Am I a candidate for a facelift?
Written by Mark Domanski, MD
This is a common question patients think about. A good candidate for a facelift has three major features:
- Extra facial skin,
- Good general health, and
- Time for recovery.
1. Extra facial skin
Extra facial skin is the sine-qua-non of being a good candidate for a facelift. Being a plastic surgeon is like being a tailor for one’s skin. Just like extra fabric can be trimmer from a garment, plastic surgeons can remove excess skin. Age related excess skin is due to skin stretch with time. As a general rule, if you can pinch off a piece of skin anywhere on the body, a plastic surgeon can remove that skin and replace it with an incision line. The key of plastic surgery is to plan the incision line in an area of the body where it is hidden – such as behind the ear or in the hairline.
2. Good general health
A patient should be in general good health to undergo a facelift. This generally means being able to walk a quarter of a mile without difficulty, which is the distance around a high school running track. The patient should also be able to walk up two flights of stairs. Walking ability is a great way to measure heath and suitability for surgery. The good candidate for a facelift should not be on any medications that increase the risk of bleeding – such as blood thinners. Patients should obtain a general medicine clearance in the month leading up to surgery, which can include basic labs and possibly an electrocardiogram (EKG).
3. Time for recovery
Time for recovery is essential to being a good facelift candidate. Our facelift patients should be able to shower in 1-2 days, including getting their hair wet. Foundation and makeup can be used to cover up bruising. Patients begin to start going out after a week, and increase their social outings after 2-3 weeks. Patients within a couple days from a facelift if they can work from home. Those whose jobs require being in front of people can take two to three weeks off.
In summary, being a good candidate for a facelift requires extra skin to be removed during a facelift, good health to minimize surgical risk, and sufficient time off to recover.
Very Truly Yours,
Mark Domanski, MD
