Face lift results typically last about ten years. At that point another face lift is required if you want to maintain the results. Many women put off face lift surgery, fearing complications from a second procedure. A new study has revealed that women having their second face lift have a complication rate no higher than those having their first.
101 women, from age 40 to 81, participated in the study. 75% of them had additional procedures during the face lift operation, such as eyelid surgery and laser resurfacing. Overall they experienced a 2% complication rate, which is about the same rate as first time face lift patients.
Patients undergoing their second face lift procedure are typically older than those having their first face lift, adding health concerns to the prospect of the surgery. This is a valid concern, and must be taken into consideration especially for women over 60. The good new is, as long as your doctor takes proper care, it is just as safe for older women.
Older patients are more likely to have medical conditions that will alter the approach to surgery. High blood pressure is the most common problem. You will need a more extensive medical evaluation before surgery than you did when you were younger. Once any medical problems have been detected, adjustments can be made to compensate for them.
The second surgery will be a little different from the first. Patients who have had a previous face lift will need less correction in the deeper layers of tissue because this tissue has already been corrected once.
Special consideration is given to incision placement. Older patients are more likely to experience hair loss if the incision is placed in the hairline, so extra care must be taken to prevent this problem.
As you age your skin becomes thinner and less elastic. Your doctor will take this into consideration, as well.
A face lift can make you look years younger, but it will not stop the aging process. Many women find the timing to be a dilemma. They want to look younger now, but they want to look younger later, too. They want to avoid the need for a second procedure, and the need for surgery when they are older, and try to guess at an in-between age that will keep them looking young as late in life as possible while avoiding later surgeries. Other women who have had a face lift earlier in life and are ready for a second face lift, simply forgo the improvement altogether.
Now you can make that choice with confidence. If you feel that you are ready for a face lift, you can do it now, knowing that when the time comes, your second face lift will be just as safe as the first. If you are over 60 and wishing you had a face lift earlier in life, you can have it safely now. You do not have to live with an aging face.
