Whether to get ahead at the office or simply look more youthful, more men than ever before are considering facial plastic surgery. One of the most popular procedures is the facelift, which helps to rejuvenate the neck, chin, lower cheeks, and the mid-face area. Depending on how patients look before the surgery, they can end up looking a decade or so younger afterward.
While facelifts are a great option for both men and women, there are some key differences between female and male facelifts. In some cases, the differences are because men typically want a slightly different result from their surgery compared to women. In other cases, the structure and anatomy of a man’s face can influence the male facelift procedure.
Let’s take a look at what factors influence a male facelift and how the surgery differs from facelifts on female patients.
Facial Anatomy
Generally speaking, men have a slightly different facial structure and anatomy than women. One prominent difference is the thickness of men’s skin. Women’s skin tends to be thinner than men’s, which can make it less challenging for a surgeon to manipulate it during surgery.
Women also tend to have thinner muscle and connective tissue in the facial area compared to men and their skeletal structures are also less robust. If a plastic surgeon doesn’t account for the denser muscle or stronger bone structure of male patients, a man can end up with a tight, pulled appearance in the face after surgery.
Liposuction of the neck is often a part of a facelift. For men, neck liposuction can be tricky, as the fat tends to be fibrous and difficult to remove with a cannula. Surgeons must have experience in male plastic surgery in order to effectively create natural-looking rejuvenation.
Facial Hair
Another huge difference between a female and male facelift is all due to facial hair. If a guy is concerned about preserving his facial hair or if he wears his beard or sideburns in a certain way, a surgeon will most likely have to adjust the location of the facelift incisions to accommodate the hair.
After a male facelift, a man might have to change his shaving technique. The surgery can alter the position of the beard, so that hair grows closer to the ears than before. Unless a man wants that hair there, he’ll most likely need to shave it regularly.
In female patients, it’s not uncommon for the surgeon to make incisions in the hairline, where they will be concealed by a woman’s hair. Since men tend to wear their hair shorter than women, or present with male pattern baldness, it can be more of a challenge to conceal the scars or healing incisions after surgery.
Surgical Risks
Male facelift patient might have a slightly higher risk for complications compared to female facelifts. That’s because male faces often have more veins and blood vessels than women’s faces. The more veins there are, there higher the risk for bleeding.
Desired Outcome
Men and women often want different results from a facelift. While a woman might want a more delicate and softer appearance after her surgery, men often want to look more “rugged” or masculine. That can mean that the goal of a male facelift is to create a more chiseled and defined jawline while the goal of a female facelift might be to produce a more dramatic rejuvenation.
What a patient hopes to get from their facelift influences the area of the face a surgeon focuses on. While male facelift candidates typically want to focus on the jaw or neck, women are typically more concerned with eliminating creases or wrinkles from the cheeks and reducing the jowls.
Male Facelift Recovery Process
One part of the facelift process that male patients often struggle with is the recovery. Men are often socialized to want to appear tough and able to handle whatever life throws their way.
It’s very important that men follow doctor’s orders to the letter after surgery, as not following instructions can increase the risk for bleeding or other post-operative complications. Usually, patients are told not to smoke or use tobacco products for at least two weeks after surgery and for several weeks before. It’s also a good idea for patients to take it easy, staying home from work for at least a week and avoiding strenuous activity for about a month after the surgery.
Ready to learn more about male plastic surgery? Double board certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Schwartz understands that different patients have their own unique needs and offers male patients a range of customized facial surgeries, including facelifts. To learn more about the procedure and to see if it’s right for you, call 561-228-5888 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Schwartz today.