Men’s vs. Women’s Facelift: What’s the Difference?

Men and women look and age differently, so rejuvenation SHOULD be gender specific! When you come in for total facial rejuvenation or a facelift at my Dallas practice, it is very important to sit in front of a mirror and carefully analyze your face. This helps us determine how you have aged and what we can do to help turn back the hands of time.

It is also very helpful to have photos of yourself from 10 or 20 years ago to help guide our treatment plan. After all, we do not want to change your appearance; we just want to eliminate a few years, creating a look that you remember from a decade or two ago.

What are the major causes of aging?

1. Sun exposure–Your degree of exposure to the elements and how well you protect your skin definitely plays a role into how your skin will change and respond to the wind and sun. In general, our skin thins with age.
2. Volume loss–As we get older, we start to lose some volume in our faces. We often see this in our late 30s and 40s in the middle of our face, below our eyes; along our nasolabial crease and in the corners of the mouth. As we get older, this may progress and involve other areas of the face including the jawline, lips, and around the eyes.
3. Gravity takes its toll–With the loss of volume in our faces as well as the loss of collagen and elastin within the skin, all structures in our face may sag. This includes our brows, eyelids, mouth, cheeks, jawline, and neck. Even our noses can age and droop!

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What makes a face look feminine or masculine?

Your face is unique, but we generally see some differences between male and female faces. An aesthetically pleasing female face has an oval appearance with highlights over the cheekbones. In contrast, men’s faces tend to be squarer with a wider and sharper jawline. Other notable differences include:

• The male chin is square and more prominent than a woman’s chin, which is rounder and more narrow.
• The upper eyelids and brows tend to be fuller and lower in men when compared to their female counterparts.
• In general, men’s lips tend to be less full and flatter than women’s lips.

These gender specifics make all the difference when I plan your facelift surgery.

As plastic surgeons map out a treatment plan for our patients, we consider gender. Things to avoid:

• High arched brows in men
• Hollow upper eyelids in men and women
• Excessive fullness over the cheekbone in men
• Oval appearance of the face in men
• Flat cheeks and a square jawline in women

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How is a facelift done?

In both men and women, we perform a SMAS facelift to optimize the outcome and enhance the longevity of the procedure. In women, we shape the deep tissue to highlight the cheekbones and change the shape and angulation of the face, also known as the High SMAS Facelift. SMAS stands for superficial musculoaponeurotic system, the underlying musculature of the cheek.

With aging, the female face drops from its oval form to a squarer look. As the deep tissues are lifted and suspended during a facelift, the oval shape returns to the cheekbones. Less volume in the lower face restores a more youthful appearance. The jawline and neck are also tightened and rejuvenated with this procedure.

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What is a facelift for men?

While the principles are similar in men, our goals and outcomes are clearly different. We want to preserve the square appearance of the male face but sharpen the lower face, jawline, and neck for rejuvenation. For men, we focus on the lower aspect of the face rather than highlighting the cheeks.

It is very important to understand these crucial differences and aesthetic goals in masculine and feminine faces. Most unnatural results come from failing to consider gender or by relying on excessive tension on the skin to achieve lift. This does not work and leaves the patient with a distorted face and poor quality, visible scars.

How long does it take to recover from a face lift?

Our facelift patients stay with us overnight in our hotel-like Extended Care Unit, under our full supervision. We remove the bulky dressing and place you in a Velcro chin strap for neck compression.

You’ll be able to go home with a drain tube that stays in place for 4 to 5 days. Then your sutures will be removed at around 7 days following the facelift.

Our goal is to have you confidently be able to go out in public within 2 weeks. When eyelid surgery (upper or lower blepharoplasty) is added, your recovery and desire to be out and about may take a little longer, about another week. We answer more facelift questions in this blog post.

We allow our patients to begin physical activity at 2 to 3 weeks. You may experience some swelling, particularly in the cheeks and the area under the chin, for up to two months.

Male Facelift Results

See more facelift before and after pictures in our photo gallery.

How do you choose the best facelift surgeon?

In Dallas or wherever you’re searching, it is important to do your homework and research when seeing your plastic surgeon. Make sure they are certified in plastic surgery by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), certification is important because it demonstrates skill, knowledge, and expertise in plastic surgery.

Your surgeon should design a procedure that is specific for you and not use the same procedure and technique on all patients—particularly in both men and women. After an appropriately customized and performed facelift, you will look as good as you feel!

If you’re ready to look and feel your best, consult with an experienced plastic surgeon in Dallas or Frisco, TX. You can request a consultation online or call us at (214) 645-3112 (Dallas) or (214) 645-2353 (Frisco) to schedule an appointment.