How can I avoid getting a pulled up look from a face lift?

I truly do not understand this look.  A natural refreshed appearance should be the goal.  Ask your surgeon to show you in a mirror the lift  that is expected.  If it is too tight there is your answer.  Also meet with past patients, or most surgeons have Web sites, view the before and after photos.  And for sure chose an board certified surgeon that has been trained to operate on face lift patients

Avoiding the wind swept look after a facelift is easily accomplished by not having it done in the first place. What I mean by that is when seeking a facelift, ask the surgeon to make sure that you are not overpulled. The only advantage of overpulling is to avoid the inevitable relaxation that occurs within the first year of the procedure.

I advise my patients to have a more natural look by gently lifting the tissues to their more normal positions and remove a conservative amount of skin to avoid the wind tunnel effect. They are advised that a touch-up procedure might be necessary as the skin relaxes. This in my opinion is better than having an over pulled look.

Different surgeons have different aesthetic eyes.  The only way to really determine what kind of outcome you can expect is to look at the results of the surgeon.  Most surgeons do surgery the same way each time and therefore their results tend to be consistent.  Find a surgeon who you like and whose results you like.

The best way to avoid a windswept Hollywood look after a facelift is to chose your surgeon very carefully. Ask probing questions about their technique and see some examples of their results, in photographs or in-person if possible.

This look is entirely avoidable if you shape the face rather than merely lift the face. One needs to lift and fill to provide a natural and more youthful appearance.

The windswept look should not happen after a well performed lower facelift procedure. This usually occurs in settings where either just the skin is pulled tight or the deeper structures are not addressed properly. A facelift aims to reverse some of the signs of aging. Part of the aging process is descent of the tissues of the face including the muscles and other structures which live below the skin. The skin envelope will then stretched to accomodate the descent. By pulling the deeper structures back into proper position, the skin can be easily trimmed to create a very natural appearing, but refreshed look.