Facelift Q&A
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What Esthetic Treatments Would Be Beneficial Prior to Face Lift?
asked 3 years ago by leighesta in St. George, UT
Latest answer by David Q. Santos, MD
Question viewed 675 times
Photo facial? Chemical peels? Microderm? And if I was to get Juvederm as well, should I get it pre or post-operative?
8 answers to What Esthetic Treatments Would Be Beneficial Prior to Face Lift?
+1
None of these are time dependent.
You can have them done normally after the facelift. We do it that way since you will have swelling which will make all the wrinkles look better or be gone. That way the patient saves money and it may be a year before they need any of the items you mentioned.
+3
Prepare your skin with Retin-A/Obagi
Certainly you don't "need" to prepare your skin preoperatively for a facelift, but my best surgical results have been on patients who used Obagi (with Retin-A) before and after their surgery. These patients also maintained their results longer than those who did not use Retin-A. I would suggest meeting with an aesthetician who is skilled in the use of the Obagi skincare system, and start ASAP. Of all the potential treatments you listed in your question, it is probably the most...
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Theda C. Kontis, MD
Baltimore Facial Plastic Surgeon
Baltimore Facial Plastic Surgeon
+2
Medical Grade Skin Care
The aging of the face occurs for a number of reasons. First, sun ages the skin. This reduces the thickness of the dermis, the support layer. This also affects the support of the skin, so gravity can pull the structures down and form the folds and wrinkles that most people seek facelift to remove. After a face lift you still have the other effects of the sun which can continue to make your face look older than desired. Therefore, the best pre-facelift therapy is good medical grade skin care...
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Robert T. Buchanan, MD
Highlands Plastic Surgeon
Highlands Plastic Surgeon
+2
Pre facelift optimization
To get the best result from a facelift, make sure you are near your goal weight, use excellent medical grade skin care and do all you can to maximize the elasticity of the skin. In order to maximize the skin elasticity in people who have had significant sun exposure extra measures like IPL treatments are beneficial.
+1
Aesthetic Treatments prior to a facelift will benefit
Any and all aesthetic treatments prior to a facelift surgery will have some minor benefit for the facelift surgery. The major important aspects of preparation for the procedure include taking care of yourself. This would include eating right, plenty of fluids, good healthy nutritious meals days prior to the procedure, getting good sleep, cutting back on anxiety. Importantly, abstaining from smoking or smoky environments is important and diminished alcohol and tobacco intake. Aesthetic...
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David Q. Santos, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1
Aesthetic treatments have no effect on facelifts
The aesthetic treatments such as photo facials, chemical peels and micro dermabrasion will not have any effect on facelifts whatsoever; those are complementary adjunctive procedures that address other issues and do nothing for the deep structures of the face. The photo facial is used to address color pigmentation such as red telangiectasias and brown spots on the face. Chemical peels are used for wrinkles on the upper lids and upper and lower lips, and micro dermabrasion is used to...
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+1
Esthetic treatments before facelift (pre-op skin care)
Leighesta:
It is good to raise these questions in order to plan a comprehensive facial rejuvenation. Facelift accomplishes certain goals, while skin surface treatments accomplish different things. In our practice, we develop a plan for each patient that may include many of the treatments you mention, depending on their own skin and their goals.www.ExpertPlasticSurgeon.com
If those treatments are already planned or underway, they would be stopped a few weeks before surgery. Professional...
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Sutton Graham II, MD
Greenville Plastic Surgeon
Greenville Plastic Surgeon
+1
Better value to do it afterwards
If you have to make a choice of skin treatments before or after a face lift the best value would be afterwards.
If is always recommended to do skin heath maintenance. Having nice skin to go with your face lift is a big plus. Following you face lift you will get the advantage of treating the scars with your skin treatments such as IPL and peels. The face lift will tighten the skin and then the follow-up skin care will help to tone the skin as well.
I think you will get a better value...
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Marcus L. Peterson, MD
Saint George Plastic Surgeon
Saint George Plastic Surgeon

