If you are considering whether you should get a surgical or a nonsurgical facelift, the best thing to do is talk to a plastic surgeon and a dentist offering them and see what each says about the results you can achieve. But if you’re not ready for that, there are some things you can do at home to get an idea about how the procedures might affect your appearance.

The Smile Test

First, go to a mirror and make a natural smile. If you’re in your 50s, you should show most of your upper teeth. If you’re in your 70s, you should still show about half of your upper teeth. Even if you’re in your 80s, you should show some of your upper teeth.

Now, try to make a big smile that shows all of your upper teeth. If you’re in your 50s or younger, this should be pretty easy. If you can’t do it, or if it’s really hard or makes your eyes crinkle, you would probably benefit from a nonsurgical facelift.

Now examine the condition of your teeth. If they’re discolored, worn, or damaged, remember that a nonsurgical facelift would help improve the appearance of your teeth, too.

Jaw Position Test

Next, see how the position of your jaw impacts you appearance. Start with your jaw in a comfortable position. Now bring your teeth together in a fully closed position. Next, move your jaw around as much as you can without opening your lips.

If moving your jaw around in this way significantly impacts your appearance, you could benefit from a nonsurgical facelift.

Jaw Angle Test

Start out slouching. See how much excess skin and fat are hanging under your chin. Now stand up straight and experiment with different angles for holding your head. Make sure you have your jaw at the optimal position from the jaw position test.

If your normal standing position and head angle make you look older than some of the other options, you may benefit from a nonsurgical facelift.

Stretch Test

The basic mechanism that a surgical facelift uses to rejuvenate your appearance is to cut away some skin and stretch the rest of it to fit your face. You can experiment with this by grabbing your skin and pulling. The primary direction for a facelift is upping up and back toward the ear, so make this your focus.

If you can get a good rejuvenation effect that doesn’t distort the appearance of your face, you might benefit from a surgical facelift.

Time for a Consultation?

These home tests are just approximations, and they can’t show you the real results you could get. But they can give you an idea about which procedure might be better for you. If you think you might benefit from a nonsurgical facelift in Hilton Head, please call (843) 706-2999 for an appointment with a cosmetic dentist at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry.