Body

The Shelf Life of Plastic Surgery

Why your first procedure might not be your last: The plastic surgeries that might require a "tune-up"

by Emily Woodruff | COMMENT

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Facelift A good facelift might take care of some unwanted wrinkles and sags, but it won't stop you from continuing to age, says Geldner. This might sound obvious, but it's a fact that Geldner says some patients overlook. "If we were made of fiberglass and could spray-paint ourselves, there'd be no need for a revision," says Geldner. But most patients will call on their plastic surgeon for a tweak in about 10 years.

Of course, some may find that they're happy with how their initial surgery has set their face up to age.

Good genes and firm, healthy skin will help you get the most out of your procedure, but the biggest factor is the procedure itself.

"I can find you a place that does a facelift for $4,000 and a place that does it for $60,000. They're both called a facelift, but it's not the same facelift," says Geldner.

Thread lifts will last mere months; mini-face lifts, roughly two to five years; and full facelifts that involve the serious rearrangement of facial tissue will last about a decade.

Tune-ups cost about the same amount as the first procedure, though Geldner says if it's a repeat patient, he generally won't charge as much.

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