We’d all love to age gracefully, but wrinkles are an inevitable part of the aging process. Sometimes, it may seem like fine lines pop up overnight. However, they are the result of years of cumulative deterioration in the structural support network of your skin, coupled with repetitive facial expressions such as smiling and frowning.
If you have already discovered the anti-aging benefits of fillers, you know they provide excellent results with minimal downtime. However, the effects of dermal fillers are not permanent, which means you will want to return for touch-up treatments a few times a year. Also, if your wrinkles are deeper and more prominent, – or if you have developed sagging/baggy areas of the face – you may find your fillers are not as effective at reducing those problems them as you want. If you’re wondering how to tell if you’ve reached a point when it’s time to consider a facelift surgery instead of continuing to get fillers, here is our guide.
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You are tired of temporary results.
The short-term effects fillers provide will be less dramatic as time marches on and you continue to lose elasticity in your skin. Though facelift surgery cannot stop you from aging further, your results will last for years, instead of months. That means you will have less of a need won’t have to keep returning for periodic maintenance injections every few months.
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You have deep creases around your mouth.
Due to factors such as genetics and lifestyle choices, everyone ages at different rates, which is why there’s no such thing as an “ideal age” for a facelift. Indeed, some people with concerns about premature and hereditary aging opt for to get facelift surgery when they are younger as a preventive measure. Though injectable fillers can help with less pronounced wrinkles, once the nasolabial folds that bracket your mouth or the “marionette lines” that form between your chin and the lower corners of your mouth start getting deeper, a facelift is a much more successful way to address these.
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You have lost volume in your mid-face.
The goal of facelift surgery isn’t only to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, but also to restore volume to areas that have become sunken and hollow, such as the cheeks. During a facelift procedure, Dr. Schmidt can accomplish this by repositioning the fat pads and lifting the facial muscles that tend to move downward over time and, in doing so, making your cheeks look plumper, and healthier, and more youthful again.
- You’re unhappy with the appearance of your jawline and neck.
We unconsciously associate a well-defined jawline with a youthful appearance. Unfortunately, as we get older, drooping skin under the chin and along the neckline can make you look years older than you truly are. This phenomenon occurs due to the “double whammy” of gravity and lost skin and connective tissue elasticity. The only thing that can help improve the jowls, double chin, or “turkey neck” that form due to sagging skin is a facelift.
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You don’t like what you see when you look in the mirror.
When you examine your reflection, do you feel like you see your mother or father gazing back at you? While facelift surgery can’t make a 50-year-old look 25 again, it can often turn back the clock by several years, particularly when combined with complementary procedures such as blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) and fat grafting when appropriate. Though you will continue to age, you will always look younger than if you had chosen not to proceed with your surgery.
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You always look tired or angry.
Do people often assume you are unapproachable because your face has settled into a permanent frown? Skin laxity and lost facial volume can make your cheeks look flattened or sunken. and Gravity and loss of elasticity can pull the corners of your mouth down and the eyebrows/eyelids down, leading to into a scowled appearance. All these factors can make you look fatigued or upset, even when you are well-rested and in a good mood. A facelift will refresh your appearance and make you feel rejuvenated inside and out.
Are You Ready for a Facelift?
Choosing a skilled, experienced surgeon like Dr. Schmidt to perform your facelift surgery will help ensure you get the most natural-looking results, without the pulled-back, “wind-tunnel” look many people associate with facelift procedures. With a successful facelift, you will look as if you just returned from a relaxing vacation.
Dr. Schmidt has focused his entire career and practice on facial plastic surgery. Under his experienced care, patients throughout the Denver area have experienced outstanding results. If you’re exploring the benefits of a facelift, contact us today to schedule your private consultation.
