Guide:

Although constantly advancing injectable techniques with Botox and fillers have allowed us to delay the need for surgical intervention, there comes a time when relaxing the muscles and restoring volume just isn’t enough. There’s a point in the facial aging process when the tissue of the face has weakened so much from slowed down collagen and elastin production that it starts to fall or “droop.”

Dr. Mark Markarian is known throughout Boston and beyond for delivering beautiful, natural results through his modified deep plane facelift technique. The deep plane face and neck lift are best suited for patients with moderate to severe signs of facial aging, such as skin laxity in the lower face and jowls and sagging skin in the neck.

The average age for people to seek facelifts is their 50s or 60s. While some patients visit Dr. Markarian in their 30s or 40s for facelifts, it’s usually for mini facelifts as aging changes don’t usually progress enough for a deep plane facelift until after 50.

How To Know If It’s Time For A Facelift

Everyone’s face ages differently, so there’s no definite age when everyone needs a facelift. Some patients as young as their late 30s and as mature as their 90s meet with Dr. Markarian for facelift consultations.

Once it is time for a facelift, we almost always recommend combining it with a neck lift to address sagging skin and excess fat in the neck, as this usually becomes visible around the same time as skin laxity in the face. Maintaining harmony between the face and neck is crucial in total facial rejuvenation.

Here are our tips for how to tell when you’ve reached face and neck territory in your facial aging process:

  • Botox and filler are no longer enough to address changes
  • The skin in your mid to lower face, jawline, and neck has started to sag
  • The sagging skin on your face promotes an overall tired appearance or makes you appear angry, sad, or tired when you are not.
  • You notice volume loss in your cheeks
  • Your jawline definition has become imperceptible
  • You’ve developed deep nasolabial folds and marionette lines

When To Get A Mini Facelift

Often called the “short scar facelift,” the mini facelift is less invasive than traditional facelifting techniques. It only addresses mildly sagging skin or early jowls and doesn’t achieve the same dramatic result.

The most common age patients get mini facelifts is in their mid to late 40s, but there has been an increasing number of patients as young as 30 years old getting mini facelifts, according to RealSelf. Mini facelifts are not for everyone, but at the right time in the aging process, they can deliver excellent results by improving early signs of aging or preventing noticeable changes before they develop.

If your only concerns are sun damage, fine lines, and rough skin texture, you probably haven’t reached the point of needing a facelift, not even a mini facelift. It may be better to use injectables and laser and energy treatments to resolve these issues. When you meet with a board-certified plastic surgeon to discuss your goals, they will help you decide the best treatment plan for your concerns.

When To Get A Deep Plane Facelift

Having a deep plane facelift at a later stage in your life, such as your late 50s and beyond, can be very beneficial, but it’s not uncommon for patients to seek this procedure in their 40s and early 50s.

The deep plane facelift is a favorite among Boston facelift patients as it delivers long-lasting, natural-looking results and is safe and effective even if you’ve had another type of lifting procedure on your face beforehand.

Deep plane facelift does much more than other facelifting techniques, most notably restoring volume to the midface and under the eyes. 

A book in the National Library of Medicine says, when executed correctly, the deep plane facelift can promote dramatic, long-lasting rejuvenation in the lower and mid-face.

To deliver his renowned deep plane facelift results, Dr. Markarian targets the platysma (the muscle in the neck), removes any excess neck muscle in the midline, and plicates it to create a corset platysmaplasty. He then adjusts the underlying muscles in the neck and face, tightens and removes excess skin and fat from the platysma and SMAS, and folds and tightens the face and neck for a consistently tight and smooth contour from the midface to the neck.

For patients with severe aging changes, combining a deep plane facelift with other facial rejuvenation procedures targeting the upper portion of the face, such as blepharoplasty, also known as eyelid surgery, helps to create a younger, happier, more rested appearance.

What Are The Benefits Of A Facelift?

The facelift has always been a widely chosen cosmetic procedure, and it grew in popularity by 8% in 2022, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Deep plane facelift has an impressive 98% “Worth It” rating based on reviews from patients on RealSelf. But why is this such a popular procedure? Why do 70,000+ in their 30s and beyond get facelifts each year?

The benefits of your facelift depend on the type of facelift technique used by your plastic surgeon, but here are the benefits Dr. Markarian’s deep plane face and neck lift patients notice:

  • Improves jowling and other excess skin and fat around the neck
  • Lifts drooping cheeks
  • Improves nasolabial folds and marionette lines
  • Smooths out dimples caused by lax skin and muscle bands
  • Improves swollen mounds in the lower eyelid and cheek area
  • Promotes natural (yet dramatic) results that don’t scream “facelift”
  • Sustainable results, often lasting 10-15 years or more
  • Restores confidence

If you are considering a facelift at any age and want to know if you meet the requirements to undergo a safe and successful facial rejuvenation surgery, schedule a consultation with Dr. Mark Markarian in Boston to discuss how he can help you restore youthfulness and brightness to your face.