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Terrified After Midface Lift - Now I Have a "Moon Face."

I recently had about 4-5 procedures performed seven weeks ago. One of the procedures was a midface lift.I am 29 years old and i had chubby cheeks even before surgery.Unfortunately i also had fat pads (i guessthe malar fat pad )on each side of my nose that kind of hung and dragged down my midface area. The doctore suggested i do a midfacelift along with the other procedures i was doing. Now my whole cheek upper mid and lower is full.I look like i am on steroids with a moon face.Can this be fixed?

Asked 14 months ago by gatorgirl29 in rockingham nc

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Midface lift at 29

At 7 weeks you may still have significant swelling that usually gets better over time. 29 is a bit young to have had a midface lift, but some patients do age early for a number of reasons.

Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Mid face lift can be reversed soon after surgery.

Hi. I am astonished by some of the things I read on RealSelf. Who would do 4 or 5 facial procedures on a 29 year old? See two other plastic surgeons right away. Depending on how the mid face was done, the bad result may be reversed by cutting some internal stitches as soon a possible.

George J. Beraka, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Midface lift at 29?

As you can see from the other answers, it is unusual to do a midface lift on a 29 year-old and one with chubby cheeks to start with. At seven weeks out, you are not totally healed and it will take 3-4 months to get there. Try to be patient until then and hopefully gravity will help you settle back down a bit.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Midfacelift results

It is unusual to undergo a midfacelift at age 29, but if it was necessary, so be it. Swelling from this type of procedure may last up to 6 months, so don't loose faith in your doctor just yet. Keep close follow up. Be patient. If you post a picture with your eyes blacked out to obscure you identity, a more thorough evaluation may be possible.

Jason R. Hess, MD

San Diego Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Midface lift and reversal of lift procedures

Reversal of lift procedures is uncommon but does occur. Forehead lifting, as an example, when performed too high, can be reversed to a moderate degree. Less invasive procedures could be tried in a conservative fashion first; these would include small canula liposuction or laser lipolysis in a very conservative manner. If this does not achieve the desired benefit, then surgical treatment could provide reduction of the asymmetry component, as well as the high cheek component... more

David Q. Santos, MD

Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

Is swelling normal after a mid facelift

Essentially everyone will swell after a facial procedure. You are way to early to comment on your final result. That being said in my humble opinion a mid face lift with 5 over the procedures may be a little much in a 29 year old. Clearly pre-op and post op pictures would illuminate your predicament. The key at this point is to be patient and have an open dialog with your surgeon. Good luck hope this helps!

Ritu Chopra, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Face Lift, Cheek Enhancement, Revision Face Lift, Mid Face Lift.

I just answered a question with a similar issue. When a Subperiosteal Mid Face Lift is performed on someone with fullness in the areas you mentioned...the nasolabial folds and the sub malaria or below the cheek area...this fullness is lifted up and outward towards the top of the ears creating a wide and full face. That's one of the reasons that I do not do those type of Face Lifts. In my opinion, the Midface Face Lift is reserved for people with very thin faces or more appropriately with more

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Midface lift, chek lift, facelift

I am a little confused why you had to have so much surgery at age 29. Be that as it may swelling can play a role for several weeks after surgery. It would be useful to have before and after photos for comparison.

Robert Whitfield, MD

Milwaukee Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS

Midface lift

I'm sorry to hear that you haven't had the results you hoped for. At age 29, it seems like you've had a lot done to your face - photos would really help to understand your problem and what was done. At 7 weeks you may still have a little post op swelling. It's hard to visualize what you mean by a "moon face" without a photo. Have you talked to your surgeon? I would recommend discussing with him your healing process and what... more

Catherine Huang-Begovic, MD

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Midface Lift

As with all cosmetic procedures the midface lift has its place. I'm actually a big fan of the procedure and really enjoy doing it. But it's only for certain patients. The midface is the area above the upper lip from the lateral nose to a diagonal line drawn between the lateral eye and the nose. This area can become drawn and fat deficient as we age. The midface lift helps elevate the fat that has descended. The biggest drawback of the surgery is... more

Christopher L. Hess, MD

Fairfax Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Midface Lift

Hello Gatorgirl29- As others have stated in their posts, 4-5 facial procedures in a 29 year old is, depending of course on exactly what was done and the extent at which it was performed, quite an aggressive surgical strategy. Photos do help us, but a description of other procedures also may help....in any event, swelling could very well be, and most likely is the culprit here. Time is on your side; speak with your surgeon about their thoughts on your swelling and progression towards recov more

John Philip Connors III, MD

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Terrified After Midface Lift - Now I Have a "Moon Face."

As others mentioned, pictures and a description of the other procedures would be very useful in order to give you an accurate answer. It is very possible you are still swollen from the surgery as well.

Sam Goldberger, MD

Beverly Hills Oculoplastic Surgeon

Please send pictures

The combination of multiple procedures will delay the healing. Mid face lift is associated with prolong swelling and you should have been informed about it. Please discuss your concerns with your surgeon.

Kamran Khoobehi, MD

New Orleans Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Swelling can last 6 months

Swelling can for many months following a mid-face lift. I would give things a minimum of 3-6 months before manking any final determination.

Jack Peterson, MD

Topeka Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Round face after mid face lift

It is important at this point in time to do nothing but wait. You had a large operation and it will take time for the swelling to resolve and for the results to soften. You may ask if the doctor will give you a steroid orally for a while to help with swelling. I would also add that you are young to have these procedures, so be careful. sek

Scott E. Kasden, MD

Dallas Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Midface lift at 29

Without pictures, it is very difficult to make a determination. However, I do have several observation: 1) Mid-face lift in an individual with "chubby cheeks" is generally not a great procedure, 2) Mid-face lift at age 29 is unusual, 3) Isolated mid-face lifts tend to be limited in their outcome, 4) Certain approaches to the Mid-face tend to be associated with prolonged swelling.

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Stephen Prendiville, MD

Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon

Mid-face lift swelling can last a LONG time

Mid-face lift swelling can last a long time. Typically subperiposteal lift swelling can last for several months.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Prolonged swelling after a mid facelift

Dear patient, you are too young to have that many procedures done on you, especially a mid facelift. I need to see your photo to better evaluate your facial features. Are all other procedures you're mentioning were also performed on your face as well? It seems you have a prolonged swelling. Talk to your surgeon.

Kevin Sadati, DO

Orange County Facial Plastic Surgeon

Midface lift in a 29 year old?

Photos would be VERY helpful in this case, as would a list of the other "4-5 procedures" you had done. It's unusual for someone as young as you to need a midface lift, but not unheard of. It's only been 7 weeks, and you are surely still healing and still have some swelling. Beyond that, though, I can't begin to give you any idea what's going on, unless you can include photos.