Dr. Buckingham’s Q&A

Margaret,

The longevity of a facelift depends very much on the person.  The more significant facial aging you have and the better jaw and neck structure you have the longer it will last.  If you only have a minimal amount of aging or you have a heavier neck or a weaker chin/jaw then the results are likely to last less long.  The range is from 5-15 years.  The longevity also depends upon the patients perception however.  In other words, if you have a significant amount of aging and undergo a facelift, you are unlikely to return to you current appearance, ever.  I tell patients that if they have a twin sister and you have a facelift and your sister doesn’t, you will always look younger.  From that perspective a facelift lasts forever.  In reality though, after you have a facelift and are healed the aging process begins again.  Some people will never have another lift, but others may be so happy with their new improved appearance that they will not allow themselves to age to that degree again and may have another lift done in 5 or 10 years.  Very simple question, very complex answer.  Please take some time to learn more about facelift and look at our before and after photos.  We would be happy to see you.

Ed Buckingham