It is undeniable that there has been a recent trend in plastic surgeons performing facelifts on younger patients. Many health care professionals believe that the so-called ‘Cult of Youth’ in Western society is to blame. However, as with any global trend, it is difficult to make accurate generalizations about the growing number of people under the age of 40 who are desiring to undergo a rhytidectomy. Some feel their face may be aging faster than the rest of their body. Others experience what they perceive as abnormal hollowness or sagging skin. Yet more are simply terrified by the appearance of even their first wrinkle, or are confused about what the procedure is intended to do.
Unsurprisingly, there is also a good deal of argument among plastic surgeons in particular, and some healthcare providers, as to whether there is ever an appropriate time to perform a facelift on a patient under the age of 40. Most suggest facial injections, Botox, or other non-surgical procedures as more appropriate solutions. One facial plastic surgeon refers to the trend of younger adults getting facelifts as being ‘like stepping onto the hamster wheel’. He claims that, once a full or partial rhytidectomy has been performed, it is extremely likely the patient will have to go back within 10 to 15 years for more plastic surgery.
It is important for younger patients to recognize that facelifts have a very specific application. They reduce the appearance of age-related sagging and wrinkles. Those who have substantial concerns about the way they look, but are under the age of 40, should consult a board-certified Houston plastic surgeon like Dr. Bradford Patt about elective operations that may be more appropriate. Cheek implants are just one example. Although this surgery is performed on the face, it is not the same thing as a facelift.
The goal of any plastic surgeon should be to provide his or her patients with surgical and non-surgical enhancements that bring out their own natural beauty, not to simply push for any particular operation. Furthermore, facelifts are not designed to completely change a person’s natural look, but to revitalize and rejuvenate. Therefore, for patients in their 20s and 30s, other helpful enhancements will rarely require facelifts. At the same time, there’s no reason for younger patients not to consult with a Houston facial plastic surgeon about more appropriate alternatives.
Contact Dr. Patt today at (281) 649-7170 to schedule your consult. Or schedule online now!
