How long will facelift results last?
What a facelift longevity claim has to name
Durations need a who and a when
Be wary of any facelift duration given without saying who it was measured on and how long after surgery. Ask the practice to put its claim in writing, then ask what the claim is based on.
The missing unit in "long-lasting"
One claim to quote is "long-lasting results." I quote it because it has no unit. Long-lasting compared to what? Measured how long after surgery? In which patients? A before and after photo taken soon after surgery cannot show how a result looks later.
My reading has two steps. The first is a statement that names a time frame and what it was measured on. The second is photos from the same practice taken long after surgery, with the gap stated.
For general reading, start with Cleveland Clinic's facelift overview, the cosmetic surgery page from Washington University's facial plastic surgery center and The Aesthetic Society's facelift procedure overview. For each one, note whether it gives a duration and, if it does, what the duration rests on.
Pinning down a longevity claim
- Copy the practice's wording on longevity exactly as written.
- Ask what time frame the wording refers to and what it was measured on.
- Ask to see results photos with the time since surgery labeled.
- Ask what, if anything, the practice says could change how long a result looks the way it did.
Known versus hoped for
No surgeon wrote these longevity checks, and they are not medical advice. A surgeon is the right person to tell you what to expect for your face. A fair answer separates what is known from what the practice hopes, and says which is which.