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Should I Lose Weight Before SMAS Facelift and Neck Lift?

asked 2 years ago by ICIrisheyes in Jefferson City, MT
Latest answer by E. Ronald Finger, MD
Question viewed 3,024 times
Tags: face, forehead, neck, sagging, weight loss, insurance

Should I lose weight before SMAS Facelift and Submentoplasty Neck lift?  I am having a Face lift & Neck lift & Brow Lift is being covered buy Insurance. Should I loose weight before having anything done?

If I don't loose weight now and loose weight later will my new face be all saggy?

Thanks

23 answers to Should I Lose Weight Before SMAS Facelift and Neck Lift?

+1

Should I Lose Weight Before SMAS Facelift and Neck Lift?

Losing weight after having a face lift will definitely contribute to more sagging of your face after the surgery. Loss of volume causes sagging whether you have a face lift or not. So I definitely recommend losing your weight before the surgery. However, the goal is to lose your weight to a level that you can comfortably maintain. If you cannot maintain the lower weight and you gain it back after surgery, you may as well proceed with the surgery and enjoy its benefits now. The best... more
E. Ronald Finger, MD

Savannah Plastic Surgeon
+1

Pre-facelift weight loss

It is always advisable to be at your preferred weight before undergoing any cosmetic surgery. I am also surprised by your comment that a facelift will be covered by insurance as I know of no insurance carrier in the United States that knowingly would reimburse for such a procedure. I would encourage you to confirm that the procedure will be covered and that your surgeon appropriately represented it to the insurance carrier so you will not be held accountable for the bills after the fact. more
Robert L. Kraft, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon
+1

Weight Loss & Facelift

The success of weight loss before facelift is low. Also, if safely done, say 1-2 month, it may take over a year to lose weight, of which most will likely come off the trunk and lower extremities. I ask patients what has been their stable weight. This is the most powerful indicator of the the set point they are most likely to maintain. This often is higher after menopause. On the bright side, a good number of my patients have lost weight after their facelift surgery, usually... more
Edward Szachowicz, MD, PhD

Minneapolis Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.facialplasticsurgery.com

+1

Weight Loss Prior to Face Lift

I recommend that my patients try to get within 10 lbs of their ideal weight prior to undergoing face lift surgery. If they can do this, their result is just that much better. I do have some patients that were unable to achieve that goal, for whatever reason, and we were still get able to obtain a good result. Those good results may have even been better if they had been able to get closer to their ideal weight prior to surgery . A face lift is a big... more
Jenifer L. Henderson, MD

Silverdale Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Weight loss

There are two kinds of weight loss patients in my practice. Those on a plan and those that just talk about it. If you are going to lose weight by all means wait. Yes if you lose weight afterwards you will lose some of the tightening.
David A. Bray, Sr., MD

Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Facial rejuvenation and weight loss

If you plan on losing more weight, then I would wait to have a facelift.  Deflation will occur and the skin may be looser.  Volume changes will occur and will have to be addressed
Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Weight loss (unless massive) has little effect on a facelift.

Most patients express the desire to lose a few pounds.  This will not effect the results of a facelift before or after the operation.  Excess fat under the chin is often removed as part of the operation and won't be effected by weight shifts.  Massive weight loss is a different story.
Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon
+1

Weight Loss Before A Facelift

Weight loss affects different people in different ways.  In some patients, a small amount of weight loss will dramatically alter the face and neck fat appearance.  In others, larger amounts of weight loss provide a negligible amount of change in the neck and fat appearance.  For most patients, the number of pounds which can impact face and neck fat content is around 15 pounds.   Ideally, patients will be near their ideal weight prior to a facelift to achieve... more
Anil R. Shah, MD

Chicago Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Try to be close to your ideal body weight before choosing facial rejuvenation

Weight loss will not affect the appearance or the outcome of your insurance sponsored browlift.  On the other hand, most women note that when they shed a few pounds, they appreciate deflationary changes in their face and breasts.  As facial fat shrinks, your PS may discuss volume repletion with you, in tandem with your facelift.  Neck fat loss is rarely dramatic, however the amount of neck skin laxity which results after weight loss can be prodigious.  In summary, I... more
Lavinia Chong, MD

Orange County Plastic Surgeon
+1

Weight loss can affect a facelift

If you plan to lose a large amount of weight , then wait. If you are planning on losing only a small amount of fat then it is fine to undergo the surgery now. Consult with your surgeon, and try to get an idea of your own circumstances.
Robert M. Freund, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon
+1

