I am 65 – am I too old to consider a facelift?

They say that 40 is the new 30, and 60 is the new 50, there is no doubt that the way that people look act and feel is erring towards the approach of ‘younger for longer’. People are no longer considering themselves older when they reach certain birthday milestones, in fact, they are happy to take steps to ensure that they look and feel as youthful as possible.

The way we dress, the activities we undertake and our general outlook on life is shifting, and the options available to people who wish to look as youthful as they can are improving all the time. Facelifts are one of the more popular cosmetic surgeries chosen by women in the UK, and one of the most frequently asked questions is ‘am I too old for this type of procedure?”.

The answer is, within sensible parameters, it is entirely up to you.

Understanding what is happening to our skin

Skin generally begins to show its age from our 30s, or if we are very lucky, into our 40s. Our skin goes through a lot of natural wear and tear, and by the time we reach our 30s, many of us are showing subtle signs that our skin is beginning to age. Crows’ feet around the eyes, laughter lines, faint wrinkles – these are all signs that begin to start making an appearance as we head towards middle age. These lines and wrinkles occur because the skin begins to lose fat reserves which once gave it a fuller, more youthful appearance.

At 65, people once may have thought themselves too old to opt for a facelift or other facial rejuvenation options. The current trend suggests that this is not the case at all, with the ‘window’ of when people choose to have a facelift extending at both ends of the spectrum. A greater number of much younger people are opting to strike immediately, and address wrinkles as soon as they can detect the slightest sign of them. The same is true for older women, many of whom are less accepting these days that wrinkles are a natural part of the ageing process – many are keen to roll back the years to ensure that how they look and how they are feeling are more closely aligned.

What are my facial rejuvenation options?

There are many facial rejuvenation options available for those of us who wish to have a more youthful looking face, and these start from non-surgical, temporary procedures such as dermal fillers, Botox and chemical peels, to longer lasting techniques such as a facelift or eyebrow lift.

The younger you are when you choose to have a procedure, the more effective it will be initially, as your skin is naturally firmer and less wrinkled to begin with. However, those who have procedures when they are much younger will often find that they will want to go back several times in the future to continue having work done, as none of the work will last forever – ageing is a powerful force of nature and will continue to affect your skin even when you have taken preventative steps. You also heal quicker when you are younger, so this might be something you wish to consider when deciding when the best time is to undergo your chosen procedure(s).