Am 18 Years Old and Am Experiencing Facial Sagging, What Are My Options?

Profound weightloss will create sagging, but at consultation with a Plastic Surgeon, the possibility of a connective tissue abnormality should be considered.  There are several conditions which result in abnormal collagen or elastin production, and these issues should be explored before any treatments are contemplated.

Because you are still young, there is a good chance the skin on your face will firm up again as long as you lead a healthy lifestyle. For now you may want to consider nonsurgical skin tightening treatments such as laser skin tightening and fillers. These are less invasive and may be a better option considering your age.

Correcting facial sagging at age 18 is something I would look at very carefully before considering anything beyond fillers unless there has been massive weight loss.

The key at your age is good medical skin care, no sun tanning of the face and good hydration.  This goes a long way throughout lift.

Although it is difficult to answer your question without seeing your pictures – based on your description it appears that you may be a good candidate for facial fat grafting, or just gaining some weight

it is difficult to imagine that you would be a candidate for a facelift or other surgical methods at your age. Quite possibly you may want to consider Scupltra or another injectable filler to add volume to your cheeks to give you a more youthful, rested look.

Best of luck to you.

Dr. Clevens

 

  I agree that it is highly unlikely that you are experiencing significant facial sagging which would require surgery.  Certainly, reasonable suggestions about possible intervention must depend on submitting actual photos.

No photos.  So very difficult to assess your sagging face and make appropriate suggestions.  Getting stressed out and losing weight even though you were slim to begin with might be code for being depressed or having an eating disorder.  In either case, treatment is not cosmetic surgery, it is appropriate psychological help.  Once you are psychologically stable your body weight is likely to stabilize.  At that point, if the sagging face is still an issue, drop us a new line with photographs and we can make some suggestions.

Women that exercise vigorously are at risk for early facial volume loss, yes, even at age 18.  The usual suspect is a long distance runner.  It can be a frustrating problem and a plastic surgeon can help.  Generally fillers are used to treat this issue but it tends to recur. 

It is hard to imagine that surgery will be among your reasonable options...in general, a facelift (of which there are many kinds) is reserved for patients who are older than you.  Generally starting in about the mid to late 40s at about the earliest, though each case is different and when there has been significant weight loss it an be considered at an earlier age.  But not normally at 18.  You may want to consult with someone about laser skin tightening or even some peels for the overall look of your skin.  Addressing specific facial sagging, though, is not common for 18 year olds.

I hope that this helps, and good luck,

Dr. E