Evaluating for a facelift after facial fillers

Brent Moelleken, MD answers: Will evaluation for lower facelift be accurate if I have fillers?

I just had Radiesse for my nasolabial folds and Juvederm to fill out the upper and a little for the lower lip. Nice improvement. However, the little jowls are still there and since fillers or lasers won't help, I'm afraid that some sort of lower lift is in the near future. My question is, can a surgeon evaluate my face properly with all these fillers? Will I need to let the fillers be absorbed before surgery?


Brent Moelleken, MD
1 month ago

An experienced facelift surgeon can assess your situation well by feeling where the filler is and knowing when, where, and how much was placed.

We typically like to allow two months to pass from the time of injection, but that is just personal preference.  We also typically augment many areas during our surgeries and therefore like an accurate assessment of each nook and cranny.

I would agree with Dr. Rand that you should seek a top plastic surgeon, not a mini lift clinic, if you want your best result.  It is your face, after all.

Necklifts alone tend to be weak in the jowl area, as do mini-lifts, and especially branded mini-lifts.  Among the patients we see who are most dissatisfied, they have had mini-lifts, branded mini-lifts or inexpensive surgeries.

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A: You can have an evaluation for surgery without waiting.

Toby G. Mayer, MD
1 month ago

 If you see an experienced face lift surgeon he can evaluate you aging by feeling the fillers and knowing what needs to be done surgically. He may or may not have you wait a month or two before surgery.

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