It may not be a procedure that everyone talks about on Instagram, but over 100,000 people get a facelift every year. People get facelifts in Northern Virginia for many reasons. They work in a job where staying youthful-looking has its advantages. They want to feel more confident in social situations. They want to reduce the signs of aging to boost self-esteem. Whatever the reasons, you may not realize just how many mental benefits of a facelift there truly are and how those benefits can change your life. Let’s explore five mental benefits of a facelift.
1. It can improve the way you speak
When considering a facelift, it’s very likely that you’re thinking about how it can smooth your skin and help you appear more youthful. Undoubtedly, this is the focus of most similar med spa treatments. But there’s an additional, little-known benefit of the facelift: It impacts your ability to speak. How is that a mental benefit?
Typically, the way you speak changes as you age. The changes are barely noticeable to you and others because it happens so slowly, but the facial muscles and skin become lax over time, making it harder for people to understand you. A facelift tightens facial muscles so that you speak more clearly and confidently. This added articulation can really be a self-esteem booster if you’re prone to slurring or not speaking distinctly. But even if you’ve always prided yourself on being a clear speaker, it can make all the difference at work, where being understood is paramount. It can also help if you have loved ones who have trouble hearing.
2. Feeling youthful can boost self-esteem
Let’s face it: We know it’s important to be body positive and love the skin we’re in, but we get an undeniable mental boost when we feel good about what we see in the mirror. That confidence follows us everywhere we go. It influences our negotiations. Our mannerisms appear more self-assured. It can even subconsciously impact how you expect people to treat you because you look and feel great. Self-esteem is hard to measure, but it’s priceless, as many of our patients in Northern Virginia are finding out.
3. You can be confident it looks natural
The facelift has come a long way. It no longer needs to look unnatural. An experienced and trusted board-certified plastic surgeon in Northern Virginia can ensure that you get the most natural-looking lift.
When a procedure looks unnatural, it can devastate you emotionally. You know that people know you’ve had a procedure, and you feel that you’re getting negative attention because it doesn’t look right. The mental toll this takes on you is great.
But a properly done facelift is not noticeable. People you know can tell that you look more youthful and radiant, but they can’t put their finger on what the difference is. You can walk confidently into any social situation, knowing you look great, but no one is wondering if you had a facelift.
4. It can reduce symptoms of certain mental health conditions
A collaborative study performed by several universities in Switzerland and Germany found that after a significant plastic surgery procedure such as a facelift, patients experienced notable and lasting improvements in their mental health status. They studied those with:
- Social anxiety
- General anxiety
- Depression
- Body dysmorphia
They checked in with patients at three months, six months, and 12 months to see how they were doing long-term. Those who were significantly unhappy with their appearance before the procedure reported the most positive changes in mental health status after the procedure.
5. You may experience improved self-efficacy & goal attainment
Do you like to be known as someone who gets things done and does things right? Similar studies to the one referenced above have shown that one of the mental benefits of this kind of surgery is that you feel more motivated. Go-getters like you turn that motivation into results—at work, at home, and in relationships. When people aren’t self-conscious about things such as ageism in the workplace, loose skin, or wrinkles, it seems they’re able to work better with others and get their jobs done faster and more effectively. They have greater mental clarity to set goals and achieve what they set out to achieve in life.
Bonus: Overall quality of life
Quality of life is hard to measure, but it has its perks. One of the mental benefits of a facelift is that it has been shown to generally improve your quality of life. You feel better. You look better. People treat you differently. It can all pay off big in the form of a happier, healthier you.
