Who is a good candidate for a mid-facelift?

Strong candidates for a mid-facelift are in good health and have realistic expectations. Learn more about who should--and possibly shouldn't—have a mid-facelift with cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon Robert Grant, MD.

Transcript

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Alcohol and cigarettes are probably the two things that we, as human beings, do to ourselves that most interfere

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with the kind of quality results I seek to achieve when I'm performing cosmetic surgery. [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:20

The best candidates for mid facelift surgery are people, number one, who take care of themselves generally, whose medical conditions

00:28

are minor or inconsequential, or under satisfactory treatment from their internist. Second, people who are not smoking

00:36

or who are not using alcohol to excess. Alcohol and cigarettes are probably the two things that we as human beings

00:44

do to ourselves that most interfere with the kind of quality results I seek to achieve when I'm performing cosmetic surgery.

00:52

Cigarette smoking is an absolute no-no. The nicotine interferes with healing. And I won't operate on a patient who smokes.

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In fact, I'll make my patients wait six weeks off all nicotine products, including the nicotine gum,

01:06

to make sure that we're not going to have, in an elective operation, a problem associated with wound healing.

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I like a glass of wine. Most of my patients do, too. It's alcohol in moderation which is fine,

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but alcohol in excess which can interfere with healing, because it can leave you dehydrated. It can impact with the other medicines

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that the anesthesiologist is going to use to help sedate you. So no one's saying, don't enjoy.

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But enjoy in moderation. And finally, have a realistic expectation about what a midface or full facelift can achieve.

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We can move tissue. But if your skin has been sun-damaged, if there are fine lines and wrinkles

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around the corners of the mouth or the corners of the eyes or in the forehead, many times, additional adjunct treatments

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are necessary to get the best kind of results. The best skincare is prevention. Using sunblock on your children and your friends and nieces

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and nephews is probably the best thing you can do for their health to prevent their photo aging. However, most of us have grown up

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in a time when that wasn't understood. So being in touch with a colleague who can help manage your skincare regimen in advance

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of a surgical procedure is not only a way to look good in general, but also a way to maintain the results after the cosmetic operation has

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been successfully performed. [AUDIO LOGO]