5 Tips for Maintaining Your Facelift Results

Facelifts are amazing; they are a tried-and-tested way to keep you looking younger longer. While it’s not everybody’s cup of tea in terms of anti-aging solutions, it’s one of those surgical cosmetic procedures that’s totally worth it because facelift results last a long time. 
For instance, patients who choose to undergo a mini facelift, which is less invasive and offers subtle enhancements, can reap the benefits for up to five years. On the other hand, traditional or full facelift results last up to more than a decade. Believe it or not, incredible facelift results can last even longer with proper care and maintenance. 

If you’ve recently had a facelift or are planning to get one soon, here are strategies that you can take to preserve your youthful appearance for as long as possible and get the most bang for your buck, too!

1. Take Sun Protection Seriously

Unprotected sun exposure is one of the primary culprits behind the early signs of skin aging. After a facelift, you should think twice about going in the sun without sunscreen or a wide-brimmed hat for protection because it heightens your risk for side effects and other related complications.

In its healing phase, the skin is sensitive and prone to irritation, redness, swelling, bleeding, and surgical scarring. Because sun exposure can cause tanning or darkening of the skin, it can make your surgical scars more noticeable. In other words, stay out of the sun if you’re looking to avoid bad facelift results for at least two weeks after your facelift procedure.

Sun protection should be a non-negotiable part of your skincare routine in order to maintain your facelift results and proactively protect yourself against further signs of skin aging. Here are some quick tips to follow post-procedure:

• Stay indoors if possible while you are recovering from surgery.
• Make it a habit to wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 50 or higher. 
• If wearing makeup or other skin care products, choose alternative options that contain SPF as well. Layering SPF products offer better protection. 
• Don’t forget to reapply your sunscreen every two hours or more frequently if you are swimming or sweating. 
• Wear a scarf or hat plus oversized and dark sunglasses to shield your face and eyes from the sun.
• Stay in the shade or avoid going outdoors at high noon. Let’s face it; it’s not realistic for some to stay indoors at all times. If you really must go out, time your trips and make sure you avoid going under direct sunlight, particularly between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. when the sun’s most dangerous ultraviolet B or UVB rays are burning. 

2. Quit Smoking for Good

Smoking and surgery are a terrible combination. Aside from impaired heart and lung function, smoking can negatively affect your facelift results by increasing your risk for infection while delaying the body’s natural wound healing response. It also poses a risk for other related side effects, such as fat necrosis or hard lumps, loss of cheek skin, and severe scarring. 

In preparation for your facelift, your surgeon will require you to stop smoking at least a month prior to your scheduled date of surgery. According to the World Health Organization, tobacco smokers who quit four weeks before surgery have lower risks of complications and have better health six months after. They are also less likely to encounter issues with anesthesia. Furthermore, every tobacco-free week after four weeks improves health outcomes by 19% due to improved blood flow throughout the body to essential organs.

This highlights the importance of being honest with your doctor. If you are a smoker scheduled for a facelift, talk with your surgeon about postponing it to give you a chance to quit and guarantee better facelift results.

Don’t pick up this bad habit even after you’re fully healed. It contains 4,000 chemicals that destroy collagen and elastin, essential components that give the skin its strength and elasticity. It also causes oxidative stress, which leads to insufficient oxygen supply and accelerates skin aging. This is why smoking or even exposure to second-hand smoke can cause detrimental damage to your skin, including:

• Dry and dull skin due to impaired blood flow
• Smoker’s pucker as a result of constantly moving the muscles around lips
• Yellow- or gray-tinged skin with prominent blood vessels
• Deeper fine lines and wrinkles (i.e. crow’s feet)
• Puffy eyelids and a slacked and sagging jawline 

3. Live a Healthy Lifestyle

Many contributing factors speed up the aging process. Your anti-aging efforts will all be in vain if you continue to compromise your overall physical, emotional, and mental well-being with unhealthy habits. Here are some ways to incorporate healthier choices into your everyday life:

• Stick to a healthy and well-balanced diet filled with antioxidant-rich foods.
• Always get a good night’s sleep – rest and rejuvenation allows your skin and the rest of your body to heal properly.
• Minimize stress – constant worrying, rushing, or being in a high-stress environment increases your risk of oxidative damage.

