I Had a Facelift 4 Years Ago and Don't Want Another One What Can I Do to Help Sagging? Doctor Answers, Tips

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Nonsurgical facelift.

Fillers and lasers can improve wrinkles and furrows along with Botox for the upper face. However, sagging skin must be removed with a facelift. Be specific with your surgeon since many promise results with the above but the skin will still SAG!

Toby Mayer, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.bevhills.com

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Jowl Area Needs TLC Even After Facelift

Hi sharla: even with the best facelift, our repeative facial expressions pull on the jowl area with every smile and even with talking to recreate the jowl sag and crease. we begin to "undo" our facelift correction as soon as we start moving our faces again. and with our vegas killer combo of dry air and intense sun, your skin's ability to recover from that repeated pull and crease is seriously impaired. this troublesome area clearly... more

Mary C. Herte, MD
Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

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No, only a facelift can help jowls, may consider fillers

When jowls are the issue, there is no substitute for a facelift. Minilifts are ineffective for jowls and a waste of time and money. You may consider fillers, either fat or Juvederm, for creases around the mouth. They are easy and relatively inexpensive. But such alternatives as Thermage or "skin tightening" from lasers do not work on jowls. String lifts have come and gone. You likely need a properly-done deep plane facelift for best results,... more

Eric Swanson MD
Leawood Plastic Surgeon

www.swansoncenter.com

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Sagging four years after facelift.

Without seeing pictures of you before the facelift and currently it is difficult to give you an exact answer. It is not unusual for a facelift to loosen up gradually over time depending on the elasticity of your skin. However, it is extremely unlikely that the skin is as loose now as it was before your facelift and you would need the entire procedure redone. A facelift should typically last at least ten years, however, in a few cases, I have had to go back on a patient and redo their... more

Ronald J. Edelson, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

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How long do face lifts last? What can be done before a second facelift?

Most traditional complete facelifts generally keep you looking younger and refreshed for 7 to 10 years. You are always ahead of the game if skin has been removed and if muscles and fat pads have been resuspended. But, alas, the aging process proceeds, and, in every additional decade, we age more. In the interim between lifts, laser skin resurfacing can reduce wrinkles and can tighten the underlyting skin; Thermage (radio-frequency) might help shrink the tissues as might Ulthera (an... more

Russell W. H. Kridel, MD
Houston Facial Plastic Surgeon

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4 years after face lift want to fix jowls and wrinkles

If you don't want a traditional full Face Lift to remove and tighten the jowls you have 4 options, IMHO: A Minimum Incisison Face Lift that's much smaller, of an operation, recovery and healing time to tighten the joowls and remove excess skin. Skin resurfacing with chemical peel or laser to tighten the skin (somewhat) and reduce wrinkles Use fillers liek perlane to fill in the Marrionnete lines (Jowls) and peel, laser or use skin care for the wrinkled... more

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

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There are many non surgical options for facial rejuvenation

You have not posted a photo, so my answer will be generic, not specific towards your particular needs. Many things can contribute to making a face look older. The skin ages and sun damage makes wrinkling and pigmentation problems worse. The soft tissue or fat of the face changes. We lose volume in our cheeks and gain it in the lower part of the face. This contributes to jowling, nasolabial folds and lower eyelid poochiness. Injectable fillers can be used to... more

Elizabeth Lee, MD
Bay Area Plastic Surgeon

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Non Invasive help to the sagging Face

Sculptra is a thought, If you are having additional laxity then profractional therapy with the Sciton Juele is nice. Adding back some fat is an option if you have some drooping areas. Some laser treatment with an Erbium laser can be of some help. Recently injections of your own concentrated plasma has been bridging the non operative needs. Lots of options are out there. I would go back to your reputable surgeon who did your operation and see what he or she may think.

Charles Virden, MD
Reno Plastic Surgeon

www.virdenmd.com

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Deep folds after face lift

Although it is difficult to answer your question without seeing your pictures – based on your description it appears that you may be a good candidate for facial fat grafting

Sam Naficy, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

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Face Lift

You should be wearing a facial sunscreen preferably zinc or titanium based physical blocker every day, and over neck and chest, reapplying every 4 hours. Then, consider fillers or fat transfer, whichever is applicable. Speak with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon on how to manage your maintenance.

Vivek Bansal, MD
Danville Plastic Surgeon

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Early Sagging After a Facelift

Usually you should not have a lot of facial jowls or sagging so early after a facelift. If the sagging is just skin and in the cheeks only, you can do a short incision face lift with deep layer SMAS manipulation and filling of the deep malar compartments for a youthful longer lasting facial rejuvenation.

