Facelift or Facial Implants? The Pros and Cons

Are facial implants better than facelift surgery? That’s the question posed by a recent post on RealSelf, an online community dedicated to health and beauty. While blogger K. Mathews makes some interesting points about the benefits of facial implants, it’s not really the case that implants are “better” than facelift surgery. Instead, these two procedures are aimed towards solving different problems.

Facial Contouring with Implants

Using solid silicone implants, cosmetic surgeons can recontour different facial features, such as the cheeks, chin, nose, and jaw. However, as Mathews notes, facial implants don’t have the same kind of wrinkle-fighting power that facelift surgery does.

Mathews identifies several reasons why many patients opt for facial implants. It is considered to be less invasive, and has a shorter recovery period. Patients can exercise greater control over their results, since they can choose the size and shape of the implant. As well, the implant can stay indefinitely, or be removed fairly easily. On the surface, then, facial implants seem to be preferable to a facelift.

Why Facelift?

It’s true that facial implants are excellent at restoring lost facial volume. They can also add balance and definition to your facial features. There is no question that, for many patients, facial implants might be better than facelift surgery. Patients who want to add volume without the use of facial implants may also benefit from injectable fillers such as Juvederm.

However, in many other ways, facelift surgery offers benefits that simply can’t be matched by facial implants. Sagging skin is one of the most recognizable signs of aging – one that cannot be concealed by adding volume. When it comes to sagging tissues, which cause prominent jowls and folds of skin, nothing can match the rejuvenative power of facelift surgery.