How Long Does Plastic Surgery Last?

When most of us are making a huge investment, we often want to know that we are getting our money’s worth. For example, when you are looking to spend your hard-earned money purchasing a new house you want to ensure that it is in good condition. You will likely have a home inspector examine the house to ensure that all is working well, because you do not want to purchase a house where the roof, furnace, foundation or floors need to be replaced within only a few years. Investing in cosmetic surgery is much like purchasing a house. It requires a great deal of research, looking at your options, weighing pros and cons, and budgeting. Whether you are looking to purchase a home or pursue cosmetic surgery, you want to know what you will be getting, how long it will last, and if it will need any replacement or upgrading.

When our patients come in for a consultation they often want to know how long their results will last. They want to know that they can entrust us with their bodies, time and money, and that they will enjoy beautiful, lasting results. Just like home inspectors who can only examine houses to the best of their ability without peering inside the walls, plastic surgeons provide their patients with expectations of possible outcomes, but can never provide their patients with concrete guarantees. What we can tell our patients is the truth: plastic surgery is meant to last your lifetime, and that you will continue to enjoy the benefits of your procedure as time goes on.

This does not mean that you will look as though you were frozen in time. Your face and body will continue to age as they normally would. However it does mean that however much younger or improved you look after your procedure, you will continue to look that much younger and improved even as you age. For example, if you decide to undergo an upper eyelid lift and find that you look 10 years younger after your surgery; you can rest assured that you will continue to look 10 years younger than your age. If you decide to undergo a tummy tuck, and your results give you a more streamlined midsection, your stomach will always appear smoother and more streamlined than it would if you had not had the procedure.

There are always situations where a revision or replacement may be required, for example, some women after several years may want to change their implant size. However, the the goal of plastic surgery is to provide our patients with beautiful results that keep them feeling fresh and confident for many years to come!