Facelift in Pittsburgh

A facelift is a permanent procedure, but that doesn’t mean it stops aging completely. The results of your facelift surgery won’t be reversed, but new signs of aging will continue appearing on your face as you grow older. You can think of it like this — a facelift reverses the clock but doesn’t stop it.

If you opt for a facelift in your 50s, the procedure might take 10 years off your face, making you look 40. As such, by the time you’re in your 60s, you’ll look like you’ve just hit 50. Generally speaking, you can assume that you’ll always look a decade younger than your age.

Facelift surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia and sedatives or general anesthesia, depending on the surgical techniques used. If it’s performed under local anesthesia and sedatives, you’ll be awake for the procedure, but you won’t feel any pain or discomfort.

If it’s performed under general anesthesia, you’ll be in a deep sleep and won’t be aware of the procedure, so you won’t feel any pain either. You will, however, experience some pain and discomfort after the facelift, but the post-procedural recovery can be managed with pain medications.

A facelift is meant for adults with moderate to severe aging, excessively sagging skin, deep wrinkles, and other major signs of aging. If you’re in your 20s and 30s, you might benefit more from dermal fillers, wrinkle relaxers, or minimally invasive procedures. Even patients in their 40s can often benefit more from a mini-facelift rather than a complete facelift.

You should also avoid facelift surgery if you have a history of bleeding disorders, underlying medical conditions, or if you’re a smoker. Smoking impedes your body’s ability to heal properly, leading to complications or poor cosmetic results. Your surgeon will run numerous tests and review your medical history to ensure you’re a viable candidate for a facelift.

Patients can drive after they are off prescription pain medication and feel comfortable turning their head and making the usual motions of driving. This usually happens within 4-5 days for most patients.

Patients describe some pain and heaviness after a facelift, with the predominant feeling being a deep bruised sensation due to swelling. This will last for about two to four days.

During the recovery phase, it can be important to avoid caffeine. Caffeine may increase the risk of bleeding and interfere with your healing. For some people, although not all, caffeine can cause swelling to worsen.

Swelling and inflammation in the face and neck are normal during the recovery period. Depending on the extent of your procedure, you can expect the swelling to dissipate in approximately 3-4 weeks.

While there is no “best age” for a facelift, as the decision to have this type of aesthetic surgery is a personal one, most facelifts are performed between the ages of 40 and 60. When a patient wants to reverse moderate to severe signs of facial wrinkles, lines and creases, and non-surgical treatments are no longer as effective, a facelift is generally required to achieve ideal results.