Tips for a Natural-Looking Facelift

One of the biggest critiques about the facelift methods of the past was how unnatural it looked. The techniques used to perform those early surgeries have evolved into today’s procedure, which includes extra measures to guarantee a more natural look. Still, there are always risks involved in every kind of surgery, so how can you know your results will look right? If you want to avoid looking “pulled” after your facelift, here’s what you can do to guarantee that you’ll still look like yourself, just younger.

What Does It Take to Have a Natural-Looking Facelift?

Getting your best and most natural-looking facelift results begins with proper planning, typically through a consultation with your plastic surgeon. During this one-on-one meeting, you’ll talk about your specific concerns about facial aging, what you’re hoping to achieve with surgery, and other worries you might have about the surgery itself. Now is a wonderful time to discuss your fears of having an unnatural looking facelift and how your plastic surgeon will prevent that from happening.

Your surgeon will do his part to ensure that your facelift looks right once your procedure is over and you have healed. He will evaluate your hairline, facial features, and the unique characteristics of your face and neck in order to design the right facelift approach. Your surgeon will also pay close attention to your skin. He or she will note how much it has begun to sag, the amount of wrinkles and creases, and the fat cells that may have accumulated around the chin and jaw. Every step of your facelift procedure will be tailored to suit you.

To get natural looking results, the amount of “pull” used by your surgeon should be spot on. His evaluations of your face and skin will lead him to make this decision, which will be carefully designed to be just enough pull that your face looks firmer without pulling so much that it looks tight or strained. The direction of his pull, the amount of skin to remove, and other details will all be considered. Your surgeon may even talk to you about reshaping the lips with an upward or downward pull to redirect the corners of your mouth. To look natural, your facelift should also make you look more youthful without changing the hairline at all, so your surgeon will work around your existing hairline to accomplish your results. For male facelift patients, the hairlines of beards and side burns add one more detail for the surgeon, but can be managed with proper planning.

How Can I Avoid Unnatural-Looking Results?

Now that you know what’s involved in the facelift planning process, it’s important to understand what you can do to ensure that you get these natural-looking results. Even after your facelift, you’ll want to make sure you avoid common mistakes that can make you look less natural.

• DO work together with your plastic surgeon to design the right facelift surgery for you.
• DON’T sacrifice the quality of your surgeon for a deal that seems too good to be true. Only work with a board certified plastic surgeon who has training and experience with the facelift procedure.
• DO be honest about your concerns and your expectations. Your surgeon can deliver your desired results much more easily if you are able to communicate them clearly.
• DON’T expect to look like a different person or ask for drastic changes during your facelift. The best facelifts are those that enhance your natural beauty and help you look like a younger version of yourself. Anything too drastic would appear unnatural right away.
• DO follow your surgeon’s instructions carefully throughout your recovery process. Proper healing is the foundation for longer-lasting, more natural looking results.
• DON’T rush your recovery. It might be frustrating to “do nothing,” but your body is doing plenty! Relax and give your body the energy it needs to heal properly, which can help your scars heal less visibly and prevent post-surgical complications like infection.
• DO take the time to enjoy your results and care for yourself just as you always have, if not better.Care for your skin by using sunscreen daily, cleansing and moisturizing every day, and exfoliating weekly.
• DON’T stop caring for your skin after your facelift surgery. While the procedure can do much to remove the signs of aging, it can’t help you prevent them in the future. Time will keep moving forward and your body will change, your skin will sag, and you’ll start to see wrinkles again someday. So far, there’s no such thing as a surgery that can stop the aging process altogether.
• DO maintain a relationship with your facelift surgeon, who can recommend skincare treatments, touch-up procedures, and other surgeries that can keep you looking younger the natural way for years to come.While a secondary facelift is completely voluntary, patients who do choose this follow-up surgery go about eight to 12 years on average between surgeries.
• DON’T go overboard with injections in the years after your facelift. These treatments can help maintain your results in moderation but can look fake if you use them too much. Instead, get recommendations on the best treatments for you directly from your plastic surgeon.

Choose Your Surgeon Wisely for the Best Results

When it’s finally time to plan for the natural-looking facelift results you really want, the right plastic surgeon makes all the difference. Consult with Dr. Ronald Lohner, an experienced and board certified plastic surgeon based in Philadelphia. He completed his undergraduate education at Dartmouth College and medical school at UMDNJ-Rutgers. Currently, Dr. Lohner is Chief of Plastic Surgery at Bryn Mawr Hospital and holds a faculty appointment at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine. His peers have selected him as a Philadelphia-area Top Doctor for the last eight years. His office is located at [primary_address] in [primary_city], [primary_statefull], on the Main Line. Please call his office at [primary_phone] to schedule a consultation for your liposuction procedure.