46 Years old and aging fast.
Am I a good candidate for neck lift, chin implant and upper eyes?
Do you think I am a good candidate for these procedures?
Would they be the most suitable?
I have always had a weak/double chin.
I am not overweight but feel like this neck makes me appear that I am.
I have been contemplating on this for over 5 years.
Thank you for your question!
You’re 46 years old and you feel that you’re aging fast and that you’re asking about
chin implants, upper eyelids, necklift.
So, certainly, in a practice like mine, I’m a cosmetic oculofacial plastic and reconstructive
surgeon and also board certified full body cosmetic surgeon.
I’ve been in practice for over 20 years in Manhattan and Long Island.
I get to hear this a lot.
I see patients everyday and one who is in practice for long, a lot of my patients have
been with for 10 years, 5 years, 20 years and so we’ve gotten old together and we’ll
review pictures.
And a lot of times, it really feels that way because a few years can make a difference.
Genetics of aging is what it is.
Even with good healthy habits and things like that, there are things that are programmed
to your DNA that occur and make you feel suddenly that you look older.
A lot of my patients say, “When I look in the mirror, I’m starting to look like my
mother.”
And they don’t mean that in a good way.
So it is certainly understandable that you want these options.
In a way, you’ve prescribed for yourself based I’m sure on extensive research, things
that we do as cosmetic surgeons to help people with situations like yourself.
So to answer the questions about the upper eyelids, it’s very straightforward that
you do have hooding in your upper eyelids.
So there would probably be benefit to a cosmetic upper eyelid blepharoplasty.
The key for you is, especially when you are in your mid-40s, where you don’t want to
look older by having cosmetic surgery.
This is a common fear.
People see celebrities all the time who overdo these procedures and a lot of times younger
people can have procedures and then they look like older people trying to look like someone
younger.
There is really more than ever need for the doctor and the patient to understand the art
and the balance.
We have so much technology and so much available to us and so many people who perform these
types of procedures that patients really need to seek out a doctor who resonates with their
aesthetics, with their value, with their style.
So with the upper eyelids, I would say to be more on the conservative style.
I would review some photos with you and we try to understand what would look natural
for you.
A lot of times, it’s a cliché, less is more, doing enough so that your eyes look
a little brighter rather than doing it more aggressively so you don’t need any volume
over your eyes.
As far as the chin implant is concerned, based on your profile, chin implant would really
do a lot of good for you.
Evaluating you for chin implant would also see if you have a deep under bite.
Sometimes , when there’s an under bite, the chin is really back and the chin implant
can be an option but still has to be relative to how much back the jaw is.
A lot of times, people just have a relative weak chin and so a chin implant not only gives
you a good projection from the side but also lengthens the face and adds balance from the
upper and middle thirds of the face.
As far as the neck lifting is concerned, with the chin implant, it is possible you would
get enough projection that you may not be as bothered about the amount of skin under
your chin.
This requires physical examination to make this determination.
I often sit with the patient and actually pull the skin up and see how the skin moves
and whether or not it’s of any value.
Sometimes when people have relatively weak chin and skin under the chin, if you lift
and pull the chin, there’s not enough to move and if that’s the case, I generally
advise to wait before a face and face and neck lift.
So with an understanding that you are probably a good candidate for upper lids and the chin
implant, I would advise meeting with qualified experienced cosmetic surgeons and people who
you feel comfortable with, who resonate with your aesthetic.
Other things to look for, the types of anesthesia in our practice, we do these procedures, we
do pretty much all procedures under local anesthesia with IV sedation which has been
really exceptional for us because our patients are recovering faster.
Even when we do eyelids, facelifts, chin implants or multiple procedures in the face, a week
later, people can really look good and with a little bit of makeup, they can just get
back to work.
So anesthesia is important.
I tend to feel people who tend to go under general anesthesia, tend to have longer recovery
periods and have more issues with post anesthesia nausea, etc. but most importantly the aesthetic
style of the doctor and kind of relationship you have in understanding.
You know 40s is a time where facial aging changes do occur but it is critically important
that these decisions being made with care so you don’t have too much or too little
done.
With may devices that claim to create surgically results which they don’t, it’s also tempting
to try those out.
Patients waste a lot of money having procedures with devices that heat up the skin and these
consistently don’t work.
So again, meet with qualified experienced cosmetic surgeons and get a sense of what
the perspective is and make sure you have you have a good communication with your doctor
and you’re comfortable with the procedure, the anesthesia and recovery period and most
importantly the details of your outcome.
So I hope that was helpful, I wish you the best of luck and thank you for your question.