Can a face-lift make you appear more successful? According to a Johns Hopkins University study, yes, it can.
Not only can the procedure make you appear more successful, but it can also make you seem more popular and help you win public office or have more favorable court decisions.
The face-lift procedure is one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures in the United States, with more than 130,000 procedures performed last year.
During the Johns Hopkins study, researchers gave 483 participant reviewers the before and after face-lift photographs of 13 women and asked them to rate the women regarding their appearance before and after the procedures.
The participants were also asked to analyze the women concerning their health, success level and age.
After reviewing the images, the women in the pictures were deemed to be 16 percent healthier after their face-lift surgery. They were also rated 10 percent more successful than before their procedure.
On average, the women also appeared four years younger after their surgery, according to the reviewers.
The participants reviewing the images made other assertions about the women after their procedures, including that the women were more likely to get out of traffic tickets, win public office, have more favorable court judgments and have more friends after surgery than their before-surgery images.
While the face-lift procedure allowed the women to be viewed differently by others, it also made the women see themselves differently. The women felt more confident and better about themselves.
The women also said they experienced an improved quality of life and better personal and professional relationships after their surgery.
These benefits are no surprise to Dr. Christy Walker, a Plano, Texas, dual-board-certified cosmetic surgeon and gynecologist.
“It is natural that most people feel better about themselves after a cosmetic procedure. People choose to have cosmetic procedures to fix flaws or perceived flaws,” she said.
The face-lift is a surgical cosmetic procedure that helps to reverse signs of aging such as wrinkles, deep creases and sagging jowls.
“During the aging process, our faces lose the fat that is under the skin that gives us contours. When that happens, the skin hangs loose. At the same time, we are also losing muscle tone and our skin is losing elasticity. Together, these situations are the perfect storm for the development of wrinkles,” Walker said.
During the face-lift surgery, incisions are made at the ear, neck, temple and along the hairline. These incisions allow the skin and facial tissue to be lifted and tightened. After tightening, excess skin is removed and the incisions are sutured closed.
Face-lift patients usually experience bruising and swelling for several weeks after their procedure.
“A face-lift is major surgery, and with that comes long recovery and risks,” Walker said.
Individuals who want the effects of a face-lift without all the risks and extended recovery period still have the option to change their appearance. They can choose minimally invasive or non-invasive face-tightening procedures like those that use ultrasonic energy or radiofrequency energy to tighten the skin.
“Technology has advanced significantly for minimally invasive and non-invasive procedures to give many of the benefits of the face-lift procedure by tightening the skin and reducing the signs of aging,” Walker said.
Sources:
People Bodies (online). Women Who Undergo Facelifts are Perceived as More Attractive, Healthy and Successful, Study Says. March 2017.
American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Plastic Surgery Statistics 2016.
