Why facelifts are growing more popular with younger people

Facelifts are commonly seen as a cosmetic procedure only reserved for those 60 and older. However, in recent years, the surgery has gained popularity among younger people.

Nearly 6,000 facelifts were performed in the United States. in 2019 on patients under the age of 54. In fact, this age group accounted for 34% of all facelifts performed last year. As younger people continue to gravitate towards facelifts, it's important to understand why.

The benefits of getting a facelift early

A lot of facelift patients tend to let aging take its course until their 60s or 70s and then decide to get a facelift. While the surgery provides amazing results, the amount of tissue repositioning and adjustment it requires leads to a lengthy recovery period. For younger people, a quicker recovery time is expected as well as a more youthful aging process.

In addition, when patients over the age of 60 get facelifts, they typically try to reverse aging by 20 years at once. Doing this can lead to dramatic results compared to those aiming for only five or 10 years. Because younger people do not go back in time as far, their results tend to look more natural.

Best anti-aging options for younger people

When it comes to aging, thinking about your skin and how it will evolve is an important thing to consider while you're young. Those under the age of 30 should already be taking care of their skin in simple ways such as applying sunscreen every day and avoiding lengthy exposure to direct sunlight. By avoiding UV damage, you dramatically slow the development of fine lines, wrinkles, age spots and sagging skin.

Once the first signs of facial aging start to appear in your 30s, nonsurgical, injectable options like Botox® or Dysport® are a great way to minimize wrinkles and fine lines. It is commonly known that these injections relax the muscles for months at a time, but something important to note is that they also prevent the muscles from contracting, which minimizes wrinkles from worsening. This is a great option for those looking to slow their aging process.

Once patients reach their 40s and 50s, that is typically when getting a mini facelift is recommended. Compared to a standard facelift, a mini facelift is a less invasive procedure than a full, extensive surgery. In addition, the mini facelift typically requires half the recovery time of a traditional facelift and may be performed in-office with local anesthesia. The results of a mini facelift are natural-looking and the recovery period is milder which makes this procedure ideal for patients who want to maintain a youthful look.

Planning for the future

With so many different facelift options available for all types of skin concerns, it is easy to understand why the procedure has caught the attention of younger people. Every person's anatomy and aging process is unique and requires different types of anti-aging treatments and procedures.

However, starting to plan for the future at a young age is a smart option and can lead to a more youthful and natural aging process. If you are interested in learning more about how to maintain a youthful look, scheduling an appointment with a board-certified plastic surgeon is a great place to start to learn more about what plan works best for your body.