You’ve decided on getting a facelift, but have yet to have a consultation with your surgeon. As informative as a consultation might be, the more prepared you are, the better your consultation will go. Here are 5 tips on having the most efficient facelift consultation.
- Medical Information
It’s essential that you have your medical information ready for the consultation. Remember, certain conditions and medications might make it riskier for you to have a facelift. Have a list of any medical conditions, any allergies, and any medical treatments or medications you might be taking, including vitamins and herbal supplements. You should also be honest about previous surgeries and drug use. Tobacco use is important to talk about with your surgeon, because you will need to quit several weeks before the procedure and afterwards as well.
- Questions
It’s essential that you prepare some questions for your surgeon not only about what a facelift entails, but about his qualifications for performing the procedure. Here are some questions you can ask during your consultation.
- Are you board-certified? (Make sure they are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery)
- Are you specifically trained in plastic surgery?
- How frequently do you perform the facelift?
- What will the recovery be like?
- What kind of anesthesia will be used?
- Who will administer the anesthesia? (Make sure it is a board-certified anesthesiologist or a certified nurse anesthetist)
- Cost
While you and your surgeon will ultimately discuss the cost of the procedure and what financing plans are available, you should do some research at what the typical cost of the facelift is in your area. Although, it is important to choose a surgeon based on the right qualifications, not on price.
- Check That You’re a Candidate for a Facelift
Before your facelift consultation, it’s might be helpful to check whether you’re a great candidate for the facelift. A great candidate has good bone structure to support the stretched skin of the facelift, and should want the facelift to address signs of aging from the middle of the face and lower, such as the neck region. Do some research on the different variants of the facelift and see which ones will fit you.
- Terms to Know
Here are few terms you can study beforehand to get a better grasp on the topic of the facelift:
Hematoma: Bleeding under the skin
Tear Trough: Deep creases under the lower eyelids
Nasolabial Folds: Deep creases that go between the nose and the corner of the mouth
Jowls: Sagging skin on the jawline
General Anesthesia: When you’re made completely unconscious and unable to feel pain
Local Anesthesia: When a drug to relieve pain is injected into the treatment site
Now that you’ve done your part to prepare, it’s time to talk to an expert. Contact the offices of Dr. Slupchynskyj now, for a consultation with one of the top facial plastic surgeons in the country.