Living a healthy lifestyle not only lets you maintain your facelift results but also lets you live longer and happier. 

4. Switch to Medical-Grade Skin Care

Take your skincare regimen to the next level with medical-grade skincare products. Unlike widely available over-the-counter products, medical-grade skincare has the following benefits:

• Contain a higher concentration of powerhouse ingredients that penetrate the skin
• Backed by scientific research 
• Developed, tried, and tested by dermatologists and skin care specialists
• Specifically designed for different skin types and concerns

To maintain your facelift results, invest in medical-grade skincare products that are packed with:

• Hyaluronic acid – A fantastic anti-aging ingredient that holds up to a thousand times its own weight in water. It effectively hydrates and plumps up the skin, filling in fine lines and wrinkles.
• Collagen – A naturally occurring skin protein responsible for keeping it firm, smooth, and strong.
• Ceramides – These lipids keep the protective skin barrier strong and healthy, locking in moisture and preventing irritation.
• Niacinamides – It’s a form of vitamin B3 with a skin brightening effect. An absolute must-have if you’re having issues with skin redness, irritation, or if you have rosacea. 
• Retinol – An excellent anti-aging ingredient because it speeds up skin cell turnover through exfoliation, giving you younger-looking skin free of blemishes and fine lines.
• Vitamin C – Believe it or not, vitamin C not only does a wonderful job at bolstering your immune system, but it’s also an antioxidant that combats free radicals and comes with skin brightening effects that help fade spots and address skin discolouration.

5. Complement Facelift Results with Non-Surgical Treatments

A facelift procedure can take years off your looks by getting rid of the tell-tale signs of aging, such as fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging jowls. But facelift results are not permanent and do not stop your skin from inevitably aging. That’s why continuous efforts to take care of your skin and maintain your youthful appearance should be a priority.

Based on your skin’s specific needs, your plastic surgeon will recommend non-surgical cosmetic treatments whenever you’re ready, either to complement or to do quick touch-ups on your facelift results. These may include:

• Chemical Peels – Exfoliating skin using a chemical solution with lactic acid, glycolic acid, or salicylic acid to achieve total skin rejuvenation by revealing newer, younger, and healthier skin underneath.

• Microdermabrasion – Microdermabrasion facials help improve your overall skin health because it stimulates the blood flow on the top layers of the skin, triggering optimal cell regeneration. 

• Thermage – Thermage is a cutting-edge, non-invasive, and non-surgical skin tightening treatment. It’s an effective way to tighten loose or hanging skin around the jawline or neckline to get a more sculpted and youthful profile.

• Botox and Fillers – Although facelifts cover most fine lines and wrinkles, Botox and dermal fillers are a great way to complement and refine your facelift results. These injectable cosmetic treatments can be used to combat crow’s feet, laugh lines and frown lines, or the vertical lines between the brows. Fillers like Juvederm can also help maintain volume loss and stimulate collagen production. Not yet ready for plastic surgery? Injectable cosmetic treatments also produce facelift results without the surgery. Consult with your surgeon if these are viable treatment options for you.

• ProFractional Laser Skin Resurfacing – This laser-based treatment will work deep within your skin’s layers by promoting the production of collagen, which will smooth out the appearance of scars and wrinkles and leave behind a smoother, more hydrated, tighter, and evenly toned complexion.

Although generally safe, most of these treatments require that you wait at least four to six weeks after you’ve had your plastic surgery. Never get these treatments without your plastic surgeon’s advice. 

Keep them Guessing About Your Age with a 3-Day Facelift!

Indulge in your youthful beauty a little longer with our 3-Day Facelift. This groundbreaking surgical treatment is perfect for anyone who wishes to correct moderate to severe deep wrinkles, tighten loose skin along the jawline or neck, and improve skin elasticity. Our facelift before and after photos speak for themselves!

Find out how facelift results can make a difference for you or if you’re a good candidate for this cosmetic procedure by booking a free consultation today.