19% of the European population was 65 or more in 2018. According to the expert surgeon of the Nordesthetics clinic, aging causes a significant rise in demand for facelift surgery as this procedure helps seniors reduce psychological discomfort caused by descending facial and neck skin.
The percentage of the world’s population aged over 60 years is expected to double and reach 22% by 2050, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO also predicts that by 2020, the number of people aged 60 years and above will outnumber the population younger than 5 years. In Europe, the process of aging is even more advanced as 19% of the continent’s population was 65 or more in 2018. According to plastic surgeons, this trend causes a significant increase in demand for the facelift surgery (also known as rhytidectomy).
In popular media, facelift surgery has a controversial reputation. The procedure is sometimes pictured as degrading or “unmanly” as in recent comments of US President Donald Trump on the facelift operation of his democratic rival Joe Biden. In other cases, plastic surgery is presented as a necessity, one recent example being popular singer Debbie Harry, who said plastic surgery was as essential as a flu shot. However, experienced surgeons think that neither of these popular images reflect the true benefits of the facelift procedure.
“Facelift surgery is mostly an aesthetic intervention, but this does not mean that it has no positive impact on patient’s health,” explained Gediminas Samulėnas, surgeon at the Nordesthetics clinic, which is the leading plastic surgery clinic in the Baltic region. “The view of hanging (“saggy”) face or a turkey neck may be very disturbing psychologically. Our patients often point out that they look older than they feel or they look tired when they’re obviously not, which makes them avoid mirrors or photos. Imagine the psychological burden, when healthy middle aged people limit themselves in everyday life just because of their appearance. The main objective of the facelift surgery is to reduce aging features while not sacrificing natural appearance. In some cases, such as facial paralysis, it may be a medical necessity as well”.
Recent research confirms that facial cosmetic surgery improves the psychological condition of seniors who are generally more concerned about the appearance of their faces. The facelift and neck lift procedures combined reduces the perceived age by an average of 5.7 years, which results in improved sense of well-being, a decrease in negative feelings about oneself, and overall improved satisfaction with life.
According to Dr. Samulėnas, it is because of these benefits that seniors appreciate the facelift surgery. Women are especially interested in this procedure. For some of them, facelift becomes a dream worth spending a large part of their savings on.
“Facelift is highly appreciated among older people, women above all. Most of the patients are women over 50. This is because the female face is more fragile and has thinner skin. Male faces are thicker, harder, they do not descend that much and when they do descend – it’s not that visible,” explained Dr. Samulėnas.
He pointed out that the surgery must not necessarily cost the patient her (or his) lifetime savings. The facelift procedure at the Nordesthetics clinic is affordable for the average retired European. As this kind of surgery is very individual, the price may vary from 3,900 to 6,200 EUR depending on the amount of procedures performed. Still, it is significantly lower than prices in Scandinavian countries or the UK, where most of the clinic’s patients come from.
Patients also appreciate the high quality of services provided by the Nordesthetics clinic. Apart from the qualified doctors and medical staff, the patients receive logistical support and personal assistance while they visit Kaunas, Lithuania, where the clinic is located. Transfers to and from the airport are organized and other travel details taken care of by the administration.
The annual amount of facelift procedures at the Nordesthetics clinic increased 132% in 2019. The surgeons of the clinic carry out 10 or more facelift surgeries each month. As the aging trend continues the clinic looks forward to further rise in demand.
