As a trusted Fort Myers facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Douglas Stevens consults with facelift patients on a regular basis. Periodically, the question of whether there is an “ideal” time or age at which to have facelift has come up. The short answer is, no; there isn’t a singular perfect time to have facelift surgery.
In practice, we assess skin quality, bone structure, healing potential, and goals to tailor the timing of a facelift. Ultimately, this is less about a number and more about individual health, and you may wonder about the appropriate age for facial plastic surgery.
Why Age Isn’t a Defining Factor
Determining the Timing for Facelift
- Your facial skin and tissues have become loose and saggy. Some mild to moderate signs of aging (i.e., wrinkles, creases) can be softened with non-surgical treatments like Botox or fillers. However, when the facial skin and tissues loosen and start to descend, non-surgical treatments are no longer appropriate and surgical correction with facelift becomes necessary.
- You are in good health. You should be in good physical health at the time of facelift surgery, and not have any chronic medical issues (i.e., diabetes, autoimmune disorders) that could increase the risks of surgery or impair the healing process.
- You can devote adequate time to recovery. You should plan to take at least one (more like two) weeks off from work, socializing and your normal routine to recover from surgery. Schedule your surgery for a time when you know you can “lay low” for a while.
- You have reasonable expectations. During your facelift consultation, the plastic surgeon will want to know that you have reasonable expectations of improvement and do not desire perfection. If you expect to look half your age after surgery, you need to adjust those expectations and re-visit the idea of surgery at a later time.
