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A Facelift at 36? Will Fillers Make My Face Sag? (photo)

I'm 36 and noticed some cheek sag earlier in the year so began facial exercises. I have since lost 10lbs and the sag is much more noticeable and extends to the jowl area. I have been advised by one surgeon that I am a little young but I am unsure. My mother had a facelift at 50 but she needed one many years before and therefore the results aren't as good as they could have been. I have seen filler recommended but will these lift sag? My face doesn't look gaunt and I have always had 'big' cheeks.

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10 Doctor Answers | Asked by moonhorse

Doctor Answers (10)
Community Comments (1)

There may be a much easier solution.

Review of your photos seems to indicate that you have an overbite with retrognathia. This means that your jawbone is positioned behind where it should ideally be for the amount of overlying tissues. It leads to the early appearance of jowls and the cheeks will often look "relatively" larger. We get great results in patients like you by using an extended "chin-jowl" implant and submental liposuction to allow the tissues to repostion themselves. Fillers... more

Nathan Mayl, MD

7 reviews

Fort Lauderdale Plastic Surgeon

Facelift at age 36

Chronological age does not always correspond to age appearance. Certainly, weight loss can result in sagging of facial and neck skin, especially if there is a genetic tendency toward this. That being said, I would suggest you get to a weight that you can easily maintain, then see at least 3 surgeons with experience in this type of surgery in younger people.

The young person's facelift...

Facelifts for people under 45 is a difficult dilemma. I agree with the others in the sense that you will see some improvement with fat injections (and perhaps other temporary filler injections) along your tear troughs and nasolabial folds and marionette lines. However, there may be a fundamental, genetic tendency for loose skin and saggy facial fat in certain individuals at a younger age. These are components of aging and replacing volume is a good initial thought.... more

Fillers are the way to go here.

At 36 you do not need a facelift! That does not mean that someone out there wouldn't agree to perform such a surgery. The fillers are helpful because you can have multiple areas addressed in a way not possible with surgery. Using fat instead of fillers? This is certainly more profitable for the surgeon because it entails surgery rather than the use of expensive filler materials. However, you need very precise treatment to achieve the best result. This... more

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD

8 reviews

Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon

The Treatment of Premature Aging at 36

One of the most common causes of premature aging is weight gain followed by rapid weight loss. The photos show many of the classic signs of facial aging includingthe olwer eyelid "V" deformity, descent of the malar fat pad, deepening of the nasolabial folds, the beginning of marionette lines and the loss of jawline contour particularly on the left side. Artificial fillers may help to camouflage some of these problems while fat grafting may provide a more natural and longlasting... more

Paul S. Howard, MD

3 reviews

Birmingham Plastic Surgeon

Fillers When Properly Injected do not make your face sag

Despite being young you do have jowl formation which may be hereditary and you would do well with a mini-facelift like a LiteLift or MACS procedure. In general face exercises do NOT help keep the face looking younger and in some instances will accelerate the wrinkling process. You may also have a weak chin (microgenia) which could be corrected with a small chin implant but evaluation with your chin not pointing down is needed to determine this. Here is a primer on how your face ages and... more

Am I too young for a facelift?

It is relatively uncommon that a 36 year old experiences the type and degree of aging that would require a facelift to fix. A facelift is effective at addressing jowling and laxity in the neck and creating a nicely defined jawline. From the pictures that you have provided I don't see howling and I can't get a good assessment of your neck. You do have some atrophy of the cheek fat which has created some hollowness. You also seem to have a slightly retrusive chin with fullness in the... more

Todd C. Miller, MD

10 reviews

Orange County Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.toddmillermd.com

Matter of Architecture

One of the challenges we face is that of patient expectation and a decision about facial rejuvenation timing. It is not a numerical decision, "I am 36 and I can't need a facelift yet!" It is actually a matter of architecture of your face combined with the texture changes of your skin. The photos depicted are of course, not the same as an evaluation in person. If jowling is of concern that a series of Sciton laser Skin Tyte treatments, once a week for six weeks will... more

Facelift at 36

Yes, you do have signs of facial aging that may be precipitated by weight loss. While a facelift may achieve certain goals for you, you may have other options like facial fillers or fat grafting to soften the appearance. An exam in person would be essential.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

A Facelift at 36? Will Fillers Make My Face Sag?

Aesthetically speaking the photos should excess fatty tissue and sag along the nasolabial folds (NLF) with flattening of the anterior (front) cheeks which is more pronounced on the left side. To soften the face, the mid-face should be re-sghaped to the aesthtically soft and feminine shape. This could be done with micr-lipo of the NLF's combined with Perlane to shape the cheeks. A minimally invasive Face Lift like the Palmer Code Celebrity Face Lift,... more