Rod J. Rohrich, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

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Facial Fillers and Volume Replacement

Without a photo it is difficult to say. But, in general, as one ages they loose facial volume and the face begins to sag. You have had a face lift so your skin is fairly tight. I would consider fat injections for facial volume replacement and possible a light tca chemical peel. I would also add fillers for the wrinkles that concern you. The fat injections can soften the jowls only. Surgery is obviously the best. see video

Miguel Delgado, Jr., MD
San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

www.dr-delgado.com

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Jowls four years after facelift

It's difficult to respond meaningfully without a photograph, but the first question would be the nature of the facelift you underwent. If it was a minimal lift, then I would not be surprised that the results have not lasted more than four years. There are many non-surgical options including Thermage, facial fillers and laser therapy and you should seek a board certified plastic surgeon to assess which of these would be viable for you. None are as efficacious as surgery but... more

Robert L. Kraft, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

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Conservative management of jowels after face lift

If you are starting to notice sagging of jowls and deepening of the nasolabial and marionette lines, you have a few connservative options before resorting to a second face lift in 5 years. Botox injection (nefertiti injection) can cause a subtle but noticible elevation of the jowles. Non-invasive soft tissue tightening with Thermage and the new Ultherapy may be an excellent maintenance strategy. Fractional CO2 peel will not only inprove the texture of the skin but it also causes... more

Edwin Ishoo, MD
Boston Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.bostoncosmeticsurgerycenter.com

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Non-Surgical options for wrinkles

There are many non-surgical options for wrinkles. Unfortunately no substitute for surgery to treat jowls. You can consider CO2 resurfacing to treat wrinkles on the face. This will provide some degree of skin tightening as well. It is important to be on a medical skin care regimen as well. Botox/ Dysport will treat facial wrinkles as well depending on where they are. Fillers can be used to treat smile lines very well.

Melanie L. Petro, MD
Alabama Facial Plastic Surgeon

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Alternative options for deep jowl areas...

A key thing to understand is that as a person ages, volume is lost in the face. That contributes to things such as jowling or folds around the mouth. So instead of surgery, if you do things to restore the volume then you can look rejuvenated. Alternative options instead of a facelift to treat the jowl area are injectables such as Juvederm and Radiesse. These are an affordable, noninvasive temporary solution. Another possibility is fat injections... more

Andrew Miller, MD
Edison Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.associatesinplasticsurgery.com

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Several options for nonsurgical facial rejuvenation:

If your areas of concern are the “deep frowns” around your mouth; so often the nasolabial folds and marionette lines around the mouth contribute to the sagging and contribute to the aged appearance. Without doing “surgery”, injections into these areas, particularly with fat transfer or other materials can provide good resolution/good improvement, without undergoing a repeat facelift. Specifically for wrinkles on the other hand; wrinkles are nicely treated... more

David Q. Santos, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

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Options after your first facelift

To look refreshed, consider the 3 ways that we age: Sagging, sun-damage to the skin, and loss of volume. Many people try to treat all aging of the face by just pulling tighter, tighter, and TIGHTER. And that can create the hollywood celebrity appearance. Often, replacing lost volume in the cheeks, smile lines, and around the mouth can make a face look "lifted," like a liquid facelift. Laser resurfacing may also give a tightening appearance to the... more

Richard Castellano, MD
Tampa Facial Plastic Surgeon

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Facelift. Face lift. Facelift

I agree with a little of each that was stated on this page. Dermal fillers. Laser. Liposuction. Etc. However you only get what you pay for.

Stephen A. Chidyllo, MD
Red Bank Plastic Surgeon

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Sagging 4 Years after Facelift

It is difficult to answer your question without pictures which would show the severity of your problems. However, the contour can be improved with the injection of fat or fillers such as Radiesse or the hyaluronic acids (Restylane and Juvederm). Skin quality can be treated with lasers or chemical peels. All of these treatments are easier than another facelidft.

Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

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Facelift 4 years ago and sagging again!

Consider two possible options: 1) You had a great facelift result and your own skin elasticity is (genetically) poor, leading to early recurrent sagging and jowl formation. 2) You have normal or even good natural elasticity, but your facelift surgery was, shall we say kindly, poorly executed. If choice number 1, none of the laser, peel, RF, or "mini" lift procedures will provide sufficient improvement to be worthwhile (Consider that a "full"... more

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.mpsmn.com

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Nonsurgical facial rejuvenation

There are many options available for non surgical facial rejuvenation including Botox, fillers, laser, and structural fat grafting. All can contribute to correct lines and furrows and fill folds and smile lines. A facelift is certainly a reliable option for laxity in the neck and jowl, however not everyone 'needs' a facelift and the alternatives mentioned will help level the aging curve. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

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Jowls 4 years after Facelift

Another facelift is the only way to remove excess skin. That being said there are many options available to revitalize your appearance. Fillers can help elevate the skin to eliminate or reduce jowls. Lasers and peels can improve the quality of the skin, smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles. It is best to discuss your options with your surgeon.

Kristin Egan, MD
Manhattan Beach Facial Plastic Surgeon

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There are no short cuts

If you have recurrence of skin sag and loseness of face you will need another facelift to have satisfying outcome. Fillers etc compliment facelift, but do not replace it. Call it as it is and see your plastic surgeon for objective evaluation of face. It is ok to have a touch up facelift every 5-6 years to stay everfresh and youthful. GO FOR THE REAL THING.

Vasdev Rai, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

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Pictures would help

There are many options for the non-surgical facial rejuvenation. Th eoptiions are fillers, lasers,peels,Exillis, Thermage and fat.

Kamran Khoobehi, MD
New Orleans Plastic Surgeon

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4 years post op an sagging

Youmust realize that asa we age, our skin integrity decreases. Therefore, it is not uncommon to experience some drooping. You may want to try fillers or Co2 laser but, nothing will replace a secondary tuckup. My experience is that a secondary yuck up is much easier for the patient than the original

David A. Bray, Sr., MD
Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

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