Ever wonder how a woman decides she's ready for a facelift? Join us in Margaret's facelift forum as we follow a dynamic 59-year-old Baby Boomer who says she's “reinventing herself.”

Several years ago, when Margaret found herself divorced after a 22-year marriage, she decided she deserved a new lease on life. “I lost 30 pounds, whitened my teeth, and grew and dyed my hair,”
she recalls.

Margaret also took a look at her face and decided to make a few improvements. “I started with hyaluronic acid fillers—Restylane and now Juvéderm—to smooth out the ‘parentheses’ from my nose to the corners of my mouth and the ‘marionette lines’ from my mouth to my chin,” she explains.

“I've also had Botox to relax the furrow between my eyebrows, my crow's feet and the lines on my forehead,” says Margaret.

Is 60 the new 40?

As she nears her 60th birthday, Margaret is realizing she may need more than injectable fillers to maintain her youthful look. “A few months ago, I noticed my cheeks were starting to drop from the eye socket area,” she says. “It was really bugging me. And even worse, I'm developing my mother's turkey neck.

“Recently when I went for a Botox treatment, Dr. Parungao said to me, ‘You know, you might benefit more from a facelift than from fillers.’ That's what started my wheels turning,“ Margaret recalls.

Dr. Parungao evaluates Margaret's face

Margaret's first step was to schedule a facelift consultation with Dr. Parungao. The consultation process evaluates a patient from a medical perspective and considers her personal situation as well.

“From a medical standpoint, I look at the degree of sagging, loose skin and jowling, as well as the depth of the wrinkles, nasolabial folds and crow's feet,” Dr. Parungao explains. “Then I decide whether a nonsurgical approach can give the patient what she's looking for—or at least get started in the right direction.”

Margaret felt confident with Dr. Parungao's candor and the way he explained the facelift procedure. “Dr. P was so positive and honest about the results he believes we will get with a facelift—and very frank about what we will not achieve,” she says.

“He explained that the fat pockets under my eyes are hereditary,” Margaret recalls. “Dr. Parungao said he doesn't want to touch them because they'd probably just fill up with fat again soon after surgery.”

Dr. Parungao also looked beyond clinical considerations. “I certainly want to find out about Margaret's goals and her social situation,” he explains. “Does she have the time for surgery? Does she have someone to help her around the house while she's recovering?

“Margaret is very pleased with what I've done so far with the appearance of her face,” says Dr. Parungao. “Now she's ready—she's got the time and the courage to take the next step and
have surgery.”

Drawing the lines

Dr. Parungao showed Margaret exactly where he plans to make the incisions for her facelift, as well as the specific areas of her face and neck he will be treating. He also answered Margaret's questions about whether she would be a better candidate for a mini-facelift or a full facelift.

“In Margaret's case, the biggest factor is the degree of sagging in the neck region and around her cheeks,” Dr. Parungao explains. “These might be better served by making the longer, more extensive incision of a full facelift.

“In a full facelift, I will free more of the facial skin from its underlying tissues and lift it to a greater degree than in a mini-facelift,” Dr. Parungao continues.

“He's going to make a longer incision behind my ears to really attack my scraggly, wrinkly, crepe-y neck,” adds Margaret.

Dr. Parungao also explained to Margaret what he would not do in her case. “Because the fat pockets under my eyes are hereditary, Dr. P doesn't want to touch them,” she says.

Setting realistic expectations

As with any plastic surgery, the best candidates are people with reasonable expectations. “I've realized that Dr. P is not chiseling out a bronze sculpture of me and preserving it forever,” Margaret acknowledges. “I will still age normally. I figure that if my face looks 5-10 years younger for the next 5-10 years, I'll be satisfied.”

‘I'm doing this for me’

Most importantly, Margaret is having a facelift because she wants it—not to please anyone else. “My significant love man said, ‘Let's discuss this topic of a facelift I heard you talking about,‘” she recalls. “He said, ‘Why mess with perfection? I want you to know I have noticed your cheeks are falling and I don't care ... I love you the way you are. You don't have to do this for me.’

“I told him, ‘I am doing this for myself—not to keep you,’” Margaret explains. “He understood and said he would support me, though he is very conservative and prefers minimally invasive anything.”

Join the conversation!

Visit Margaret's facelift forum to see what's on her mind as she prepares for surgery—and share your thoughts.

News releases related to “Anatomy of a facelift One Baby Boomers story, Chicago, IL”

August 22, 2007—IPL Photofacials, Microdermabrasion, Tri-Luma(R) Cream Enhance Baby Boomers' Facelifts

A facelift may lift and tighten Baby Boomers' aging skin, but it can't improve the condition of the skin itself. Board-certified plastic surgeon and author Allan Parungao, MD FACS, recommends improving the skin's texture and reversing sun damage and melasma with IPL photofacials, microdermabrasion and Tri-Luma(R) cream.

PDF version of IPL Photofacials, Microdermabrasion, Tri-Luma(R) Cream Enhance Baby Boomers' Facelifts

July 25, 2007—Facelifts Help Aging Baby Boomers 'Reinvent Themselves'

Many Baby Boomers in their 50s and 60s are turning to plastic surgery to help them look as young as they feel. Oak Park, Ill. plastic surgeon and author Allan Parungao, MD FACS, notes that according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 65% of patients who had a facelift in 2006 were age 55 and older.

PDF version of Facelifts Help Aging Baby Boomers 'Reinvent Themselves'

May 30, 2007—Mini-facelifts Make Baby Boomers Look Years Younger with Minimal Downtime, Cost, Plastic Surgeon Notes

Oak Park, Ill. plastic surgeon and author Allan Parungao, MD FACS, notes that although American Society of Plastic Surgeons statistics show the number of traditional facelifts dropped 22% between 2000 and 2006, there was a 66% increase in minimally invasive procedures. More and more Baby Boomers are opting for less-invasive mini-facelifts.

PDF version of Mini-facelifts Make Baby Boomers Look Years Younger with Minimal Downtime, Cost, Plastic Surgeon Notes

June 8, 2010—On-Q(R) Pain Relief System Eases Recovery from Breast Implant Surgery, Notes Chicago-area Plastic Surgeon

Recovering from breast augmentation surgery can be painful - especially if the implants are placed under the chest muscle. The On-Q Pain Relief System makes recovery much more comfortable by automatically numbing the surgical site for the first few days after the operation. Many surgeons charge $500 extra for On-Q, but Chicago-area plastic surgeon Allan Parungao, MD, offers this pain-relief system at no extra charge.

PDF version of On-Q(R) Pain Relief System Eases Recovery from Breast Implant Surgery, Notes Chicago-area Plastic Surgeon