How long with a facelift last?

Surprisingly, there is not a lot of discussion in the medical literature about how long the effects of a facelift will last for the average person.  Many doctors answer the question based on their own experience within their clientele.  In general, the long-lasting effects of a facelift will depend on a patient’s individual circumstances.

Most surgeons try to take note of facelift clients who returned to their offices and compare pictures after a few years to see if there were any significant changes to specific aspects of their clients’ faces.  As you can imagine, it can be very difficult to record.  However, a few surgeons recently have used an innovative computer program to mark certain key points on the face such as the jowl, neck, etc…  They noticed that the long-term follow up photographs revealed that the lower part of the face held up the longest (average 5 ½ years).   However, all other aspects maintained their post-facelift status for very close to the average of 5 ½ years.  Photos were also shown to other plastic surgeons and nurses who work in the field along with some lay people to see what changes they noticed in the pictures of clients a few years post facelift.  Photographs were cropped to reveal only the face since hair and clothing tend to influence interpretation.  The human observations were found to be identical to the computer analyses.

Now most surgeons feel comfortable reassuring clients that the traditional facelift surgery will leave them with results that will stay constant for about 5-6 years.   Of course the type of technique and depth of the procedure will factor in when it comes to lasting results.  Many of the “no down-time “  facelifts do not interact with the underlying musculature or fascia, so results will not be as long lasting as the traditional facelifts surgeries.

Facelift surgery in Beverly Hills can produce amazing long-term results for patients who are looking to create a youthful and rejuvenated facial appearance.  If you would like to learn more about the procedure, and how long the results may last in your specific circumstances, schedule a consultation with Dr. Raffi Hovsepian.  He will give you post-operative instructions that can help to maximize the results from a facelift when followed carefully.