While the reasons people choose to undergo facelifts vary greatly, the main reasons are often related to combating the dreaded effects of aging.
In the past, traditional facelifts were the only option for those seeking more youthful skin. However, the emergence of PRP to the medical world is starting to change that.
What is a Traditional Facelift?
None of us can escape the effects of aging. The good news is that they don’t have to be permanent!
The most common reason people choose to undergo facelift surgery is to combat visible signs of aging. These signs include sagging skin, deepening laugh lines, and accentuated jowls.
Signs of aging may be caused by several different issues. Thinning of skin, loss of integral facial fat, natural effect of gravity, smoking, and sun damage can all contribute to loss of youthful facial contours. Patients who do not smoke and have no underlying medical conditions that impair healing make the best candidates for this procedure.
What a Facelift Cannot Do
Facelifts do not have the ability change your fundamental appearance. Sadly, it is also not a cure-all for aging- it can only help combat it. Undergoing the procedure also does not guarantee the problems do not have the potential to re-emerge.
Average Costs of a Traditional Facelift
A 2016 study conducted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons shows the average price of a facelift costs around $7,000. This is an average fee that does not usually include other costs, such as anesthesia. Surgeons may also charge a fee that can vary drastically. This fee can be based on his or her level of experience as well as geographic location. If the procedure isn’t offered widely in your area, expect such fees to accrue even more.
Recovering From a Facelift Procedure
You may have to wear a bandage over your face during recovery. This is to minimize swelling, bruising, and exposure to sunlight. You may be responsible for draining attached tubes. These dispose of any excess blood or fluid. Don’t worry, your doctor will give you plenty of aftercare instructions.
Instructions may include but are not limited to:
- How to care for the surgical site
- Tube drainage procedure (if applicable)
- Medications (ointments or orally)
- Specific warning signs to watch out for (such as infection)
- When to follow-up after your procedure
Overall Results From a Traditional Facelift
Most patients can venture out into the public anywhere from 10-14 days after a traditional facelift procedure. However, it is likely to take around 2-3 months for the face to completely heal and feel back to normal. Normal implies all the uncomfortableness from irregular facial texture, loss of sensibility, and tightness (or lack thereof) have ceased.
How to Prolong the Benefits of a Traditional Facelift
If you’re not accustomed to being diligent about sun protection, you’ll want to be extra careful after undergoing a facelift if you want the results to stick. Daily protection against the sun coupled with a healthy diet will help immensely in elongating your results.
Be patient. The visible improvements from your procedure may not be visible right away. Once the swelling and bruising go down however, you will see that the wait and discomfort was worth it!
What is a PRP Facelift?
A PRP facelift, commonly referred to as the Vampire Facelift, is emerging as a lower cost, natural, simpler option to traditional facelifts. It is frequently used to enhance other treatments such as biocompatible injectable fillers, fat transfer, and/or Fraxel laser procedures.
People undergo PRP facelifts for much the same reasons as a traditional one- namely, to help the skin appear more youthful. Benefits from undergoing the Vampire Facelift include a rosier complexion (as opposed to dull or gray), restoring contour, bolsters structural support, and many others. One of the most attractive benefits of PRP facelifts is that it is a non-surgical procedure- with virtually zero risk of post-op infection- unlike its traditional predecessor.
What a PRP Facelift is NOT
PRP Facelifts, like traditional facelifts, are not a magical cure-all that will reverse the effects of aging. Sadly, that just doesn’t exist yet.
What does exist are options like the PRP facelift that can help combat these effects in order to make you feel and look your best at any age!
How it Works
The PRP Facelift has three steps:
- The physician will isolate growth factors from the patient’s blood.
- Hyaluronic Acid (HA) fillers are injected into the skin. These are what help shape more youthful contours.
- Multi-potent stem cells are activated once growth factors are detected. This supports the growth of new tissues. PRP helps produce collagen which provides support in building facial structure. New fatty tissues and blood vessels are also generated during a PRP facelift; the former is responsible for smoother looking skin while the latter restores a healthy more youthful glow.
Average Costs of a PRP Facelift
The average cost of a Vampire Facelift is around $1,100. However, this cost can range anywhere from $100-2,500. Costs and other associated fees are determined similarly to traditional facelifts in that surgeons can charge fees based on experience, geography, and cost of medical facilities.
Recovering From a PRP Facelift
Recovering from a Vampire service requires little effort… just a lot of patience!
Expect a full recovery to take around 2-3 months. The first day or so, some redness, tenderness, and bruising is normal. By the third day, these side effects should subside drastically (if not completely). This post-op swelling and bruising will gradually diminish until finally revealing a younger healthier you! Some patients report their skin having a sandpaper-like quality to it the day after their procedure. If you experience this side effect, give it up to one week to subside.
While these changes may be uncomfortable, minimal downtime is required as a result of them. You can go back to your daily activities as early as the same day of your procedure.
Results vary, but typically last anywhere from 1 to 2 years.
How to Prolong the Benefits of a PRP Facelift
Similarly to recovering from a traditional facelift, sun protection and moisturizing are paramount in helping yourself heal in the days following your PRP facelift.
Overall…
The decision for which procedure to undergo is entirely up to you. Hopefully, this article has given you some idea of the pros and cons for each procedure and has informed you enough to make an educated decision.
If you have further concerns or questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Veritas Backstage to schedule a free consultation. We would love to chat with you!
