One of the most discouraging aspects of a face lift is the fact that you will not walk out of the office looking beautiful. In many cases, a lot of people will not see the difference. The purpose of a face lift is not to return you to the beauty you enjoyed when you were twenty, or to make you beautiful, but to correct imperfections and reduce the signs of aging.

Plastic surgeons take a lot of time trying to explain to people that they will still look the same when they walk out of the office, but people listen and do not hear. This is in part to advertising.

Every single face lift clinic has the image of a young girl, a perfect eye, or a flawless completion in their ad. In fact, it can be shocking to look at the ads. I've seen ads with women's bellies that were flawless. However, on a closer look I noticed that the woman's belly was too fat – she had no developed womb. The ‘image' that the doctor was portraying to his potential patients was from a pre-pubescent female.

This is often done when advertising face lifts. The skin of a very young person, under sixteen has an iridescent glow, a full, translucent quality, and an innocence that is emotionally appealing. There is a subliminal message there, ‘you can look like this again.'

Of course, we all want to look younger, but to expect a plastic surgeon to return your face to the beauty displayed in high school pictures is not only impossible, it is ridiculous.

Another thing that many patient do not hear is that plastic surgeons can only do so much. There is only a certain amount of skin that can be nipped and tucked before the face starts to look weird.

A 49 year old woman can expect to look 40, or even 30, if she has good healthy skin. It is impossible to make her look 20.

There are other considerations when having a face lift that includes the patients weight. A 200 pound woman will look foolish if the doctor removes the fat from her face, but leaves it around the rest of their body.

This means that the doctor may remove the lines, sags, and wrinkles, but leave the fat. But, this is not the only concern. A person with a lot of weight who wants extensive face lift surgery may see their face shape change, oval to round, round to oval. Only a surgeon can accurately predict what will happen.

This doesn't mean that there isn't good news. It is possible to exchange a tired looking, saggy face for a tighter, brighter face. It is possible to bring out one beautiful feature, eyes, nose, or mouth, and enhance its beauty in a way that adds a glow to the entire face.

And, it is possible, in many cases, for plastic surgeons to correct flaws that are not associated with beauty.

It is also important to understand that the face will continue to age. Jowls can reappear in as little as two years. Lines will reappear. A face lift is not a long term cure for aging.

But, understanding these things before you enter the surgeons office can make it easier for patients to pick the procedure that will make them feel beautiful and empower them so they can get on with living.