After a Facelift, Can Your Face Get Thinner? Does Any of the Fat on Cheeks Get Absorbed?

Whether or not any fat is lost during a face lift depends to some extent on the technique used.  We typically add fat to face (fat grafting) at the same time as the face lift

The goals of a facelift procedure are to suspend the soft tissues of the face to their more youthful position. During this process liposuction can be performed to further reduce some of the excess adipose tissue in the region of the face and neck. Combined, the effects of suspension and sculpting afford an excellent rejuvenation of the lower 2/3’s of the face.Be healthy and be well,James M. Ridgway, MD, FACS

In general , it may appear that your face is thinner due to the repositioning of the fat. However, in most instances, plastic surgeons will try to preserve volume.

During a facelift, the skin and soft tissues are elevated and the underlying tissue is repositioned to achieve a more youthful position.  With many facelifts, liposuction of the neck and jowls is performed and often the muscles are tightened.  In some patients, extra fat can be transferred to the midface to enhance the results from surgery.  However, every patient is different and the procedure need to be customized to each individual person.  

Good luck.

A facelift repositions the fat within th face to a more youthful position. Next the excess skin is removed.  After a facelift, you should not lose the fat that was repositioned, but keep in mind that the aging process will continue. It is possible that some of the fat may decrease because of the natural aging process. This may happen very slowly over years and years.

A Facelift will reposition the tissues of your face back to where they started out when you were younger. This process does not cause your fat to go away, however, some surgeons do some fat contouring while they are doing the Facelift procedure. In general we do not remove fat from the cheeks.

There is a miniscule amount of fat that is absorbed along the area of the surgical facelift where the incisions and elevation of the SMAS is performed. Only the areas that are undermined will get a very slight resorption of fat.  

The reason that the face may appear thinner is the vertical direction of pull on the underlying muscle during traditional facelift surgery.   This results in a more angular oval facial shape from a previous boxy flat appearance.   The cheek fat is very unlikely to atrophy and should actually appear more pronounced depending on the vector of pull during your facelift.   All the best on a safe recovery.

 

Paul S. Gill, M.D.

Glll Plastic Surgery

Houston Double Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

In most cases no but without a photo very hard to advise. Seek in person evaluations from boarded plastic surgeons in your area. From MIAMI Dr. Darryl J. Blinski

If there is excess fat in the face and neck it can be reduced if this will present an aesthetic improvement. Fat can also be preserved in the thin neck.  Our Smartlifting techniques with laser assisted facelifting can transfer jowl fat to the cheek are giving the face a more heart like shape.  Like wise laser assisted facelifting can strategically melt fat in some locations.  Full faces can also be reduced with removal of buccal fat if necessary.