Expert Voice:

The optimal time for a facelift

A well-done facelift can be profoundly uplifting (pardon the pun!), but when is the right time to get the treatment? Many people believe they should wait until their facial tissues are significantly loose or saggy before exploring surgical options. Contrary to this thinking, Dr Wong suggests that the ideal time to consider a facelift is when you’re becoming aware of the early signs of this looseness instead.

“This early ‘laxity’ is first noticed only when the head is tilted down, or when you press the skin along the jawline or inner cheek and it moves more than it used to. At this stage, the sagging skin is still not so obvious that it’s noticed by others, especially when the chin is up in normal head position,” Dr Wong explains.

He adds that getting a facelift at this stage of “latent laxity” delivers greater and more natural-looking results without tell-tale signs of surgery. It also slows down the ageing process and the development of more obvious laxity for a further decade or so. In general, a facelift is suitable for those 35 years old and above, who are seeking long-lasting correction.

An optimal type of facelift

Having considered the matter of ideal timing, choosing the right type of surgery is the next crucial aspect of your facial rejuvenation journey. Modern procedures should avoid the obvious facelift look by not pulling directly on the skin; instead, they should focus on tightening the internal support structure of the face. Dr Wong says that this can be achieved with the use of the composite facelift technique.

Superficially, it might look as if your skin has sagged. In reality, the skin sits on a sagging support layer (known as the SMAS), which is where the correction needs to take place. The composite facelift surgery firmly restores this layer to its former position, and this naturally lifts the skin above it. Nothing is stretched and the youthful contours of the face are restored; you can expect fuller cheekbones and clearer contour lines along the jaw and neck. And, because there is no stretching or pulling on the skin, the results are lasting and the procedure may even slow down the rate at which your face ages in the future. #06-28/29 Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Center, 38 Irrawaddy Road

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