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Key Points
- Males seeking facelifts often have concerns regarding surgical scars not being visible
- Surgeons must maintain artistic sensibility to achieve excellent outcomes in male facelift patients
- Adjust techniques as necessary to fit the individual patient's needs and cosmetic goals
Pleasing aesthetic outcomes are equally important in both male and female patients undergoing cosmetic facelift surgery. However, facelift procedures in males may be considered more challenging, as some surgical endpoints can differ from those in their female counterparts. Understanding the nuances and particular surgical goals of the male cosmetic patient is crucial in helping to achieve positive aesthetic outcomes.
"When performing rejuvenation procedures in male patients, one of the main concerns in males is a non-detectability of having had surgery. It is crucial to pay special attention to hair shifts that may make the patient look like they have long faces and avoid deformities such as the earlobes being pulled down. Moreover, it is paramount that the scars resulting from surgery are not visible, particularly from a distance," says Bruce F. Connell, M.D., F.A.C.S., clinical professor of surgery (plastic surgery), University of California, Irvine, Santa Ana.
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Dr. Connell
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Often, female patients undergoing facelift surgery are able to hide surgical scars or deformities with certain hairstyles and/or make-up, a luxury that most male facelift patients do not have. Aside from being masters in their knowledge of anatomy and their surgical skills, surgeons need to maintain a good deal of artistic sensibility in order to achieve excellent outcomes in their male facelift patients.
"Artistic sensibility, anatomical knowledge as well as manual dexterity are prerequisites for good aesthetic outcomes. If surgeons do not have an artistic vein, they probably never will, as this ability is an art that one is born with," Dr. Connell says. The surgeon should also get to know the patient well enough during the consultation to fully understand his or her individual cosmetic needs. Often, Dr. Connell will ask each of his patients to bring in older photographs so that the patient can point out exactly what he or she would like in terms of their personal cosmetic rejuvenation — such as the fullness of the cheeks, a chiseled jawline or the position of the eyebrows.
