There is no magical age that qualifies a person for a mini or full facelift. Each person is unique, and his or her rate of aging will largely influence at what age is best to consider undergoing a procedure. As with any type of cosmetic surgical procedure, an assessment by a plastic surgeon is necessary. And even more important is that the assessment be conducted by a facial plastic surgeon who has many years of experience completing facelift surgeries. It’s also imperative that the doctor be extremely reputable.
Dr. Wise is a double board certified, facial plastic surgeon operating in Wayne, New Jersey. He focuses exclusively on plastic surgery of the face, head and neck. He has performed thousands of facelifts and mini-facelifts and his experience is invaluable in helping his patients determine which procedure best meets their goals.
Appropriate Age for a Mini-Facelift
Mini-facelifts tend to be most suited for people who are at least 30 to 40 years-old. The procedure itself is not as invasive as a full facelift, with the ultimate goal being to provide a more youthful appearance.
Most plastic surgeons will agree that treating the early signs of aging can be accomplished through a mini-facelift. The overall results tend to be slightly limited, especially when compared to a full facelift. For those who have endured a minimal loss of elasticity in facial skin and/or a minimal loss of fatty issue, they will likely be good candidates for a mini-facelift. Since everyone is different, some people find getting a mini-facelift to be advantageous during their younger years (30s or 40s); however, this isn’t to imply that a person in their late 20s who has more extreme signs of aging won’t benefit from a mini-facelift.
Appropriate Age for a Full Facelift
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, a study published in its official medical journal found that younger patients were more likely to achieve better results from a full facelift. This type of facelift tends to provide more dramatic and long-lasting results in people who receive the procedure before they are 50-years-old.
To determine how satisfied patients are with their facelift procedures, the study compared those who were “younger than 50, 50 to 60 years, and over 60 years old at the time of facelift surgery.” It was discovered that during short- and long-term follow up appointments, people who underwent the procedure at a younger age were more satisfied. In fact, those who were younger than 50-years-old generally had a higher rate of satisfaction. This supports the fact younger patients tend to be better candidates.
The Takeaway
It should be noted that even though younger patients have higher rates of satisfaction, a facelift procedure — whether it be a mini-facelift or full facelift — can still be immensely valuable to patients who are older. When considering a facelift procedure, age should definitely be taken into consideration as well as the rate of aging that a person is experiencing. Strong signs of aging will definitely benefit the most from a full facelift; however, it needs to be remembered that a full facelift is more invasive than a mini–facelift. As noted above, those who receive a mini or full facelift are usually more satisfied if they have the surgical procedure performed before reaching 50-years-old.
