Men’s Facelifts: Just a Bit Different

Let’s address something immediately: Facial plastic surgery is not a gendered issue. There’s no exclusive male or female right to feeling good about yourself and your appearance. Everyone wants and deserves to find self-confidence, age with grace, and showcase outwardly how we feel within.

Sure, you might not see too many newspaper headlines asking, “Did he or didn’t he?” about whether male celebrities had facial plastic surgery, but the fact remains: The number of men getting facelifts is increasing. Image-conscious men in an increasingly competitive work environment are more likely than ever to consider facelift surgery.

While cosmetic surgery is open to all sexes, the reality is that historically women have been the bigger audience for plastic surgery. That’s a result of modern culture. However, men are increasingly coming around to the idea of nonsurgical cosmetic procedures and facelifts. More and more men are choosing facial plastic surgery after seeing their significant others’ results. That makes sense, given the number of women today who have had a cosmetic facial procedure.

Even though women are more likely than men to discuss their decision to get a facelift with friends and family members, statistics show that plenty of men are going to plastic surgeons to improve their appearances. In 2015, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, men make up 10% of all facelift patients.

Often men experience their girlfriends, wives or partners starting to look and feel younger after a facelift. Suddenly the women in their lives have a newfound zest for life — they’re more social and energetic. While men may still be a little hesitant to admit it, they want that as well! And at Korea Facelift Center, we think they ought to have it.

Our doctors in Korea are great assets in showing men what they can achieve through facial cosmetic surgery. They have carefully chosen natural-looking enhancements over the years and truly defined the ways men can have a more dignified, healthy-looking appearance without giving up masculinity.

The subject of the traditional notions of masculinity is a great place to start a deeper discussion about other issues men confront when considering plastic surgery. In light of this, let’s look at some of the top concerns, misconceptions and realities in men’s facelifts, plastic surgeries and nonsurgical procedures.


When Winning Isn't Winning

Without making new stereotypes, in general there tends to be a big difference in how men and women deal with any type of surgery from an emotional point of view. In our experience, we’ve noticed that in many cases our male patients tend to focus on outcomes and are naturally more competitive. With regards to a facelift, this means things like wanting to see results quicker than what is realistic. Men are also likely to define “winning” as healing quicker and returning to work faster. At Korea Facelift Center, we help patients establish realistic expectations regarding outcomes and recovery periods.


No Need to Tough It Out

Facial plastic surgery is accompanied by some discomfort and unfamiliar sensations, especially during the healing period. At Korea Facelift Center, we have plenty of professional tools and methods, such as anesthesia and high-tech recovery systems, for managing the discomfort. However, everybody has a different pain threshold. Knowing that there will always be different mental and physical aspects to how each person processes pain, we discuss these thoroughly with our patients and guide them in planning for the surgical and post-operation experiences.


Facelifts Styled for Men

While facelifts work in similar ways for both sexes, there are subtleties in the procedures that are unique to men. Both men and women share some general overall goals: they want to look like a more youthful version of themselves in a way that appears natural, however the desired result is a little different. Facelift surgery for men have to be specifically tailored, because the procedure calls for different techniques than when working with female facelift patients. For instance, men’s brow and eye areas, as well as the chin and jowls, are distinctly different than women’s and can therefore shift outcomes when included in the surgical process. Some specific areas our doctors concentrate on are:

• Incisions: Men’s side burns and beards require a different incision location to keep the side burns in a place that looks natural. This is one reason why it’s important that a man considering facelift surgery chooses a doctor experienced with male facial plastic surgery. Some men like to wear their hair short, or shave their heads, and that requires extra skill in making incisions with well-hidden scars in the natural contours of the ears.

• Goals: Both men and women get facelift surgery to address concerns about sagging skin and tissue. But most men want to keep a somewhat rugged, more masculine appearance with a chiseled jawline. Women, in most cases, want a smoother, more delicate feminine shape.

• Chin projection: Chin position in male facelift surgery is an important factor to consider, because a more prominent chin helps create more desirable results. In some situations, we can combine facelift surgery with implants to improve the chin.

What's the Right Choice for Me?

Once men decide that they’re ready to move forward on creating a younger look, they sometimes struggle with understanding which procedure will be right for them. Our doctors in Korea are great resources for streamlining this decision-making process. They have spent decades learning the distinct differences in men and women's facial structures. Some procedures our patients have chosen in addition to standard facelifts and mini-facelifts are:

• Brow lifts: Often a pronounced and deep-set area on men's faces, a naturally furrowed brow can create a stern look or be misinterpreted as a “mean” expression. A brow lift can help men express what they’re truly feeling.

• Eye lifts: Typically a key part of a mini lift, cosmetic surgery work around the eyes can relieve the look of hooding and bagging that are typical complaints among older men.

• Neck lifts: Just like women, older men struggle with the effects of a softening around the jowl and neck area. Correcting the look of “turkey neck” can help men reclaim their masculinity.

Your Partner in the Aging Process

As we’ve already mentioned, it’s now common for men to follow the women in their lives in making the choice to have plastic surgery. We see this as a positive trend and believe that couples that frame this in a healthy way may actually improve their relationships. Rather than watching a significant other flourishing after a facelift and feeling envious, whether outwardly or unconsciously, making the pro-plastic surgery decision together can help couples feel like they’re on the same path for the future.

However men come to facial plastic surgery and nonsurgical procedures that can help turn back time, we welcome them. Korea Facelift Center wants people to know that looking good is not defined by gender.

