Before facing your facelift surgeon, you'll want to have an idea of exactly what you want to change and what your priorities are. Three key areas of consideration will help you get started in narrowing your facelift goals.
What should you ask your facelift surgeon? Like any medical or cosmetic procedure,
you need to have an idea of exactly what you want to have done. A simple “I want to look younger/better/more attractive” is subject to more varied interpretation than cryptic religious scrolls written in dead languages. Imagine going into a salon with that kind of nebulous approach. You might be thinking of a slightly shorter, bouncier version of your current style, only to walk out in tears at the reflection you see with crisp, chartreuse spikes across your forehead and fuzzy stubble everywhere else. (Or maybe you’re the bright-green type, and you leave with far too little of a change to justify the cash you just surrendered.)
If you’re older than 10 years old, you probably don’t have to imagine such a disparity between your mental picture of how you’d look and the image in the mirror after a cosmetic treatment of some kind. Most people have experienced some kind of change that makes them want to wear a paper bag over their heads. Unlike hair, which grows back quickly and allows for fairly inexpensive, easy alteration, changes in your face are fairly permanent. You don’t want to visit the facelift surgeon uninformed or make your desires unclear. So here are five considerations you should mention when you go for your first surgical consultation:
1. What is your main concern?
Do you want a facelift in order to smooth out wrinkles, eliminate discolored spots, or change features altogether? All these aims can be accomplished through plastic surgery, but in order to get all the changes made that you desire—and no unsightly surprises in the way of extraneous alterations!—you need to be specific about the outcome you desire.
Depending on the specificity of the changes you’d like to have made, you may want to ask whether a mini facelift might work, rather than a full facelift; a mini facelift is a surgical procedure that affects only one area of the face.
2. Do you want to try to avoid surgery?
If you’d rather not get a scalpel involved in your appearance update, you could ask about chemical peels, laser treatments, Botox injections, or Thermage treatments. Chemical peels can help skin regain its youthful vibrancy, while eliminating unsightly scarring or discolorations. Laser treatments can help eliminate scarring due to acne, as well. Both laser and Thermage treatments can eliminate wrinkles. Botox injections aid in helping you achieve a more youthful appearance.
3. Are you more concerned with instant or long-lasting results, and are finances a factor?
Some non-surgical options require regular treatments, while others offer overnight change. Even surgeries may need to be repeated, over time. The initial costs for some procedures may be more, but over time, they turn out to be more economical. Whether you’re thinking more long-term or just about an upcoming wedding or other landmark event will influence your ideal option.
If you know your goals and priorities before you face your facelift surgeon, you’ll be more likely to come out smiling at what you see in the mirror.
