The Disadvantages of a Facelift
Many people do not think that having a facelift is a big deal. However, a facelift is a very serious surgical procedure, one that has risks, complications, long recovery time and high expense associated with it. A facelift will not make a person look like someone else or stop the aging process. Rather, the facelift, if done properly, will make an individual look younger and refreshed. However, be aware of the disadvantages of a facelift before having one done.
Risks and Possible Complications
You can lower your risks by using a surgeon who is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), but there are possibilities for risks and complications from facelifts. Sometimes further surgery is needed to improve the results of poor facelift outcomes, such as asymmetry of the face, visible scarring or visible deformities where the incisions were made. Other complications cause slow healing or pain. Risks include bleeding, infection, hair loss at the incisions, facial nerve injury or weakening, changes in skin sensation, skin discoloration and cardiac and pulmonary complications, according to the ASPS.
Smokers can be susceptible to blistering and skin death and are generally not good candidates for a facelift unless they stop smoking a month before surgery and during recovery, according to SmartFaceLifts.com.
Because no surgery is an exact science, according to the ASPS, you may not get the expected results upon the first attempt. You may require another facelift to get the results you want.
Be particularly cautious if you have shortness of breath, chest pains or unusual heartbeats when you get home. If you experience anything like that, get back to the hospital immediately, the ASPS suggests.
Recovery Time
It can take as long as six months for the swelling to go away and for the incision lines to mature. Follow carefully your surgeon's instructions during the recovery period. During this time, you cannot subject the incisions to excessive force or motion. You need to avoid putting clothes on over your head. You will have other, more specific instructions from your doctor as well. If you opt for the lesser, mini-facelifts that require very little healing time, you may only achieve very little noticeable results, according to the ASPS.
Expense
Because facelifts are usually elective, they are not covered by health insurance. Exceptions, which insurance will cover, are reconstructive surgeries that are necessary because of congenital defects, trauma, infection or disease. Typically, these surgeries are to improve function, not solely for appearance. There are gray areas as far as insurance coverage goes, such as eyelid surgery. If the eyelids are drooping to the point of obstructing vision, insurance may cover that.
Exact prices for facelifts vary widely, according to the ASPS. Experience of the surgeon and location of the practice are two variables. Be prepared to pay the surgeon's fee (the average of which is $6,792 as of 2007, according to FaceForum.com), the hospital or clinic fee, anesthesia fees, prescription medications, post-surgery garments and medical tests.
