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Facelift Surgery Before and After Photos

I'm considering face lift surgery, and I want to talk with a few different surgeons. What should I look for in facelift before and after pictures? How will I know what is good?

Asked 25 months ago by Jen G

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face

Facelift Surgery Before and After Photos

This is really an excellent question and one that every person seeking plastic surgery should understand. There are two aspects to this answer. The first is the evaluation of the photography technique. Many seemingly improvements are the result of subtle photographic techniques. Second is an evaluation of the surgical result. Technique 1. lighting- watch to make sure that the same amount and direction of the light is the same in the before and after. If... more

Donald M. Brown, MD

San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Face Lift Before and After Photos

I agree with you, it is important to see your plastic surgeon's before and after face lift photos before deciding to undergo a face lift with that surgeon. Here are a few things to look for in before and after face lift pictures: 1. Look at the before and after face lift surgery results. Do the patients have a decrease in forehead wrinkles, a tighter neck line, less jowling, less marionette lines, and a refreshed look? Are these results that would make you... more

Jaime Perez MD

Tampa Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Facelift Photographs

Look for the following: 1. standardized postioning between photos 2. standardized lighting/exposure between photos 3. standardized patient grooming between photos - make up, hair styling, etc. 4. visible scars - look carefully in front of the ear 5. change in the orientation of the ear - is it angled differently following the surgery 6. harline changes 7. changes in the shape of the earlobe 8. noticeable improvements in the jowls, neck, nasolabial fold,... more

Andrew B. Denton, MD

Vancouver Facial Plastic Surgeon

Look for the incisions in "before and after" facelift photos

A major skill in face lifting is to make inconspicuous incisions that only the surgeon and a very observant hairdresser can see, because they are hidden in the hair and not visible. Some doctors will show face lift results where you can only see the improvement in the neck and the face, but you can't see the incisions because they have the patient's hair pulled down to cover them. You should be able to clearly see the front of the ear and behind the ear in all... more

Russell W. H. Kridel, MD

Houston Facial Plastic Surgeon

Good Before and After Photos

First make sure the photos look like they were taken in the same spot, with the head tilted the same and the lighting the same. Tilting the neck down can make it look bad and tilted up much better without surgery. No flash makes wrinkles look worse and then they "disappear" with a flash even without surgery. If a person looks very "glum" in the before shot and then had "glamor" shot for after then you had better beware. Next look for someone with... more

Byron D. Poindexter, MD

Reston Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Facelift pics

Its critical to look at multiple angles of the same patient before and after surgery. All should be taken with the same camera, the same lighting, and the same background. At least a front, both sides, and oblique photos should be used. If you only see 2 front views (before and after) a scar or asymmetry may not be visible on one of the side views. Dates are important. Patients often look great several months following surgery... more

Jason R. Hess, MD

San Diego Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Face lift before and after photos

There is no denying the fact that 'before and after' images are the most powerful and effective means for a surgeon to communicate their aesthetic sensibility. They give the prospective patient an immediate sense of what that surgeon envisions as a favorable postoperative result, and thus allow an individual to make a relatively quick decision as to whether or not that surgical practice is one that they should investigate further. It also has become challenging for us to manage the... more

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Michael Law, MD

Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Beware of before and after photos

Be very careful of before and after photographs. Although they can tell you what type of work a surgeon performs, they can be quite misleading. Sometimes, surgeons will show generic before and after photographs, possibly not even patients they have performed surgery on. The photos will be of a limited number of patients and will only show the surgeon's best work. A better choice would be to see 5-10 consecutive patients. Unfortunately this is unreasonable as patients are... more

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D.J. Verret, MD

Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon

Facelift Before and After Photos

Your question is a very good one as there are a number of photographic techniques that can make the results of a facelift look better than it actually looks. The important things to look out for are changes in lighting, make-up or no make-up and whether or the patient is smiling. It is truly amazing how much younger a patient looks when smiling versus frowning. It is important that the surgeon have a gallery of photos of both male and femalr patients of various ages so that it can be... more

Paul S. Howard, MD

Birmingham Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Facelift Before and After Photos

It is important that you identify with surgeon and the types of patients you are seeing in the photo. In general, you want to see if the patient looks natural. Do you like the jaw line? Do you like the way the corner of the mouth changed position, if at all? Many photos will look great in the post op. The patients have makeup on. . .their hair is done. . .they're smiling. . .etc. The real test of natural results is how do they look in the... more

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Chase Lay, MD

Bay Area Facial Plastic Surgeon

Just as in surgery, photographic technique is important

When reviewing a surgeon’s facial photo gallery, you should pay attention to the technical details of the photographs - are they cropped the same, is the patient angled the same, are they looking at the same point in the distance, is lighting the same? Not every pre and post operative photo set will be the same due to some uncontrollable variables (patients may wear different color clothing in the pre vs post op shots, which will effect automatic exposure control and lighting on... more

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Michael A. Bogdan, MD

Dallas Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Facelift before and after photos

Photos can be deceiving or misleading. Is the after photo lighter than the before? Is the patient made up and with her hair done beautifully in the after photo and looking like she just fell out of bed in the before? Are the photos taken at the same angle and in the same range? Look for photos of patients who are in your age group; younger patients will have generally better results than older ones. Inquire when the photos were taken. If they are taken 3 months postop, this will not... more

Robert L. Kraft, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Look at before and after facelift photos?

