Male facelift procedures require expert care and attention to get results that men will be satisfied with. The first step in considering male facelift surgery is finding a surgeon who is experienced in carrying out the procedure. When looking for a surgeon, be sure to ask questions about successful male facelifts in the past, look at pictures of past surgeries, and get details of the procedure to ensure that your surgeon understands what your goals are in surgery.
While there are many similarities in the ways that men and women’s faces age, there are significant differences that need to be accounted for in the way that a facelift is executed. Men and women both wrinkle with age around the eyes, forehead, and cheeks. Men and women also both loose fatty tissue in the face around the eyes and cheeks, which results in sagging around the cheekbones and bags under the eyes. Both men and women develop hanging skin around the jowls and neck as they loose skin elasticity. While both genders suffer from the same signs of aging, there are differences. First, men are more affected by sun damage. While women notoriously tanned more in their younger years, men’s skin is more affected by sun damage because they tended not to use skin protection as frequently. Also, men who worked outdoors in the sun have more skin damage on their face, as they were not as often protected by long hair or hats. Additionally, men’s faces have some natural lines around the forehead and jaw that are marks of masculinity: expert surgeons performing male facelift surgery know not to stretch the skin too tight, as these natural male features will disappear and the resultant ”pulled” look is both feminizing and unattractive.
The main concern among men who are undergoing male facelift surgery is that the procedure will not look natural. While women might appreciate others noticing their younger look after surgery, men tend not to want the attention. Therefore, it is of the upmost importance that a male facelift look as natural as possible. Along these lines, men are often concerned that they will look too “nipped and tucked”, which results when there is too much skin removed and the skin is tightened too much. An overly-tightened facelift creates a feminine aesthetic, and men want to avoid that look at all costs. In general, the goal of a male facelift is to correct wrinkles and sagging skin with the minimal amount of stretching and cutting of the skin as possible in order to create a natural but younger appearance.
One special consideration during male facelift surgery is that men bleed more from their faces than women. Because there is a greater blood supply to the male face, they are at greater risk for hematoma, which is a collection of blood under the skin, which creates a purple bruised appearance. Surgeons must take special care not to unnecessarily disrupt the blood vessels in the face, otherwise men who get male facelift surgery will be facing a longer recovery period and may want to avoid going to work or going out in public until the hematoma has resolved.
Additionally, men have the unique problem of growing whiskers on their face, and this needs to be discussed with the surgeon prior to the surgery, as a facelift will temporarily interrupt a man’s ability to shave their face during recovery. Surgeons need to be especially careful where they place sutures during a male facelift so they do not fall too close to the hairline, where a man might be at greater risk of accidentally shaving over the suture and causing damage to the healing process. Also if the sutures are placed too close to the hairline, alopecia (hair loss) will be evident as a “bald spot” Men’s facial skin is also thicker than women’s facial skin. A plastic surgeon that is skilled in this procedure knows this, and adapts their procedure by using the correct instrumentation that will leave the least amount of scarring.
Lastly, the placement of sutures needs to be taken into special consideration with male facelift surgery, as the male hairline differs greatly from the female hairline. First, men tend to have short hair that does not cover the ears, so sutures should be placed in natural skin creases and in front of and behind the ear as much as possible to avoid visible scars. Also, as men age they experience hair loss, so some men electing facelift surgery may not have hair at all to cover scars. Again, surgeons must take particular care to place sutures in natural creases and in front and behind the ear to hide scars. Also facelifts will tend to elevate the sideburn area. In women, this is natural, but in men, the sideburn elevation leads to an unnatural look and must be avoided.
While it is important for men choosing to have facelift surgery to understand the special considerations of the procedure, the most important thing is finding a plastic surgeon that is familiar and expert in the procedure. At The Kole Plastic Surgery Center Center, Dr. Kole has had great success in performing this procedure, and is well aware of all the special considerations that need to be accounted for in order to gain the best results. To find out more about how Dr. Kole can help you achieve a naturally younger appearance through a male facelift, please contact the office at 215-315-7655 to schedule a private complimentary consultation.
