How do surgical facelifts compare with non-surgical facelifts?

In reality, comparing surgical facelifts to non-surgical facelift treatments is like comparing apples to oranges. Yes, the two treatments might have some common ground – mainly the goal to look younger - but the processes and outcomes are very different.

What is a surgical facelift?

The aim of a surgical facelift (rhytidectomy) is to help your face look more youthful but removing loose, excess skin, smoothing lines and wrinkles and reshaping the bottom half of the face, which often gives away our age.

As the name suggests, these results are achieved through surgical intervention.

A surgical facelift should only ever be performed by an experienced and CQC-registered cosmetic surgeon in the UK. Other countries will have similar regulations.

The procedure is carried out under general anaesthetic or possibly a local anaesthetic with sedation.

During a surgical facelift, the surgeon can lift, tuck and even remove excess skin on your face and neck. This can help to lift your jowls, banish deep lines and accentuate your jawline – a feature that many of us associate with youth.

There are many different types of facelift and the procedure is often combined with surgical techniques to enhance the forehead, cheeks, brows and eyelids.

If you explore having a surgical facelift, the surgeon should explain what they propose to do and how it will meet your individual needs.

Some steps that might be included in a surgical facelift

To give some examples, a surgical facelift might include some or all of the following steps:

· Cuts or incisions above the hairline at your temples, extending down in front of the ear, underneath your earlobes and behind each ear – here, the skin is pulled backwards and upwards to lift and tighten it

Cuts under your chin if your jawline is being lifted
Removal of surplus facial skin to prevent sagging
Skin sewn into its new position
Redistribution of facial fat
Tightening of the deeper tissues that underpin your facial structure

You can find an overview of surgical facelifts on the NHS website. Do be aware that, as mentioned above, there are many types of surgical facelift.

New methods and technologies are constantly being developed, so this information is given as a guide.

Things to consider before a surgical facelift

Before you decide whether to have a surgical facelift, it’s important to discuss the pros and cons in detail with a trusted surgeon.

Like any type of operation, there is a small risk of infection, blood clots or an allergic reaction to the anaesthetic.

Some people experience nerve injury, hair loss, scarring, a collection of blood under the skin (haematoma) or asymmetrical facial features as a result of facelift surgery.

It’s absolutely vital that you research your surgeon in-depth.

How many facelift surgeries have they performed? How many resulted in complications? How were those complications addressed? Can you see before and after pictures?

The answers to these questions should help you find a safe pair of hands.

You’ll also want to explore the fees for a surgical facelift. Broadly speaking, a mini-facelift might cost several thousand pounds, while a full facelift may cost much more.

The procedure usually takes two to five hours to complete with an overnight stay in hospital. You should then expect to spend around four weeks at home recuperating.

The full effect of a facelift is usually visible within six to nine months, so it’s certainly not an overnight transformation.

Something else to recognise is that surgical facelifts can’t stop the ageing process. Your skin will continue to lose its elasticity and volume over time. You may need further surgical interventions to maintain the result.

Research from 2012 found that five and a half years after surgery, 21% of facelifts result in a partial relapse, especially around the neck. However, 76% of people still look younger than they did before the operation.

This shows that the outcomes are long-lasting but not permanent.

It’s also vital to recognise that a surgical facelift is irreversible.

How does this compare with non-surgical facelifts?

If you read our recent blog about how to get a facelift without surgery, you’ll have seen that “non-surgical facelifts” are actually a combination of non-invasive aesthetic treatments to lift and firm up your skin.

Many of these treatments focus on boosting your skin’s health and hydration and improving biological processes such as collagen and elastin production, which are the building blocks of beautiful skin.

In turn, this rejuvenates your appearance and creates a subtle lift and better volume.

Of course, the results we can achieve aren’t as dramatic as those associated with facelift surgery. It’s important to be realistic about this. We can’t remove excess skin altogether or significantly change your underlying facial tissues without surgery.

But it’s because non-surgical facelifts aren’t as radical as surgery that they’re so popular.

Each aspect of the treatment can be tweaked and refined to give your face a beautiful, natural-looking lift and ongoing improvements to the skin’s health and texture. If you don’t like an aspect of your treatment, you don’t need to have it again. If you love something, the results can be maintained.

Better yet, with a non-surgical facelift, you will need little to no downtime.

The costs of treatment are also significantly lower than those associated with an elective surgery like a facelift.

Deciding what is right for you

Only you can decide which option is right for you.

You should do as much research as possible and have an in-depth consultation with a prospective cosmetic surgeon or aesthetics practitioner (for non-surgical facelifts). Confirm their credentials and experience.

Choosing between a surgical facelift and non-surgical facelift treatments will depend on many factors.

What level of transformation are you trying to achieve? How old are you? How loose is your skin? How much excess skin do you have?

What is your medical history? A cosmetic surgeon will consider your physical and mental health.

What is your budget? Are you able to take time off work to heal?

What results could you achieve with or without surgery?

These are just a few of the things you will want to consider. Be sure to weigh up all of the pros and cons to a have a realistic outcome in your mind.

Non-surgical facelifts at Medikaur

Here at Medikaur, we offer a range of treatments to help nourish, lift and tighten the skin on your face and neck. These include:

The combination we suggest for your treatment plan will depend entirely on your needs and what we believe will give you the best results.
The first step is to book a consultation.

All treatments at Medikaur are carried out by leading Advanced Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner, Jane Paterson, or highly qualified doctor, Dr Gurpreet Gill.

Gurpreet Gill13 July 2021