14 Dec Facelifts Reverse Sun Damage
It’s no secret that sun damage first shows up on the face and neck, and while it’s never too late to adopt a great sun protection regimen you can also undo years of sun damage with a facelift. A facelift is usually the first facial surgery patients are interested in, and it’s the most-requested facial surgery at John Park MD Plastic Surgery. A facelift addresses skin laxity in the lower half of the face and the neck. That’s right—a facelift is actually two procedures in one, combining a necklift with a facelift. This is because the skin on the neck is just as thin, delicate, mobile, and exposed to UV rays as the face. It experiences sun damage at the same pace, so it’s usually best to treat these two areas during one procedure.
There are two factors that are connected to how your skin changes over the years: your age and the amount of UV exposure you’ve had. Most adults today were not raised in an environment where they were slathered with sunscreen every day and had that sunscreen reapplied every 75 minutes. Instead, we were raised with the idea that sunscreen was reserved for trips to the beach or special occasions when we would be out in the sun all day. Today, we know that the odds of developing melanoma increase with severe burns (especially in childhood), but that UV damage is cumulative. Those minutes spent waiting for the school bus, sitting in a long commute, and every other moment we’re exposed to the UV rays all add up. The result is UV-damaged skin, but there are ways to reverse this—starting with a facelift.
How a Facelift Works
A facelift, as well as the mini facelift, removes excess skin from the lower half of the face and the neck. Today’s techniques and best practices also subtly rearrange the muscles right below the skin. This allows for a two-pronged approach. Skin laxity is corrected while the muscles are “youth-ified” during the process. Incisions are perfectly camouflaged in the crevices in and around the ear. The exact location of your incisions will depend on multiple factors, but you can rest assured that they will be invisible to the naked eye soon after the procedure.
A mini facelift is reserved for younger patients, typically under 50 years old. It’s similar to a facelift, but on a smaller scale. This means the incisions are fewer and smaller and that the recovery time is even shorter. For both a facelift and mini facelift, the incision for the necklift portion of the surgery is made below the chin. This is a location that hides that scar well.
Can’t decide if you’re a better candidate for a full facelift or mini facelift? Find out during a complimentary consultation. A mini facelift doesn’t have a strict age cut-off, nor is there a minimum age for a full facelift. Every surgical procedure can and should be customized to the patient. A mini facelift can be a great way to delay a full facelift or even avoid one entirely in some cases.
Optimizing Your Facelift Results
A full facelift typically helps a person to look ten years younger. The results can last for several years and there are ways to maximize and sustain these results. Following your surgeon’s directions exactly is the first step. You may also want to treat the skin with non-surgical treatments and skin care products that will allow it to look youthful and be its healthiest. It’s not unusual to follow up a facelift or mini facelift with a non-surgical treatment like a chemical peel or laser skin rejuvenation.
Our skin is the biggest organ we have. It requires some TLC and treatments in order to look and be its best. The skin on our is constantly exposed to environmental factors like temperatures swings, pollution, UV rays, and more. Right now is the best time to start treating your skin right. A facelift offers a simultaneously organic, natural-looking result that can also be dramatic. Look healthier, happier, and younger in 2021. Call John Park MD Plastic Surgery at (949) 777-6883 for your complimentary consultation.