EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GETTING A FACELIFT

You don't have to leave your youthful good looks behind as you age but before facial plastic surgery, get real about expectations.  With so much information out there about facelifts and facelift alternatives, separating fact from fiction can be difficult to anyone. To help one find the accurate answers they are looking for, here are some answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about getting a facelift, from how to tell if a facelift could be right for you to the best way to achieve long-lasting results.

Can Facial Exercises Work As Well As a Facelift?

There has been talk lately that performing various facial exercises can "tone" and "tighten" one’s face, much like your workouts at the gym can tone and tighten your abs or biceps.

Signs of skin aging like lines, wrinkles and sagging skin can actually be made worse by repetitive facial movements, and no amount of facial exercise is going to be able to get rid of these common signs of aging. If these are your main cosmetic concerns, a facelift or other minimally invasive alternatives like injectable wrinkle treatments are most likely going to be your best options. 

How Do You Know If It Is The Right Time to Get a Facelift?

So if facial exercises aren't going to do the trick, how do you decide if it might be time to commit to a facelift? If your self-confidence is affected by the appearance of sagging skin or deep lines and creases, or if minimally invasive treatments don't seem to be cutting it anymore, a facelift may be the most effective solution.   London, England is the home of premium cosmetic surgery. London cosmetic surgery contains board certified surgeons, common questions with answers, and recommendations vital for any cosmetic procedure.

There also isn't an age cutoff for getting a facelift. As long as you are in general good health, just about anyone at any age could be a good candidate for this procedure. You know it's time for a facelift is when you hate the look of your neck and your jawline. There is nothing short of a facelift that corrects the loose skin and neck muscles and extra fat under the chin like a well-performed facelift done by an experienced expert.

Doing your own research about a certain plastic surgeon is a start.  Many online sites offer valuable information on plastic surgery all over the world.  Educated patients that the best outcomes.

What is The Recovery Like?

Plan on taking it easy and having someone else around to help you, especially after the first few days of the procedure. The general recovery period is usually about 10 days, and stitches are usually removed after the first week. Most people feel comfortable returning to work and other normal activities around the two-week mark.

To help aid in your recovery process, make sure you're eating healthy, nourishing foods, getting plenty of rest and are following your plastic surgeon's specific recovery guidelines.

How Long Do the Facelift Results Last?

Although no plastic surgeon can guarantee the precise length your results will last, the effects of most facelifts typically lasts for years before a touch-up could be needed. To prolong your results even further, try to stay out of the sun, wear sunscreen, eat a healthy diet and talk to a skincare professional about which products are right for your skin.

You may also want to consider incorporating minimally invasive skin care treatments like laser rejuvenation into your regular beauty regimen for optimum skin health.

What Do I Look for In A Plastic Surgeon?

If you think a facelift is right for you, the first step is to choose a board-certified plastic surgeon. Look for both board certification and extensive experience performing plastic surgeries like facelift and eyelid surgery when narrowing down your search. It's also not a bad idea to schedule an in-office consultation with your top two or three picks to help you make a final decision.

Further Recommendations

However, the following points should be discussed and considered before going ahead:

●      Facelift surgery is not recommended for anyone with serious medical problems, and the candidate should be in good mental and physical health.

●      Patients with high blood pressure and diabetes have a higher risk of complications.

●      Cigarette smoking and tobacco use increase the risk of complications after surgery. It can interfere with wound healing. A person who is considering a facelift should completely cut out any smoking/nicotine products. 

●      It is important to have reasonable expectations and to remember that a facelift will not stop the overall aging process. 

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THINGS THAT AGE YOUR SKIN

PHOTO COURTESY | Mike Fox

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that smoking, not wearing sunscreen and going to bed with your makeup on hardly produces the coveted look of Instagram’s “glass skin.”  Aside from these three ‘skin sins’ there are many others that are not so obvious. We turned to Denver Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Manish Shah who is a big believer in pre-juvenation and a holistic approach to youth.   

Inconsistent Dieting

“Many people think caring for your skin is skin-deep,” quips Dr. Shah. “It is not.“ Inconsistent or inadequate nutrition that has your body mass and weight moving in a yo-yo motion up and down the scale can contribute to ruined elasticity and reduced collagen in the skin. This is part of the reason why specialists will recommend a two-pound maximum weight loss goal per week because your skin needs time to adapt to the loss of mass. Dr. Shah explains that the skin needs to be nourished from the inside as well and many of the trend diets like keto and paleo focus on one group of food and though it can help keep a caloric deficit, it can also create a deficit of the necessary vitamins and minerals you need to keep your skin looking healthy.

