Facelift Myth #2- Facelifts Are Only For Women
Facelifts For Men
Even though both men and women experience aging signs, with similar causes found in men and women, people still tend to assume that only women are having facelifts. Not true. Men also seek facelifts; although fewer men get surgery when compared to women. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS), about 12,000 facelift procedures in 201 were done on males. This came out to be about 10% of all facelifts done in the USA. Demand for male facelift surgery has increased 20% since 2000; demand for female facelifts has stayed about the same during this period.
The Difference Between Male and Female Facelifts
Men tend to want facelifts for different reasons than women. While women want facelifts to regain their youthful look and remain attractive, and feel good about themselves, men usually are motivated by desire to remain competitive in the work force. We are living and working longer. Regardless of one’s experience, skill set, etc, the reality is many companies still favor younger staff. Well qualified and experienced men may worry about being passed over or replaced by younger men. Botox and fillers are effective treatments, but at some point, a facelift is the best option to rejuvenate your face.
The technical details of performing a facelift in men are similar to women. The basic incisions, flap elevation, and manipulation of the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) are similar. There are some different factors to consider when doing a facelift on a gentleman vs woman. For example, the design of the pretragal incision is usually in front of your tragus. The reason is we don’t want to pull hair bearing skin (ie your beard) into your ear. However, one should be aware that some surgeons will still design an incision to go behind the tragus in men, but in these cases, one needs to damage the hair follicles of the skin flap prior to suturing. Another difference is the skin flap in men tend to be a little thicker and slightly more difficult to elevate. Men may present with a “heavier” neck, and so require more aggressive tightening than females. Finally, one also has to be careful in designing the posterior incision so that a natural hairline remains after surgery. Men who get facelifts generally have a shorter hair style, or even very tightly cropped. This hair style is less tolerant of minor irregularities of the hairline. It’s very hard to hide these in men since they generally don’t have long hair.
After Your Facelift
The postoperative recovery for men is the same as for women. Many surgeons will place drains and use a snug dressing after surgery. Like women, there is minimal pain in men after a successful facelift surgery. Swelling and bruising progressively resolves and many can return to the public in 10 to 14 days. A successful facelift will rejuvenate your face with a natural appearance. Typical compliments usually address how “good” and relaxed you look. The results should last 8 to 10 years. You can enhance your facelift results dramatically if you also undergo facial resurfacing. The best treatment, in my opinion, is the fractionated CO2 laser. Some surgeons will perform at the same time as your facelift. For me, this is a bit aggressive since the facial flaps have been traumatized by the surgery and there may be a slightly higher risk of scarring after laser. But many experts have reported great results doing laser at same time as the facelift. Another reason I don’t recommend doing CO2 laser at the same time as surgery is the cost prohibitive additional fee imposed by the surgery center or hospital. For our practice, it’s less expensive to do the CO2 laser in our clinic after you have healed from the surgery. `
For more information about facelifts for men, contact Dr. Kenneth Yu Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and his qualified team of experts serving the San Antonio, Texas area. To schedule a consultation, please contact our Concierge Patient Coordinator at 210-876-6868.