If you are suffering from aging and sagging skin and it is becoming noticeable, we invite you to contact Korea Facelift Center today. You can find the answers to the most frequently asked questions here. Your doctors in Korea will provide a comprehensive medical history and facelift analysis that will allow them to provide each patient with an accurate diagnosis so that a patient-specific treatment plan can be put into action. Contact us now.

Can Your Weight Affect Your Facelift Results?

Many patients make the mistake of thinking about a potential facelift surgery without considering how their weight, or changes in their weight, may affect the outcomes. Could 10 or 15 pounds truly influence the way your face looks? What about that new exercise routine you’ve just started a few weeks before your facelift surgery date? While your overall health is critical to the success of your surgery and recovery process, facelift patients need to be aware of the manner their results might be influenced by last-minute changes in weight. Even the way your improved face looks after surgery could be affected by weight gain and weight reduction.

Facelift Surgery and its Ideal Candidate

The facelift procedure incorporates a multi-layer approach to improve the contour of the face and firmness of the skin. Your doctor may tighten the facial muscle, remove or redistribute fat from the jaw and chin, tighten the underlying soft tissue of the lower face, or remove any extra skin. When the procedure is complete, the end results typically sweep 10 years from the patient’s appearance. For the right candidates, facelift surgery can be a successful and life-changing operation. Read here for more details about the standard facelift procedure and mini facelift procedure.

So who is a good candidate for facelift surgery? Ideally, you should be in good health, not smoke, and have realistic expectations for your facelift results. You should also be experiencing some of the signs of aging around the lower portion of the face, including the formation of jowls, the presence of lines and wrinkles, and the drooping of the skin. It is also important that you are close to your ideal weight in order to encourage proper healing from surgery and long-lasting results. Weight gained or lost from the face too closely before or sometime after surgery can impact the outcomes.

When to Lose Weight Before Your Surgery

During your facelift consultation, the issue of weight change may come up, especially if you are planning to lose a significant amount of weight before your surgery. For patients with weight loss goals, our doctors may encourage them to lose the weight and come back for a re-evaluation. This probably won't be the answer you want to hear, but there’s a good reason. Dropping weight can affect the face’s appearance in unexpected ways and your doctor doesn’t want to be taken by surprise in the operating room. Instead, by scheduling a second consultation, your doctor is giving you the chance to lose the weight and be seen again for a new evaluation and an updated surgical plan.

With regards to pre-surgery weight loss, timing is everything. Don’t try to make dramatic changes between the dates of your consultation and surgery. You may wind up with results you didn’t expect, since you could change the very nature of what is being corrected by surgery. Rather, plan your weight loss and complete it before meeting with a our doctor. If you begin at or close to your ideal weight, your doctor can have a clear idea of what changes should be made to achieve your desired results.

To lose weight at a steady, healthy pace, it’s very important to eat a well-balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals and to exercise regularly. Avoid carb-free, fat-free, crash, or fad diets of any kind, as these won’t provide the safe and sustainable weight loss you need. You might even gain more weight back and end up heavier than when you began. A proper diet and exercise regimen is a good habit to have for good weight loss; there are no shortcuts. Being at a healthy weight will help your body heal faster and without complications, something that can only benefit you after surgery.

How to Lose Weight After the Facelift

As previously mentioned, the ideal time to lose weight is before your consultation, but sometimes the timing just doesn’t work. If you’re close to your ideal weight, you may be eligible for a facelift. After the surgery, don’t be tempted to rush into a crash-diet or intense exercise routine. Even losing 5 to 10 pounds right away might affect your facelift results in an unexpected way. Of course, you want to achieve that ideal weight, but you’ll have to be careful with the timing.

Significant weight loss at a fast pace is inadvisable following any surgery, even a facelift. Your surgery will already have removed fat from the face, so losing more at a rapid pace could change your new look. If you’re trying to work off any amount of weight after surgery, you should always wait until your recovery is complete and you are cleared by your doctor to start exercising again. Keep your weight loss moving at a slow and steady pace. Discuss your plans for weight loss with your doctor before your facelift to get his or her opinion. The doctor might schedule a follow-up to see how your results are doing after that weight finally comes off.

If you decide to lose weight, remember that it doesn’t have to come off all at once. Many healthy weight loss successes took months and years, with their trimmed-down forms lasting a lifetime. Follow these tips to keep yourself motivated, on pace, and looking good after your facelift surgery:

• Target a slow rate of weight loss. The doctor-recommended 1-2 pounds of weight loss per week is a safe way to achieve lasting results.

• When you hit each 5-pound milestone, check the appearance of your face. Some people may see initial weight loss from the chin and neck area that can change the appearance of facelift results.

• Be prepared to try something new if you do experience unwelcome change. Your doctor can guide you through various techniques for adding volume back to the face if you find your look to be too skinny and severe, such as fat transfers and dermal fillers.

• Managing your weight loss after a facelift surgery is not only possible, but essential to your success. Remember that your doctor is there to help you throughout the facelift process, especially with personal issues like weight loss that could affect your surgery. Be honest about your plans for weight loss and take your doctor’s advice seriously for weight loss results that don’t sacrifice your facelift results.

Discuss Your Facelift Today

If you are suffering from aging and sagging skin and it is becoming noticeable, we invite you to contact Korea Facelift Center today. You can find the answers to the most frequently asked questions here. Your doctors in Korea will provide a comprehensive medical history and facelift analysis that will allow them to provide each patient with an accurate diagnosis so that a patient-specific treatment plan can be put into action. Contact us now.