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Weak Smile 5 yrs After Facelift Surgery. Could There Have Been Damage???

I thought it would correct itself but has been 5yrs.

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14 Doctor Answers | Asked by megan123 in Beverly, MA

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Weak Smile 5 yrs After Facelift Surgery

Assuming that you did not have a weak smile before the facelift surgery, and that you did not have nay other facial nerve issues such as Bell's Palsy, then it would be safe to assume that the problem may have been the result of the surgery and it is unlikely for much function to return after 5 years

Sam Naficy, MD

80 reviews

Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.seattleface.com

Face Lift

After 5 years, there is not much chance of things changing very much. See a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon for a thorough assessment of your issues, and the chance of correction.

Facelift - Weak Smile 5 yrs After Facelift Surgery. Could There Have Been Damage???

Unfortunately, it is possible that you have permanent damage from your procedure. However, before you get to that conclusion, there are many other possibilities to consider. Are you sure there wasn't weakness before, are you sure it hasn't gotten better, etc. While areas of weakness can occur after facial surgery (and can occur after a wide range of facial surgery procedures), the majority of the defects are temporary, with dramatic or full improvement within... more

I would have to see pictures, but am a facial paralysis expert

I would have to see pictures as this is hard to tell with the limited info you gave. If you want you can email me pictures at info@facialplastics.info. I am a facial paralysis expert so can help see video

Babak Azizzadeh, MD

4 reviews

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.facialplastics.info

A weak smile 5 years after a facelift could be due to nerve damage but this is a very rare complication.

Permanent damage to the facial nerve (responsible for facial function) is very rare. Temporary functional disturbance is occasionally seen but generally resolves in a few weeks. I'm not sure you have a "weak" smile without better examination, but if you do and it's been five years, the problem is probably permanent.

Face Lift Weak Smile 5 yrs after will not likely come back much more

Usually weakness from a facelift is something that should come back in the first year. 5 years later means that it is likely permanent. But it could be other reasons that you feel your smile is weak. It could be just the way that it was lifted. I would really have to see how you are smiling to tell if there is anything that you should be concerned about. Usually if it is a true injury to the facial nerve, the damage is asymmetric and not symmetric. If you find that your... more

Philip Young, MD

6 reviews

Bellevue Facial Plastic Surgeon

Face weak after Face Lift

It's difficult to say without seeing photos of your face before and after while you are raising your eyebrows, closing your eyes, puckering the lips and pouting as these movements test the strength and function of the facial nerve. During a Face Lift, the branches of the facial nerve should be avoided and their damage is uncommon. If there is weakness, in facial movements, after a Face Lift beyond the first several few weeks post op....there's a chance this... more

Weak Smile 5 Years After Facelift?

Although it is difficult to determine what a "weak smile" means, I am guessing that it refers to some alteration of the appearance of your smile, potentially related to the movement of your mouth. Any such change would suggest injury to a motor nerve branch (facial nerve) to your upper lip or cheek. This is a very rare occurrence during Facelift in experienced hands. If a facial nerve branch is injured, the effects are manifested immediately. Most injuries that... more

Weak smile after facelift surgery

As stated by the other surgeons it is difficult to determine your problem not knowing the exact surgery performed and how it looked immediately after surgery to whatnyounare seeing today. Most facelift surgeries do not create a permanent imbalance or asymmetry of the smile. Sometimes in the immediate post operative phase you may see some asymmetry of the smile and this usually corrects itself after swelling and rejuvenation of the nerves. Right after surgery due to injections or weakness of... more

Michael Elam, MD

82 reviews

Orange County Facial Plastic Surgeon

michaelelammd.com

Facelifts rarely cause weak smiles

Nerves and muscles are at risk during any surgery, so it is possible that you had an injury during your facelift 5 years ago that resulted in a weak smile. However, permanent nerve injuries are very rare and most "weakness" symptoms after a facelift resolve within month. If it was the result of an injury, the weakness would have been much worse right after surgery. If you did not notice a weakness right after surgery, it is possible that the asymmetry was... more

Weak smile after facelift?

Weak Smile 5 yrs After Facelift Surgery. Could There Have Been Damage??? the short answer is of course. however, it is rarely that simple and the vast majority of partial nerve injuries resolve spontaneously. Most people smile "stronger" on one side naturally and this may have been unmasked or worsened after surgery. at this point there is little reason to dredge up the old nerves with some sort of repair unless it is so obvious that it looks like a stroke or palsy. I... more

Weak smile after facelift

There are a several possibilities but to be able to answer your question we need to know if it is a symmetrical problem or just one side, or is it a weakness depressing the lower lip or elevating the upper lip. We would also need to know exactly what type of lift you had (SMAS or deep plane) as this would determine what could have been injured. Were the lips pulled tight as this could distort the smile? The chance of damage to the muscles that elevate the lips is... more

Weak Smile after Face Lift

Most face lifts are performed without injuries to any of the nerves that create you smile. You mentioned a weak smile but did not mention any asymmetry. If an unfortunate injury does occur (either temporary or permanent) it usually creates a situation of imbalance. This does not sound like your situation. I would seek the advise of one of your respected plastic surgeons in your home town.

Weak smile after facelift

I would need to ask you questions and examine you. Is this something that occurred immediately after your facelift? Did it improve over the course of time? Was this not discussed with your surgeon when it was noticed? If this was caused by a nerve injury 5 years ago and it has not recovered by now, it is unlikely to. Nerves that are able to heal usually do over the course of months to 1-2 years typically. There could be other explanations for your weak smile as... more