Cheeks are sagging - would a facelift help me?

Question

I'm only 36 years old but my cheeks are sagging and I have extra skin from the corners of my mouth to my chin. Am I a good candidate for a facelift? I don't smoke or drink, and I exercise regularly and have always worn sunscreen. Thank you!

Georgios Orfaniotis MD, FRCS(Plast) · Answer

You are young, however from your photos It appears that you have some premature jowling. Non surgical treatments will only give you a small short lasting improvement. Its probably worth trying something more conservative first and see whether the results are satisfactory. If not, then a short scar deep plane facelift will correct your marionette lines and jowling and the results will last for a decade.

Jonathan Kulbersh, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Without examining you in person, it is impossible to tell you exactly what procedures might offer you the results you desire. You are young, and facelifts are typically not recommended at your age, however in some cases, they may prove to be more beneficial than shorter term solutions such as nonsurgical skin tightening, or fillers. I would advise you to schedule an in-person consultation with a board-certified facial plastic surgeon who can examine you more closely and offer you customized options for the result you desire. Best of luck!

Martin Jugenburg, MD · Answer

A deep plane facelift can help improve that area but it is not an easy problem to correct and likely to recur after a facelift surgery.

Yannis Alexandrides, MD, FACS · Answer

While assessing patients for Facelift, age is just one of the elements we are looking at. Many times criteria such as genes, weight fluctuation or skin elasticity may play a role that can affect the way we look at a younger age. In this case, from the pictures I see, there is a laxity of the skin on your face and neck, the appearance of the jowls and some submental excess of adipose. I believe that in your case Face and Neck lift surgery combined with Submental Liposuction would help you to improve the shape of the face and neck.

Earl Stephenson, Jr., MD, DDS, MBA · Answer

Thank you so much for your pictures. In my opinion you would be a good candidate for a facelift. It will help improve the area down by the corners of your mouth and at your jawline. It was smooth that area out to give you a more refreshed look.

I hope this answer helps.

Best wishes.

I hope this answer helps.

Best wishes.

Farhan Taghizadeh, MD · Answer

Hello, and thanks for your question!  In our late 30s and early 40s our bodies produce less collagen and the fat pads in our faces begin to shrink.  This shrinking can cause sagging around the jowls.  You do have some pre-jowling occuring around the mouth and chin area.  However, given your young age, its best to try other options before a facelift.

Filler placed higher, along the cheek bones, will help provide some lift.  You could also use a collagen building product like Sculptra to help revolumize the mid face and provide some lift to the jowls.  Depending on how much volume you have under the chin (hard to tell from the pics) you might investigate a Smart Lipo procedure that can remove excess fat while tightening your skin (combined with fillers for your cheeks).  Finally, you might also try a PDO thread lift combined with filler as this would address the laxity and the volume depletion in your mid face.

I hope this is helpful.  Delaying a facelift until your mid to late 40s is a good idea because most facelifts last about 10 years, and each revision becomes more difficult.  If you start now, you would likely need three more in later years.  So if you can find an alternative you would benefit.

Thanks,
Dr. Taghizadeh

Richard G. Schwartz, MD · Answer

Your photos show skin looseness and sagging fat in your lower jowl region, the lower cheek.  A cheeklift with careful fat removal in the jowl region as well as internal suturing to lift the cheek fat up toward the higher cheekbones should be helpful in reducing this fullness and creating more fullness in the upper cheeks, which is the hallmark of the youthful face.

Marc Polacco, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Although there are a variety of skin-tightening procedures on the market, only a facelift is capable of resuspending the deeper tissue of the face. Being young and healthy is a major plus for optimal healing and recovery.

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

It is rare to recommend a facelift in someone your age. However that is what is needed in your case. I think it would help quite a bit

Brian K. Machida, MD, FACS · Answer

Although you are on the younger side, one view shows significant heaviness of the marionette line on one side.  The other side does not look as bad. An in person evaluation is recommended but based on one view you could be a candidate for a lift.