Article At A Glance
- Facial paralysis surgery can help restore facial movement and improve daily interactions and experiences.
- Surgery can boost confidence, encourage social participation, and improve mental health.
A sudden onslaught of facial paralysis can have far-reaching impacts on your mental and emotional health. Many people take their facial expressions for granted. However, losing the ability to emote through facial expressions can remove an integral part of your identity.
Facial paralysis surgery offers a light at the end of the tunnel. Dr. Douglas M. Sidle, a facial plastic surgeon, explores facial paralysis treatment avenues and how they can improve your daily interactions and experiences below.
Understanding the Emotional Impact of Facial Paralysis
Various health conditions and injuries can trigger facial paralysis, including:
- Strokes
- Brain tumor growths
- Bell’s palsy
- Ramsay Hunt Syndrome
Some people gradually return to normal with physical therapy and facial exercises. Others need more drastic measures to regain their facial movements.
Regardless of the reason or treatment options, facial paralysis has lasting emotional impacts that affect the social, professional, and creative aspects of your life. You might find yourself struggling with:
- Depression and anxiety: You might wonder whether others correctly interpreted the things you said. Your self-worth may wane because you fear you don’t meet society’s beauty standards.
- Isolation: You might stay home more than you go out, declining invitations to lunch or the movies. You find more comfort at home where you can control the environment and how others interact with you.
- A lack of personal identity and confidence: Your facial expressions have a significant impact on your identity and self-esteem. The inability to emote coupled with your face’s frozen state makes recognizing yourself difficult.
- Social participation: Some people might even exclude you from social events. Alternatively, you might avoid going out in public because you find it makes things easier.
Facial reanimation can help you rediscover normalcy and enjoy a rich social life again.
Long-Term Outcomes of Facial Reanimation Surgery
What can you expect following recovery from facial reanimation procedures? The timeline depends on the number of treatments you need and what type of approach works best for you. However, you might discover that your insecurities, anxieties, and other struggles gradually recede as you reintegrate into social and professional circles. Find out what you can look forward to after facial paralysis surgery below.
Facial Reanimation Improved Social Interactions
Your struggles with facial paralysis affect how others, especially strangers, perceive you and your family. Even those with a tight-knit support network may fight a never-ending battle against bullying or unfair criticism. Although some people might find alternative ways to express their emotions, they can still wrestle to find their footing in social settings where others lack the patience to understand.
Ultimately, these issues contribute to isolation. Staying alone or among your support network prevents these unpleasant encounters. You might express your emotions more clearly through your facial muscles following facial paralysis treatment. Therefore, you can gradually re-experience a broader range of social events and interactions without the exhausting navigation techniques and advocation from your supporters.
Facial Paralysis Treatment Can Lead to Reduced Anxiety and Depression
Like many patients with conditions causing facial paralysis, you might struggle with mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. These mental health problems can arise from myriad underlying issues, like chemical imbalances, traumatic experiences, or sustained experiences. The root cause of your anxiety and depression might arise from one or a combination of sources.
Some facial paralysis patients go long stretches without diagnoses because they struggle to display emotions, isolate themselves, or can’t recognize the symptoms in themselves. You might also develop these conditions gradually due to marked increases in solitude or low-quality social treatment. Either way, facial paralysis surgery can kickstart your recovery.
Once you feel more comfortable participating in society, you might break your isolating habits. The people surrounding you may treat you with more value and respect, encouraging you to form new social connections. Plus, you might feel more confident in your ability to communicate or express yourself, which puts professional psychological treatment within your grasp.
Regaining Facial Movement Can Enhance Confidence and Self-Esteem
As discussed above, facial expressions have a significant influence on your personal identity, self-esteem, and confidence. Your expressions play an integral role in how you uniquely respond to different situations or new information. They inform the people surrounding you about how you feel and interact with your environment.
While you might not always see these expressions for yourself, you can definitely sense their weight and impact on how others perceive and interact with you. When you are unable to control your expressions or the symptoms that may accompany facial paralysis, you might feel unconfident about your identity, public perception, and whether others take you seriously. Facial reanimation can put more weight and importance into your personal identity, improving your sense of confidence when interacting with loved ones and strangers.
What Does Facial Rehabilitation Entail?
If you are considering facial rehabilitation procedures, you have numerous routes to explore. A facial plastic surgeon can help you weigh your options. Some avenues that might help you rediscover your confidence and sense of self include:
- Nerve graft procedures to bring sensation back to paralyzed facial nerves and strengthen the muscles responsible for smiling.
- Botox to relax tightened muscles that cause a frozen-in-place, strained expression. It can also help you manage involuntary facial movements.
- Muscle transfer, which involves moving thigh muscles to your face. The transferred muscles help you with specific facial expressions, like frowning and smiling.
- Static suspension to enhance facial symmetry. It can improve the appearance of asymmetrical features and prevent embarrassing issues like drooling or biting your cheek.
Consider symptoms beyond the obvious facial paralysis when speaking with a doctor about the optimal route. After all, many patients struggle with embarrassing issues beyond their ability to emote. Some of the above treatments can address those problems.
Explore the Possibilities of Facial Paralysis Surgery with Dr. Douglas M. Sidle, Facial Plastic Surgeon
Which facial paralysis surgery or treatment will help you rediscover yourself? Dr. Douglas M. Sidle, a facial plastic surgeon at Northwest Facial Plastic Surgery, can discuss your options. Call 312-695-8182 to book a consultation. Let’s get you back into the world again!
