“I think there is unprecedented pressure,” says body image specialist Dr Kirsty Garbett. “Especially when it comes to our faces: we see ourselves on video calls, on social media, we compare ourselves to others very easily.”
The restyling (or facelift) is moving into new territory.
A quick search on social media and the feed is already flooded with posts from people in their 20s and 30s talking about different types of facelifts: the mini, the “ponytail”, the “deep plane”.
Also called rhytidectomy, this procedure is a cosmetic surgery that attempts to rejuvenate the face and neck by removing excess skin, to reduce wrinkles and fine lines.
Gone are the days when facelifts were reserved for the wealthy and the elderly: now, a growing number of young people are choosing to undergo the procedure.
Some happily share photos of their faces before, after and during the purple phase in between, the often quite painful recovery.
It is no longer a procedure that is talked about in secret; Celebrities such as Kris Jenner, Catt Sadler and Marc Jacobs have spoken openly about their treatments. Many others are said to have done so too.
A face lift is often seen as a last resort, the most radical of cosmetic surgeries.
Are people becoming so insecure in an often fake online world that they pay thousands of reais for the operation?
Or have we created so many nonsurgical treatments, like Botox and fillers, that peeling the skin away from the cheekbones and rearranging facial tissue and fat seems like a logical next step — and with a longer-lasting effect?
For Canadian Emily, who underwent a facelift at age 28, the motivation was to achieve a “well-defined look”: a sculpted, defined jawline, high cheekbones and almond-shaped eyes.
He says the surgery in Türkiye was “transformative” and he has no regrets.
“In total, I had six surgeries at one time,” he explains. “These include a face lift, a lip lift and a rhinoplasty [cirurgia no nariz].”
Describing the process, the Toronto, Canada businesswoman says the surgeon played her favorite song while she was under anesthesia and then: “I fell asleep, I woke up, I threw up – and I had a new face and a new nose.”
The recovery process was long: the pain and bruising began to subside in the first few weeks, but it took six months before Emily felt parts of her cheeks again.
Would you do it all again? She hesitates.
“After the surgery I changed my life. I’m healthier, I drink a lot less, I take care of my skin, I sleep well. I think if I had known what I know today, maybe I wouldn’t have done it.”
“My mother didn’t even know, I didn’t tell her until a few days after the surgery.”
But then he stops and reflects:
“I just wanted to be the best version of myself,” Emily says, “and I think I am now.”
Editing the patient profile
Data from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) shows an 8% increase in the number of facelifts over the past 12 months in the UK; they don’t break down the numbers by age group, but many members report that the demographic is changing.
This is reflected in other parts of the world: The American Society of Plastic Surgeons notes an increase among members of Generation X (ages 45 to 60) choosing to undergo facelifts.
Nora Nugent, president of BAAPS, believes there are several reasons for this change, including the increased use of weight loss drugs.
“Losing weight so quickly with these drugs can leave a lot of skin left. A facelift can help with this,” he says.
“The techniques have evolved a lot: getting a restyling no longer means running the risk of the ‘wind tunnel’ effect [um rosto excessivamente esticado pelo repuxamento da pele] that we saw many years ago.”
However, a facelift is still a significant operation that should only be carried out by a specialist, registered plastic surgeon, in a licensed clinic and with the appropriate equipment, he says.
At his clinic in Bristol, UK, plastic surgeon and consultant Simon Lee has performed hundreds of facelifts, and he shows me a video of one of them.
During the entire procedure, the patient remains completely awake, having received only small doses of local anesthesia injected into the skin and deeper underlying tissues.
He makes a series of small incisions in the face, then passes under the skin, fat and superficial fascia (SMAS) – the part of the face that controls expressions – until he reaches the deep plane, where he repositions tissues and muscles to reshape the face.
At the end, the patient – who remained under the scalpel for four hours – smiles in relief.
One reason the procedure has become more attractive, Lee explains, is the ease with which face and neck lifts can now be performed.
Previously these were operations reserved for hospital rooms and required general anesthesia; Today he performs facelifts in his clinic, without sedation.
According to him, this is an “exciting time” in the industry, where progress is happening rapidly.
While the classic facelift – which focuses on the lower jaw and neck – remains popular, there are new treatments that target the upper two-thirds of the face, where he says the aging process begins and becomes visible first.
The surgeon points out, however, that facelifts are recommended for people over the age of 40 and it is very rare to perform such a complex procedure on someone in their 20s and 30s.
There are risks and possible complications with these types of surgeries, such as the development of a hematoma – a buildup of blood under the skin that, if left untreated, can lead to necrosis (death of surrounding tissue) – as well as infections, nerve damage and alopecia.
A facelift costs, on average, between £15,000 (R$109,000) and £45,000 (R$326,000) in the UK, but there are clinics offering the procedure at prices starting from £5,000 (R$36,000).
Experts say it’s important to do good research and choose a plastic surgeon who specializes in facelifts.

Julia Gilando, 34, decided she needed a facelift to correct a facial asymmetry after dealing with issues with jaw alignment for part of her life.
Although many of her friends said they didn’t see any problems with her face, she sensed something was wrong, “trusted her instincts” and went to Turkey to have the surgery, which cost R$43,000.
Despite warnings about the risks of cosmetic surgery in Türkiye, this type of travel has become increasingly popular, largely due to lower prices.
“At first I thought it was a crazy idea, but I did my research and decided to go ahead with it,” says Gilando, who works in the healthcare field. “I was scared, I was in a foreign country, alone, and I didn’t speak the language.
“After the operation I was in hospital for two days and then I had to look after myself. I was so swollen I couldn’t see.
“There were tough times, it was an emotional roller coaster, ups and downs all the time.”
Researchers express concern about whether these cosmetic procedures actually deliver the self-esteem and confidence promised by the industry.
“I think there is unprecedented pressure,” explains Dr Kirsty Garbett, a body image expert at the Center for Appearance Research at the University of the West of England.
“Especially when it comes to our faces: we see ourselves on video calls, on social media, we compare ourselves to others very easily.”
And, according to her, what we see does not always reflect reality.
“AI, filters – all of this contributes to the creation of a fake online world. And at the same time we see an increase in the normalization of aesthetic procedures.”
In her opinion, the fact that celebrities are speaking more openly about these surgeries is, in a way, good, but it also helps to normalize them, making them seem “just part of life, and that’s really worrying.”

Caroline Stanbury, TV presenter and one of the contestants on the reality show Real Housewives of Dubai, had a facelift two years ago, at the age of 47, despite everyone telling her not to do it because she was too young.
“It was the best thing I ever did,” Caroline says. “Why wait until I’m 60, desperate and needy? I want to look and feel amazing now.”
After spending 20 years getting Botox and fillers regularly, she felt like she was “starting to look weird.” Caroline paid $45,000 (R$247,000) for a major makeover in the United States.
“I still look like myself, and this procedure has made me feel great for another 20 years,” she says.
Alexis Verpaele, a Belgium-based plastic surgeon who sees clients from all over the world, including the UK, says he is concerned about the increase in the number of young people seeking the treatment.
He often talks at length with these clients about ways to achieve certain results without resorting to such complex surgery.
“If you get a facelift in your twenties, and we know that can last, say, 10 or 15 years…
So, at 60, they may have undergone three restylings,” explains De Verpaele.
“This is a huge trauma to a single face – and that happens in the best case scenario, when there are no complications.”
Source: Terra

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.