Drinking Too Much Coffee

“Excessive amounts of caffeine can increase the levels of insulin and cortisol in the system,” explains Dr. Shah.  Insulin increases inflammation and cortisol is known as the stress hormone. This combination could mix up your sleeping habits and contribute to continued stress which can lead to sleep deprivation. “Sleep deprivation prevents that regenerative rest our skin and mind need to stay healthy.”

Neglecting the Skin Around Your Eyes

"The skin around your eyes is the thinnest and has very few oil glands," says Dr. Shah. Pamper your eyes and stave off signs of aging by choosing a daily eye cream that includes peptides. Dr. Shah explains, “They work to stimulate collagen production and prevent fine lines. Be sure to check the label.” Other notable ingredients that reduce puffiness, lines, wrinkles, and under eye circles are caffeine and nicotinic acid (a form of the B vitamin niacin).

Expecting Instant Results from Beauty Treatments

Most of us are guilty of trying a face cream or anti-aging treatment once or twice and then giving up on it before it has had a chance to work. A majority of anti-aging treatments take up to a month to begin showing positive effects. Dr. Shah explains, “This is due to the cycle of your skin, which undergoes a period of cellular structure renewal over a span of 30 days. In our instant gratification mode, we often toss a product before giving it time to work.”

Taking Medications With Side-Effects on the Skin

Certain medications like corticosteroids for asthma and arthritis cause the skin to thin and weakens blood vessels. Medicine to treat seizures can cause heightened sensitivity to sun damage in the skin which is a common perpetrator in premature aging. Blood pressure medications that block calcium channels have been studied in relation to their inhibition of collagen production by obstructing the absorption of vitamin C by the cells. Vitamin C is an important part of collagen production.  “If these medications are being prescribed to you by your physician then the benefits outweigh their effect on collagen production. There is no need to stress over this, as long as you take care of your skin in other ways you should be fine,” explains Dr. Shah.

Consuming Excessive Amounts of Salt

“By all measures, an excess of salt in your diet is detrimental to your kidneys, your cardiovascular health and, yes, your skin,” says Dr. Shah. Salt absorbs moisture and it can aid in making your skin look dry and less vibrant. Reducing your sodium intake and sticking to a moisturizing routine should help your skin stay healthy and smooth.

Facial Expressions

Every time you move that beautiful face, your skin wrinkles a little bit. Most of the time your face bounces back and those little wrinkles disappear once new skin cells grow.

Soap

While you may think that soap is your skin’s best friend, this is actually not the case. The reason for this is that your skin has an acid mantle which is a natural protective barrier of the skin. When you wash with soap – which is generally alkaline – it can remove this protective layer of oils and dry out the skin, eventually leading to wrinkles. Dr. Shah says that “While it is not advisable to stop washing entirely, try swapping the soap for a PH-neutral and chemical-free cleanser, and bear in mind that there is such a thing as over-cleansing your skin.”

Tugging on Your Skin While Applying or Removing Makeup

To minimize the damage to the skin around your eyes, follow these quick tips from Dr. Shah:

Use your ring finger to pat on products around your eyes, including serums, oils, moisturizers, and concealers. Your ring finger is the least likely to pull or tug at your skin.

Apply eyeliner and eyeshadow by gently closing your eyelids, rather than by pulling them taut. If you’re struggling to apply without pulling, consider investing in products that are made to apply smoothly, like cream or gel formulas.

Have patience when removing makeup from the eye area. Use cotton or another soft product, coated well with your favorite makeup removing solution. Hold the cotton over your closed eye without wiping, allowing the product to break down the makeup. After a minute or so, wipe gently to remove the makeup.

Picking Your Skin

You're not a dermatologist or licensed aesthetician. You should not be picking at your pimples, ingrown hairs, or anywhere else on your face. It's one of the biggest assaults against your skin and can have permanent effects. "The more people press and manipulate blemishes, the more inflammation they create underneath," explains Dr. Shah. "The result is scars, pockmarks, and discoloration that can become permanent.”

Licking Your Lips Constantly

There's a myth out there that claims people can get addicted to lip balm. "These people just have dry skin and miss the feeling of the balm when it's gone," says Dr. Shah. Lip licking can become a bad habit. But when you moisten your lips that way, you actually wind up making things worse. The water in your saliva evaporates, leaving lips dry and cracked. "Saliva can contain bacteria and irritants, so you can end up with a rash around the lips as well," says Dr. Shah. Try a lip balm such as Burt's Bees 100% Natural Moisturizing Lip Balm, Original Beeswax with Vitamin E & Peppermint Oil.

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