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

The pulled look results from many factors, all of them avoidable. As a lay person, you may not be able to list each one, but you know pulled when you see it. 1. Bad direction of pull. When the facelift is directed very high at the side of the face, pull is created preferentially on the side of the face, and... more

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... more

A pulled look or 'wind swept' look is a common problem after a facelift that can be easily avoided. The key word to remember is -"vector." Most patients believe that a pulled look is due to tension caused by excessive skin removal during surgery. Although that is a possibility, most of... more

The wind swept look is an old fashioned looking result of a facelift that results from a hard pull on the skin in an upward direction in front of the ears. Old techniques relied on the pull on the skin to lift the sagging facial features. Modern facelift techniques recognize the unnatural look this creates... more

I prefer the term 'facial rejuvenation' over the more antiquated term 'facelift', as many patients that I see who seek a more youthful and refreshed facial appearance undergo a set of surgical procedures very different from what would have been considered a 'facelift' twenty-five years ago. The word... more

The windswept look occurs typically in patients with thin faces and varying degrees of bone and fat atrophy. When they get the muscle and skin lifted, there in no volume to shape around and they end up looking flat and pulled. If you have a rounder, more full face, than you will have minimal risk of getting... more

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... more

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... more

The pulled or tightened "wind-tunneled" look comes from stretching the skin too tight and was common practice 20-30 years ago. Now, with modern techniques in face-lifting surgery, the muscles are tightened and the skin is only slightly stretched. Fat is removed from underneath the neck to create a... more

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... more