Plastic surgery requires a fair amount of commitment on your part. In addition to the financial commitment, there’s also a time commitment, both in terms of the length of a procedure and the length of the recovery period afterwards. When you’re deciding whether or not plastic surgery is the right option for you, it helps to know how long your results will last. Some procedures will give you results that last a lifetime, while other may require a touch-up at some point in the future.
Fillers and Injections
Fillers and injections require the least amount of financial and time commitment up front On the short end of the scale are injections such as Botox/Dysport which typically last between three and six months. You can decide to have your Botox/Dysport injections repeated on a regular basis, every three months or so, to maintain your results. Some fillers provide results that can last for years. The results from Juvederm Voluma, for example, can last up to two years.
When you’re choosing an injectable, it’s more important to consider what the injection will do than how long it will last. While Botox or Dysport injections won’t last long, they are in many cases the best option for treating lines created by facial expressions. Voluma will last for years, but is really only suitable for people who have experienced a loss of facial volume.
Facelift
The average facelift provides results that last for about a decade. One way to think of your results is to think of winding back the clock on your face. The surgery will take about 10 years off of your appearance, but you will then continue to age. How the procedure is performed and how you take care of yourself afterwards both play a big part in determining how long you maintain the results.
Typically, you can extend the life of your facelift by avoiding activities or habits that speed up the aging process. For example, quitting smoking for good after your surgery is a great way to keep yourself from developing wrinkles and other signs of aging that are connected to tobacco use. Avoiding the sun and using sunscreen on a daily basis will also help you avoid some signs of aging and prolong your facelift results.
The type of facelift also influences the duration of your results. If you have a full facelift, you’ll generally see results that last for longer than those of a mini facelift.
Breast Augmentation
The results from a breast augmentation could technically last forever, but the implants themselves might not last that long, and according to the FDA, aren’t meant to be lifetime devices. Depending on circumstances, you may need to replace or remove your implants at some point
One reason why the results of a breast augmentation wouldn’t last is if the implants were to somehow rupture. If you are hit in the chest with a considerable amount of force, an implant might burst or rupture. The results of the rupture would be pretty obvious if you have saline implants, but less so if you have silicone. If you are somehow struck in the chest, such as during a car accident, it’s a good idea to have your surgeon take an X-ray of your chest to see if there has been any damage or rupturing to your silicone implants.
If all is going well with your implants and you’re still happy with the way your breasts look, it’s a good idea to check in on them every decade or so. At that point, your surgeon can recommend the next steps to take, whether they are to replace your implants or leave them alone.
Rhinoplasty
As long as it’s performed after a person’s nose has finished growing, the results from rhinoplasty will usually last for the rest of a patient’s life. That said, it’s important to note that the nose does age somewhat, and that you might notice some changes as you get older. For example, it’s not uncommon for the tip of the nose to droop slightly as a person ages. Those changes might be subtle and will not affect the size of the nose.
Knowing how long you can expect your results to last can give you a fair idea of whether a procedure is right for you. Speaking with a plastic surgeon, such as Dr. George Bitar, at the Bitar Cosmetic Surgery Institute in the Washington, DC area, can help you get the answers to any questions you have and help you narrow down your options. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Bitar, call (703) 206-0506 today.
George Bitar, MD, FACS is an award-winning, board-certified cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgeon, the Founder and Medical Director of Bitar Cosmetic Surgery Institute in Virginia. He specializes in the latest surgical and minimally invasive techniques to scar management and reduction. Dr. Bitar is involved in groundbreaking research and education in plastic surgery and has authored numerous articles, abstracts, and chapters.
