Having a Rhytidectomy (face lift) in Mexico

Having a younger-looking face is reasonably easy with the help of today's technology and medical developments. One of the most common treatments people get in order to look younger is rhytidectomies. Don't let the name scare you tho, it's just the medical term for what people typically call a face lift.

In simple words, a face lift is a medical procedure that eliminates wrinkles and sagging  from your face. A surgeon typically eliminates and folds skin tissue. He may also stretch some of the skin. The procedure is done with general anesthesia.

Since every face is different, each surgery has to be customized for each patient. However, there are three areas that are commonly treated in a face lift: the bags under the eyes, the cheeks, and the neck. With time, these three elements add to the effect of giving a face an aging look

Very often, patients who get a face lift also get blerophasty eyelid surgery, another type of cosmetic surgery. This is to avoid having to go to surgery twice and because the areas that are going to be treated are very close. This way, they can get both benefits and go through the recovery process only once. Some patients decide to have other cosmetic surgery procedures at the same time for the same reason. These procedures include liposuction, tummy tucks, and others.

If you would like to get a face lift, you need to qualify for it. Here are some factors that are considered negative for patients who want to get a face lift:

• Smoking
• Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Poor wound healing
• Poor blood circulation
• Unrealistic expectations
• Poor-self esteem
• Poor perception of reality

Note that the three last ones are psychological. A person must have a healthy mind before undergoing any cosmetic surgery procedure.

Costs

Last time I checked, a face lift in the United States cost $10,000 dollars. However, the amount might have increased since then. Moreover, a face lift is normally not covered by health insurance, so a patient has to pay the whole procedure from his or her own pocket. In addition, some extra charges may apply, since hospitals don't typically disclose the full cost until after the procedure is done. In some cases, this leads to those infamous extravagant charges, like $400 dollars for clean sheets. You can read my post about these practices here.

This is why many Americans get their face lifts in Mexico, usually saving from 30% to 50 of the cost. Some of them decide to spend the money they saved in one of Mexico's destinations, like Cancun or Los Cabos, before getting their surgery.

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Robert Ervin is a freelancer who writes about healthcare, medical tourism, and living in Mexico.

If you're considering traveling to Mexico for healthcare or retiring in Mexico, you may want to  get yourself a copy of The English's Speaker's Guide to Doctors and Hospitals in Mexico in order to find a good doctor or hospital in the main towns and cities of Mexico, or The English Speaker's Guide to Medical Care in Mexico, to understand how the Mexican healthcare system works.