Who Is a Good Candidate for a Face Lift
Northern Virginia, Maryland & Washington, DC

The Austin-Weston Center for Cosmetic Surgery located in Reston, Virginia, specializes in facial surgery, including facelift, brow lift, rhinoplasty and neck sculpting for Northern Virginia, Maryland & Washington, DC.

If you think you look older than your age or older than you want people to see you, you may be considering a face lift. If so, you want to know whether you are a candidate for the procedure. Most people are candidates for a face lift if they are in good health, have attributes that can be treated with a face lift, and are prepared to do their part in getting the best possible results.

This page gives some basic information about what makes an ideal face lift candidate, but it cannot evaluate your facial aging and medical history to tell whether you are a candidate. For a personal evaluation, please call 703-893-6168 or email us today to talk to one of the board-certified plastic surgeons at the Austin-Weston Center for Cosmetic Surgery, serving Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

What Makes an Ideal Face Lift Candidate?

A face lift is sometimes used as an umbrella term used to describe surgical procedures for addressing some signs of facial aging. An ideal face lift candidate is:

• Has aging appearance that can be treated with a face lift
• Looking for long-term results
• In good general health
• At or near their ideal weight
• Free of health conditions that may increase risk of complications
• A non-smoker
• Not taking medications that may increase risk of complications
• Capable and willing to understand the face lift procedure, recovery time, and risks
• Psychologically healthy with realistic expectations for the procedure

All of these are desirable, but not meeting all of them does not mean you are not a candidate.

During your consultation, we will talk to you about your medical history, general health, and medications. Be sure to share with us the over-the-counter medications and any herbal supplements you take on a regular basis, as these also have the potential to affect your healing and result.

If you are a smoker, you will be asked to quit smoking for a period before and after your surgery. Also understand that smoking can diminish the lifetime of your good results.

What a Face Lift Treats

Most of our face lift candidates are in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, but a face lift candidate doesn't have to be any particular age. All that matters is that you are bothered by the mark age has left on your face, and that that mark can be erased or diminished by a face lift procedure. Some of the symptoms a face lift treats include:

• Excess or sagging skin in the neck (necklift)
• Jowling (face lift)
• Marionette lines (face lift)
• Hollows under the eyes (mid-face lift and facelift)
• Nasolabial folds (mid-face lift)
• Frown lines (brow lift)
• Drooping eyebrows (brow lift)
• Lines on the forehead (brow lift)

A face lift is not a great treatment for numerous fine wrinkles that give the skin a crepe like appearance. These wrinkles may be treated with a combination of procedures including facelift, laser, and skincare. These wrinkles are best treated with advanced skin care procedures. A face lift is also not the best treatment for some specific wrinkles and facial folds, which are best treated with facial fillers or BOTOX® Cosmetic. Other times, injectables, such as Juvederm, can be used to temporarily reduce the appearance of several signs of facial aging until you are ready for a face lift.

If you live in Virginia, Maryland, or Washington, D.C. and want to learn whether you are a good candidate for a face lift, please call or email The Austin-Weston Center for Cosmetic Surgery today to schedule a consultation.