Should one Lose Weight BEFORE a Face and Neck Lift

For BEST results you should be close or at your ideal weight and your weight should be stable and not fluctuate. In truth, unless you are obese, losing a few pounds will not destroy the results of a Facelift. So you can have the Facelift anytime. As regards "am having a Face lift & Neck lift & Brow Lift is being covered buy Insurance" - I seriously doubt ANY insurance company will KNOWINGLY pay for a Facelift.  I am sure all of us are curious to know who this... more
Peter A. Aldea, MD

Memphis Plastic Surgeon
+1

Weight loss before a faclift

It is always a good idea to be around 10-15 pounds of your ideal weight before plastic surgery.  If your face isn't weight sensitive though it doesn't really matter.
Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+1

Facelift Covered by Insurance?

Whether to lose weight or not depends on a patient's anatomy, morphology, amount of weight to lose, and motivation.  If a patient is motivated to lose weight, doing it prior to surgery is more ideal. Following suit, it is possible to be so overweight that a Facelift will produce little tangible result, but in most cases this is not true.  The one surprising feature I noted in this post is "Facelift covered by insurance".  This is not typical in Facial... more
Stephen Prendiville, MD

Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Weight loss and facelifts

The decision to lose weight before a facelift or proceed with surgery depends upon the amount of fat in and around your face and the amount of weight you are planning on losing. Generally, unless you have a lot of facial fat and you are planning on losing more than 20-30 pounds, you can proceed with your surgery before weight loss since losing weight is not likely to change the appearance of your face. If, however, you are planning to lose a lot of weight and have a considerable amount... more
Adam Rubinstein, MD

Miami Plastic Surgeon
+1

Weight loss and facelift surgery

In a recent article in one of the plastic surgery journals, identical twins were evaluated in regards to aging and its association with factors such as weight, smoking, sun exposure, and use of hormone replacement therapy. The study showed that as expected, smoking, sun exposure, and lack of hormone replacement therapy had a negative effect on facial aging. Weight had a more interesting effect. In individuals younger than 40, increased weight made the facial appear older. In individuals... more
Maurice M. Khosh, MD

New York Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Lose weight before facelift and neck lift surgeries

Yes. If you plan on losing weight, you should do it BEFORE your surgery or you may end up with excess skin again sooner than you would have liked. If you do not plan on losing weight and are a candidate for a facelift with excess skin, then you do not have to lose any weight.
Edward J. Domanskis, MD

Orange County Plastic Surgeon
+1

Weight loss and SMAS Facelift

Great question. As one of the busiest facelift surgeons in the United States I get this questions every day. It really is an individual answer and it depends on if you have a lot of weight in your face/neck versus the rest of your body. This can vary quite a bit. It also depends on how much weight you are planning to lose. In addition, it depends if you are going to have any facial or neck liposuction done at the same time. It really may not affect your outcome at all. Good Luck. more
Robert F. Gray, MD

Bay Area Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Depends on the amount of weight loss.

It all depends on the amount of weight loss. If there is more than 25 pounds of weight loss that is anticipated, it is important to have the weight loss prior to embarking on any surgical procedure such as a facelift. You will have less anesthetic complications and overall better aesthetic result.
William Portuese, MD

Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

SMAS facelift.

Hi! Few people put on a lot of weight in their face.  So, unless you are talking about 20 pounds or more, I think it is fine to do your SMAS facelift now.
George J. Beraka, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Face Lift

Dear ICIrisheyes For most surgeries it is best to be at your 'ideal' weight. This may have an effect on your facelift result over the long term.  With Warm Regards, Trevor M Born MD
Trevor M. Born, MD

Toronto Plastic Surgeon
+1

It depends on the surgeon and the surgery.

 If you are more than 15-20 lbs. overweight, and you loose fat in your face with dieting, then it is better to loose the weight first.
Toby Mayer, MD

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Weight loss is always useful before surgery

It is always useful to loose weight before surgery for different health and anaesthesia related reasons. In my experience the face is not affected that much with weight loss except in some massive weight loss cases.
Hisham Seify, MD, PhD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon
+1

Effect of weight loss on facial surgery

Dear ICIrisheyes, With all facial or body contouring procedures, weight loss after the procedure can negatively effect the results. I don't mind if my patients fluctuate 10%, as the changes are not so significant. If you loose a lot of weight, you will notice deflation. Of the procedures you mentioned, the face lift component is most sensitive to weight fluctuation, while the brow and eyes are not affected so much. Best regards, Dr.B
Michael A. Bogdan, MD

Dallas Plastic Surgeon

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