The Gen X celebrities who pioneered the use of Botox are now turning to facelifts because of their longer lasting results, natural look and its having an impact on women the same age.
Since 2009 I've seen a 225% rise in facelifts in the over 45s and now the facelift is one of the top three cosmetic procedures at my practice along with cosmetic breast surgery and rhinoplasty.
Based on enquiries into my own practice, I predict that there will be a 20 per cent increase in over 45s for facelift procedures by 2013. Across the board, the cosmetic surgery business saw a 12 per cent[i] growth in facelift procedures in 2010 which is expected to rise again in 2011.
We see many women who have happily used Botox or fillers during their thirties and forties to reduce lines and who are now looking for more permanent solutions to keep them looking bright and fresh faced. With the youthful looks of celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Meg Ryan, many fiftysomething women are considering more permanent procedures around the jowls and eyes to help them appear as bright as their on-screen idols.
Surgical techniques have become significantly more refined in the last decade and the surgery is tailored to the individual while retaining a very natural result. This can really rejuvenate the face, removing that 'tired' look and making the face appear brighter and alert.
There are several types of facelift depending on what is required to improve different types of facial ageing characteristics.
The Mini Facelift:
The most popular procedure for patients under 45. This facelift benefits a younger age group with mild loose skin in the cheek and jowls but with a normal neck. The scar is limited to just in front of the ear.
Standard:
The most popular procedure for patients over 45 and especially if there is loose skin and muscle under the chin and neck. The scar is carefully hidden in the creases in front of the ear and runs in the groove behind the ear and back into the scalp. The whole face and neck is tightened to give a fresher and more youthful appearance.
The Volumetric Facelift:
Modern facelift techniques recognise that the features of an ageing face result partly from a loss of volume or 'hollowing' out . This facelift is designed to restore tissue volume loss which is often achieved by using fat transfer, where the patient's own fat is re-injected into the face to produce a fuller and fresher appearance.
The Mid-Facelift:
This is suited for patients who develop descent combined with loss of volume of the cheek area just below the lower eyelid. This procedure involves elevating the soft tissue of the cheek in this area. Fat transfer also restores volume.
[1] Stats from British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS).