01 Feb If You’re Overweight Should You Get To Your Goal Weight Before A Facelift?
How Much Weight Do You Need To Lose Before A Facelift?
A facelift can help improve a person’s self-esteem by improving the facial contours and signs of aging. The timing of a facelift should be considered to reduce the risk of loose skin. A healthy diet and exercise before a surgery consultation to achieve the goal weight can result in better facelift results.
Do you need to lose weight before a facelift?
Not all patients must lose weight before having a facelift. However, patients may need to lose weight if a doctor recommends weight loss for medical reasons or the patient is significantly over the goal weight. Consulting with a plastic surgeon can help determine a pre-operative plan for the patient.
What is a facelift?
A rhytidectomy or facelift is a cosmetic surgical procedure intended to improve the signs of aging in the face or neck. Cosmetic surgeons can minimize sagging skin on the cheeks and jawline and create an optimal contour based on someone’s desires and the surgeon’s guidance.
Who is the ideal candidate for a facelift?
A good candidate for a facelift is a person who is in good health, does not smoke or drink, and is close to an optimal weight. Candidates should be able to maintain the goal weight with a good diet and regular exercise. If a person is not at a goal weight, losing weight before the consultation can significantly improve surgical results.
Avoid major weight loss immediately before the surgery
Major weight loss immediately before the date of surgery can completely alter the surgical plan for the worse. Depending on the age, lifestyle, and genetics, loose skin may naturally tighten over time but not immediately. Major weight loss before surgery can result in an abundance of skin tissue, requiring more skin tightening and fat augmentation.
Importance of being at the goal weight
A facelift is an investment that can improve self-esteem and appearance. Being at a goal weight can help a patient achieve the best results. Before a consultation for the surgery, the patient’s face should have an optimal shape and fullness.
What happens if you can’t lose weight?
For some people, weight loss can be a challenging journey. In some cases, achieving the goal weight cannot be accomplished through a healthy diet and exercise alone. Weight loss surgery can help people who have a difficult time losing weight. Weight loss surgery can create loose skin, which may bounce back over time but also can require plastic surgery to remove and establish the desired face contour.
Losing weight after the facelift
After a facelift, people may feel motivated and have more self-esteem to go out and live life to the fullest. While even more weight loss may be tempting, the patient should allow the recovery process to finish. Recovery can take about a couple of months after surgery and about a year for the results to be fully formed. The weight loss should be gradual and steady instead of sudden.
Planning for optimal results
Too much fat loss during significant weight loss can make a facelift more difficult for a cosmetic surgeon. Instead, consult a plastic surgeon to determine an appropriate timeline for the planned weight loss and facelift to reduce complications and achieve the best appearance.