I agree with others who responded that it is important to look at the incisions in the before and the after photos when evaluating a doctor's results. But also watch out for doctors who change the lighting in the after photos (usually lighter) or who have patients wear makeup in the after photos only. Also be aware that doctors may digitally manipulate both images to make the results look better than they really were. Be careful!

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Lawrence Kass, MD

Saint Petersburg Oculoplastic Surgeon

Communication with surgeon, natural vs. aggressive results should factor in to your decision

When choosing a facelift surgeon, your first consideration is whether you can communicate easily and clearly with your potential surgeon. Each patient’s goals with this type of surgery are unique. As a result, it is important to understand one another so that the surgical goals can be decided upon together and so that the expectations of both the patient and surgeon are very clear. When looking at before and after pictures, you must decide whether your goals are... more

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Michael R. Macdonald, MD

Bay Area Facial Plastic Surgeon

Before and after photos of facelifts

You want to look for several things: -find a patient that has similar anatomy as you...pay attention to the jowls and the hanging neck skin and find an example that looks like you -a good facelift looks natural, not that wind swept look, make sure you like the results -there should be a difference in the before and afters that is noticeable and what you want -the jowl area can be the hardest part to control, so see if the jowling is corrected as well

Nima Shemirani, MD

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

What to Look For?

Although photos may help you in your choice of surgeon, recognize that they can be manipulated to show excellent results. That being said, what do you look for in before and after pictures? I think that all of us can recognize an attractive change in appearance. As you compare before and afters, though, make sure that the lighting is the same in both, the degree of makeup is similar in both, and that the jawline is tight and firm, cheeks are uplifted, that necks are smooth, and that the... more

George Sanders, MD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

What to look for in Facelift Before and After Photos

When reviewing a plastic surgeons before and after photos of facial rejuvenation, you will want to look for a surgeon with patients who have a natural look post-operatively. You want to ensure there is not a stretched or pulled look and that there appears to be adequate volume in the cheeks with good neck contour and natural appearing earlobes.

Stanley Gulin, MD

Naples Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Tips for pictures

The key to before and after pictures is to find pictures of patients to whom you can relate. Age, skin tone, make-up, hair color/style, etc. are good tips to help you relate to another patient. Additionally, making sure the same camera, lighting and patient position were used is a good rule of thumb in comparing pictures. Lastly, see if your surgeon has videos of the patient before and after surgery. Oftentimes, a dynamic view of a patient can help you not only see what the patient... more

Corey S. Maas, MD

San Francisco Facial Plastic Surgeon

Facelift photos

Do not get a face lift by anyone who can't show you books of results that you would be happy to have yourself. I can't even imagine asking someone to let me do their facelift and not showing them dozens of patients similar to them in age and asthetic concerns. Any good and successful facelift surgeon has loads of good results and happy patients and should be thrilled to share them with you, if not make a quick exit to someone else

Richard Galitz, MD

Miami Facial Plastic Surgeon

Facelift before and after pictures

EXCELLENT question! Like classic art and literature, in my opinion, nobody should tell you what is good and what is not good. YOU decide for yourself by careful analysis of before and after pictures. Look closely at the patient before the procedure. See their aging features, and try to understand what might have bothered them when they look in the mirror. The before photograph is a window into another's soul, because you are looking at someone who was... more

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Steve Laverson, MD

San Diego Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

What to look for in a before and after photograph for a facelift

The purpose of before and after photographs should be to document change seen from the operation. Therefore looking for objective photographs (head and neck position same, similar lighting, makeup, etc). In addition, other key signs are: Incisions- Are they in front of the ear or behind the ear? Are they visible. Neck and Jowls- Is the face and neck noticeably tighter than the preoperative photograph? Natural- Does the patient have any signs of having had... more

Anil R. Shah, MD

Chicago Facial Plastic Surgeon

Evaluating pre and postop facelift photos

Since the photos will tell you if the surgeon creates a look you would want, you should first generally look at the postop and ask yourself if they look good and natural, or do they look operated on? Ask if there are still issues that remain uncorrected like persistent jowls or left over neck fat and not as much neck angularity as could have been achieved. Check my photos on RealSelf and subject them to these questions as an example.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Before and after facelift photos

There are no rules. Generally speaking a younger patients results will look better because there is significantly less work to do and the patient tends to appear younger. Consistency among photos is desireable although not always possible. Patients should be wearing similar amounts of make-up and jewelry and comparable grooming. Photos are a great tool with which to evaluate the surgeon but they should not be the only tool.