Facelift before & after photos
83%
268 reviews
Worth It Rating Our index shows the percentage of community members saying this was "Worth it". See cosmetic treatment rankings
Facelift Cost $12,100 average cost

Solutions for Extremely Loose Facial Skin?

I have very loose skin that doesn't seem to stay on my facial bone. It's like mush, has no structure at all. Could it have something to do with my facial muscles? I've had this problem since I was 21, and I'm now 30. I've tried everything, but nothing has worked for me. What could this be, and can something be done about it?

Asked 34 months ago by Ani in PMB
Tags:
Sort 15 expert answers by:
+1

Premature Loose Facial Skin

One would have to really see and examine a person if they feel that their facial skin structure is loose as the plastic surgeon needs to confirm how much fat you have or have not lost in your facial fat compartments. Especially if you’re younger you may need deep layer fat compartment augmentation restoration only and if you indeed have facial skin laxity we need a combination fat augmentation and a Lift and Fill facelift. This would require an evaluation to fully evaluate what... more
Rod J. Rohrich, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon
+1

Extremely loose skin

Ani, I agree that having extremely loose skin at age 21 is unusual and you may have an underlying connective tissue disorder.  However, it's hard to tell without examining you or seeing a photo. The best thing to do would be to see a Plastic surgeon in consultation to assess your individual anatomy and give you realistic expectations of what surgery can fix. If there is any question that you have an underlying CT disorder, you may need to have this worked up prior to... more
Catherine Huang-Begovic, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Extremely loose skin at an early age

What you describe give your age makes me concerned that you may have a congenital collagen disorder known as Ehlers Danlos.  My question to you would be do you have "stetchy" skin elsewhere?   Before you consider any elective cosmetic surgery, please seek the evaluation of a dermatologist or plastic surgeon to evaluate your skin.  After this assessment, you may be a candidate for treatments to add volume to areas that look hollow (fat injections or fillers)... more
C. Bob Basu, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon
+1

Some treatments for Extremely Loose Facial Skin

Extremely loose facial skin in youthful patients can be from genetic predisposition, significant sun-exposure, less than optimal facial bone prominence, and low body fat.  I am in Scottsdale Arizona and have a large facial plastic surgical practice, and it is not uncommon for me to see early facial aging in patients mostly due to sun exposure and the fact that patients like to stay quite thin.  I would say you are a bit young to be seeing this, but I have seen patients like you... more
Daniel Shapiro, MD
Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon
+1

Extremely loose facial skin

My best recommendation would be to have your skin, skin structure and overall appearance evaluated by a plastic surgeon or dermatologist. This is one of those questions that requires an exam of your skin specifically, especially because of your age.
Deason Dunagan, MD
Huntsville Plastic Surgeon
+1

Extremely loose facial skin at age 30

Extremely loose skin at age 30 could be related to collagen disorders such as Ehlers Danlos. You should be evaluated by a dermatologist to determine whether this is the case, before pursuing cosmetic surgery. Extremely loose skin can be tightened up with a tuck facelift. The facial muscles themselves are not loose at all and are attached to the bone; they are not what you are feeling. The excess loose skin is unrelated to the muscles.
William Portuese, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Poor facial structure can cause sagging skin

Many people with poor facial skeletal structure have the appearance of saggy skin and poorly defined faces. This may all be related to your bone structure which can be easily and effectively corrected with many different options. But without seeing you or seeing photos there is no way to be sure.
Jason B. Diamond, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Procedure for extremely loose facial skin

Without photos extremely difficult to determine the reason you think you have loose facial skin. Let alone to classify you as a Cutis Laxa Facialis due to Ehles Danlos Syndrome (a paper I co-published over 30 tears ago as a chief resident). Go see 3 boarded plastic surgeons in your area. 
Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon
+1

Loose skin at an early age - there are options

Hello, It is rare to have significant loose skin at your age. However, I have performed "re-do" face lifts in women in their 30's!! Take a look at my web site and you will see a re-do Facelift in a woman in her 30's. I do many re-do face lifts because of the value of the laser vertical lift. It all depends on your your expectations and how you look now.
Michael Kulick, MD
San Francisco Plastic Surgeon
+1

Loose skin in a young adult

Loose skin in a young adult can be caused by many things. First significant weight loss can be a cause. There are several genetic skin conditions that can cause lax skin some of which can be treated by excision procedures.
Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Extremely lax skin

There are medical condition where the skin is very lax and the jointes are very hyper extendible. Collagen diseases or conditions like ehler danlos or cutis laxa, are some of these conditions. Meet with you family Physician and your plastic surgeon. Hopefully you will have an answer.
Samir Shureih, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon
+1

Solutions for loose facial skin

Because of your age, it's unlikely that a facelift is what you need without looking at your pictures. You may have a skin disorder, such as cutis laxa or Ehlers Danlos syndrome. Check with your dermatologist to see if a skin biopsy is indicated. However, if all is well with your skin structure then you may want to consider a facelift.
Jeffrey E. Schreiber, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon
+1

Tightening facial skin

At 30, it is unusual to have significantly lax skin.  Either your genetics are unusual, or you have lost a lot of weight , or perhaps you are hypercritical of yourself.  You can tighten the skin in your case by adding volume with fillers and then later you might need an early facelift. 
Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+1

Sagging facial skin treatment

Severely sagging facial skin at 30 that began when you were 21 has me concerned that you may have an underlying collagen disorder.  I would seek the opinion of a qualified rheumatologist to rule-out any medical conditions before seeking the advise of a plastic surgeon. 
Edward Buckingham, MD
Austin Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Volumizing and removing extra skin through fat transfer and facelifting can help

It will all depend on how you really look. Volumizing can help your loss of volume which can start in your 20's and progress. Fat transfer is a great, natural way to plump up your lossed volume and can last 10 plus years. Fillers are another short term option. Volumizing takes up extra space and helps to fill in the extra skin. Facelifts can remove the extra skin that the filling doesn't fill out appropriately. In my opinion, filling first and then removing extra skin is the best sequence.... more
Philip Young, MD
Bellevue Facial Plastic Surgeon
Use of this website and the posting of any reviews or other content on this website constitutes acceptance of the RealSelf® Terms of Service. The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider. © 2011 RealSelf, Inc. All rights reserved.