Why Do So Many 30-Somethings Opt-in for Facelifts?

Back in 1997, a plastic surgeon named Dr. Gerald Imber released the book The Youth Corridor, in which he recommends a number of key approaches to maintaining a youthful appearance over the course of one’s lifetime. His recommendations included essentials such as avoiding sun exposure, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy diet, and he also advocated for treating the skin regularly with procedures such as laser resurfacing.

Dr. Imber also recommended facelifts for patients as young as 30 years old as a form of prevention against the aging process. While this viewpoint was seen as controversial at the time his book was published, today – 25 years down the road – there is a barrage of mounting evidence that supports Dr. Imber’s philosophy.

More and More Patients Under Age 40 Are Seeking Facelifts

Although the facelift was once considered appropriate for individuals over the age of 50, more and more plastic surgeons are seeing patients in their 30s and 40s who want to undergo facelifts, and our practice here at Glamour Plastic Surgery and Med Spa is no exception.

In 2020, a total of 2.1 million cosmetic procedures were performed on patients between the ages of 30 and 39, per the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ latest statistics report. Of these procedures, 364,000 were surgical procedures. It was noted that, while the trend is emerging slowly, more and more millennials are now opting for surgical facelifts in lieu of, or in addition to, nonsurgical cosmetic treatments.

The Rise in Popularity of the Facelift

A number of factors may be contributing to the rise in demand for facelifts among millennials. The popularity of social media, with its emphasis on selfies and an increased preoccupation with one’s physical appearance, may have triggered an uptick in the popularity of all cosmetic procedures.

Additionally, the pandemic brought about an increase in work-from-home culture, including the infamous Zoom meetings that accompany that, during which one’s face is on a screen for all one’s peers to scrutinize.  Working from home also facilitates the possibility of recovering at home from a surgical procedure without the need for lost wages.

Furthermore, as more information becomes available on skin health and the aging process, more individuals are seeing the facelift procedure as a form of prevention and self-care, and perceptions about when to have a facelift have been updated. Instead of waiting until they actually need one, many millennials are opting to jump ahead of the game and protect their youthful appearance with a procedure such as a facelift, before the effects of aging and gravity fully set in.

All of this points to a new trend that favors increased surgical procedures, and particularly facelifts, among millennials.

What are the Benefits of Undergoing a Facelift in Your 30s?

While a facelift may not be a standard recommendation for the majority of people in their 30s, there is a small but significant sector of this population that can definitely benefit from the procedure, because in the early 30s is when many individuals begin to notice the first signs of wrinkles, lines, and skin laxity in their face.

To be a good candidate for a facelift, all you really need is a centimeter of pinchable loose skin in the lower face, jawline, or neck, and many people in their early 30’s are already seeing this.  A facelift or a mini-facelift can nip the aging process in the bud, extending your youthful appearance throughout your 40s and into your 50s.

How Does a Facelift Compare with Nonsurgical Procedures?

While nonsurgical procedures provide temporary solutions, a facelift provides a much more preventive fix that also addresses issues that nonsurgical treatments don’t address. As a general rule, nonsurgical treatments such as laser resurfacing, microneedling, and thread-lifts can be used to smoothen and tighten the surface of the skin, while injectable fillers are used to enhance volume.

All of these nonsurgical treatments may provide awesome results, but their longevity is limited, as all of these procedures require regular follow-up treatments and upkeep.  In comparison, surgical results may last for decades.  Surgery also addresses issues that nonsurgical treatments don’t treat.  For example, nonsurgical treatments may treat surface lines and wrinkles, but only surgery can actually address deep folds in the skin, as well as reversing the effects of gravity. Only a facelift can give you a total “lift.”

In fact, a facelift may be more effective than an injectable filler treatment in younger patients, for example, because, while enhancing facial volume may create the illusion of a lift, most younger patients aren’t actually lacking in facial volume, hence adding volume may make the face appear bloated. A far more effective solution would be just a little lift.

Combining Surgical with Nonsurgical Procedures

For many of Dr. Bachilo’s patients here at Glamour Plastic Surgery and Med Spa, the sweet spot actually lies in a combination of therapies and procedures, ensuring ongoing care for the skin, while also providing the needed lift.

This makes perfect sense, considering that cosmetic procedures are meant to be combined in order to optimize their results. When you visit Dr. Bachilo at our Houston-area facility, she will perform an assessment of your facial and skin condition, and recommend a comprehensive plan of therapies and procedures to create the most optimal results for your particular concerns, as well as to help you fulfill your aesthetic goals.

It’s difficult to determine how long the results of your facelift will last, since such factors as genetics, lifestyle, and post-op maintenance may all affect the health of your skin in the years to come.  But as we have seen consistently with our hundreds of patients, the more you care for your skin with combined therapies, the longer your skin will look fresh and youthful.

While a facelift is certainly not for everybody, and particularly people who are still in the prime of their youth, there are definitely 30-somethings who can benefit from a little lift, and use it as a way to “freeze” their facial youthfulness for the next 15 to 20 years. Every patient is different, and Dr. Bachilo’s recommendations will vary between individuals.  If you’d like to learn more about whether you’re a good candidate for a facelift, or a combination of surgical and non-surgical procedures, contact our friendly office today and schedule your introductory appointment with Dr. Bachilo.