By plastic surgeon Dr Dirk Kremer. 

If you've undergone facelift surgery, either recently or some time in the past, then I'm sure you were absolutely thrilled with the results - which is very much the same experience for the vast majority of other men and women who have chosen to also undergo a facelift procedure.

However, despite this joy over the final result, many patients begin to ask me one question in particular many weeks, months or in some cases even years post-surgery - how can I maintain my facelift?

To answer this question, we should first consider how our skin changes as we age and what facelift surgery actually does to address these changes.

What happens to our skin as we age?

As we grow older our skin begins to show tell-tale signs of the natural aging process taking place. Even those who are blessed with incredibly smooth, clear and youthful looking skin through their 20's and perhaps even into their 30's, will eventually begin to look and feel less naturally incredible as wrinkles, discolouration and a rougher texture inevitably begins to set in. These changes over time will be down to genetics, sun exposure and other aging factors that we can't escape naturally.

Furthermore, at some point aging skin begins to lose its elastin and collagen levels start to drop. These are important proteins which, throughout our youthful years, gave our skin the elasticity and strength it needed to appear so smooth and fresh. Without adequate elastin and collagen, skin loses the ability to bounce back and instead begins to appear thin and droopy.

What does a facelift do to fight the signs of aging?

A facelift procedure fights the signs of aging by doing exactly as it sounds - by lifting the face through skin tightening techniques and by reducing skin folds and sags. Plastic surgeons use many different techniques and methods to achieve a certain result from the procedure. For example, my signature TBT-Facelift achieves an extremely natural-looking result that allows my patient to look like the exact same person, just a version many years younger, as opposed to a dramatic and extremely tightly pulled face that some may imagine when they think of a facelift.

With a skilled plastic surgeon who fully understands your anatomy and aesthetic goals, a facelift is the perfect procedure for addressing loose or lax skin around the neck and jawline, sagging cheeks and nasolabial folds, and fine lines and wrinkles that develop around the mouth.

How can the results of a facelift be maintained?

A facelift does turn back the clock and rejuvenate your appearance into a more youthful you, but it doesn't stop the natural aging process from continuing nor does it slow it down - as much as I wish I could say that it did!

However, there are still many tips you can follow to help maintain your fantastic facelift results while also providing many all-round benefits to your face and skin:

Maintenance procedures and treatments

Although the facelift procedure will leave you looking 10-15 years younger, your skin will still be its physiological age. The skin of a 55 year old produces less collagen and hyaluronic acid than the skin of a 35 year old, which means the result will deteriorate sooner the older a patient is. Following a facelift or necklift procedure, a patient should try to condition their skin to work as if it was younger so that it produces more essential collagen fibres which can improve the durability of the final result achieved from the procedure.

Procedures that can help achieve this include:

- Microneedling
- Mesotherapy
- PRP Treatment
- Smart skin care

These treatments, either performed individually or as a combination, can be carried out once or ideally several times a year to contribute towards stronger, more flexible and younger working skin that can help guarantee a longer lasting result following a patients facelift and/or necklift.

Apply sunscreen when out and about

The aging process can be quickly accelerated if skin is exposed to the sun's harmful UV rays, so apply sun protection to your face at all times to minimise the risk of brown spots and discolouration, to reduce signs of blotchiness or visible veins, and to minimise the development of fine lines and wrinkles as much as possible.

Keep well hydrated

Just like the heart and lungs, the skin is an organ, which means it needs plenty of water to function as well as it should. You should drink plenty of water throughout the day so that your skin can maintain its moisture - something which is particularly important following a facelift so that you can extend the benefits.

If you're a smoker, pack it in

You would've learned all about the negative effects of smoking and how it can impact recovery prior to your surgery, but if you begin smoking again after the procedure it can also negatively impact the longevity of your facelift results. So, for the same reasons smokers are told to quit before their surgery, find it within yourself to fight the urge to start up again post-surgery.

Develop a skincare routine you can stick to

You'll want your fresh new face to remain looking new and fresh for as long as possible, so to retain that look it's important to find a skincare routine that works for you and your skin but that's also simple for you to stick to consistently. Discuss this with a skin professional so that the correct products can be personally recommended to suit your skin.

Get your diet in check

It's not easy to maintain a super healthy diet day-in, day-out, but striking a balance really is vital to helping maintain your overall health and well-being. This also counts towards the appearance of your skin, so in typical healthy fashion you'd do well to always be stocked up on plenty of fruit and veg. A discussion with a nutritionist could arm you with all the knowledge you need to maintain a healthy balanced diet for the rest of your life, and to go some way towards prolonging the facelift results you've come to love.

If you'd like to discuss the cosmetic surgery procedures I offer here at Harley Street Aesthetics, then do get in touch so that we can book you in for your initial consultation and go through your options. You can call 0845 519 7232, e-mail info@harleystreetaesthetics.com or fill in the online contact form.